# sunburn - what causes it?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunburn-what-causes-it/194732>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 12, 2003, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunburn-what-causes-it/194732 "2003-08-12T21:24:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![The\_Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Griffin)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunburn-what-causes-it/194732/1 "2003-08-12T21:24:57Z")

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Is it the ultra violet light that actually burns you or the infra red(heat)? I thought it was the ultra violet but my mate reckons the UV just causes skin cancer.

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**Author:** ![maralinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@maralinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maralinn)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunburn-what-causes-it/194732/2 "2003-08-12T22:18:56Z")

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Every source I’ve seen says UV rays. UVA rays can cause melanoma; UVB rays cause sunburn.

[http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/ency/sunburn.html](http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/ency/sunburn.html)