Sunburn is a skin condition when you are exposed to a lot of UV rays from the sunlight. It is a radiation burn that affects the upper level of skin – with or without clothes. Sunburn and a tan are not the same things. A tan is your body’s way of showing that you cannot have severe sunburns. But the tan can be a part of the sunburn, too, and having dark skin does not ensure that you may never have sunburn. You can also get sunburn in cool or cold weather with less sunlight. As well, snowy or beachy areas may reflect the sun’s UV rays, causing sunburn. During sunburn, your skin may turn pink or red, sometimes causing it to cut open and bleed. A mild sunburn may further cause the upper layer to peel off to make way for new skin growth. To technically understand sunburn, know that the sun emits UV radiation of three kinds - A, B, and C. In the hierarchy of mild to severe, UV-C mostly goes into the upper atmosphere, causing less skin harm. UV-B causes mild sunburns as it goes to the upper skin layer only. UV-A goes deeper into the fatty tissues and may cause second or third-degree burns.