Risk factors

Risk factors for sunburn include:

• Having light skin, blue eyes, and red or blond hair
• Living or vacationing somewhere sunny, warm or at high altitude
• Working outdoors
• Swimming or spraying your skin with water, as wet skin tends to burn more than does dry skin
• Mixing outdoor recreation and drinking alcohol
• Regularly exposing unprotected skin to UV light from sunlight or artificial sources, such as tanning beds
• Taking a drug that makes you more likely to burn (photosensitizing medications)