Most of us know about the harmful effects too much exposure to the sun could cause on our body and skin. However, Cade Huckabay from Texas learnt it the hard way when he decided to completely shave his head and then immediately spend 14 hours in the sun.

Recently, pictures of a horrific sunburn Cade received six months ago went viral on Twitter and social media with over 253,000 'likes' and a 100,000 retweets. The photos, which he posted on Twitter showed his head, which had swelled up significantly after the sun exposure. The swelling later left a dent on his forehead.

“Since it was always covered in hair or a hat, my scalp had basically never seen sunlight before that. Needless to say, I got it kinda bad,” Huckabay told Yahoo Lifestyle.

“I knew the swelling was just from the burn, and I wasn’t having any other symptoms of something more serious being wrong with me. I was perfectly healthy other than my head being a few sizes overgrown,” he added.

Cade said he got his head shaved to see how he looks without hair. Later, when he pressed his finger onto his forehead, Cade found that his skin had temporarily lost its elasticity, leaving a dent on his forehead, which stayed for over half an hour, the Mirror U.K., reported.

This incident throws light on the extent to which UV rays could harm our body. Exposure to UV rays from the sun could lead to sunburn, premature skin aging, skin damage, and skin cancer. According to Health Communities, more than 90 percent of skin cancers are caused due to sun exposure. The risk for skin damage and cancer is related to the amount of sunburns a person experiences in a lifetime.

Redness of the skin is the most obvious symptom of sunburn. However, there are many other symptoms like pain and discomfort on the skin's surface for a few hours following sun exposure, which may last from 12 to 48 hours. Exposure to the sun may also lead to serious infections that require immediate medical treatment. Increasing redness, swelling, fever, and a foul smell from the skin are some common symptoms of infection.

To be safe and sound it is always suggested to follow the basics of sun protection. According to a report in the WebMD, one should wear a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 and one that has a “broad-spectrum” label on it. This means that it protects the skin against the UVA and UVB rays. One should also avoid direct exposure between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m, wear sunglasses and use protective clothing to reduce the risk of getting a sunburn, the article added.

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