For anyone who remembers childhood summers ending with sheets of peeling sunburnt skin, there is an unsettling question to consider: could those repeated burns have caused lasting damage to your skin?
A meta-analysis published in JAMA Dermatology indicates that the answer is likely to be yes.
Severe sunburns and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma
Across 17 studies involving more than 321,000 participants, people with a history of painful, blistering or severe sunburn had greater odds of developing cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), one of the most prevalent forms of skin cancer.
After searching thousands of published papers, the researchers combined data from 17 eligible studies. Compared with people who had no such history, those reporting a medium frequency of painful, blistering or severe sunburns over their lives had 51 percent higher odds of cSCC.
Among those with a high frequency of these burns, the odds were 69 percent higher.
Specialists at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York describe such episodes as "life-changing sunburns", because UV radiation can damage DNA in skin cells in ways that persist throughout life.
The burning sensation from a sunburn may eventually ease, but the DNA damage can remain.
"When the body repairs that damage, mistakes can sometimes occur," Adrienne Victor, an oncologist at the University of Rochester's Wilmot Cancer Institute who was not involved in the analysis, said in a recent news release.
"Over time, these mutations can accumulate and contribute to the development of skin cancer."
The 2025 meta-analysis was led by dermatologist Isaac Weber and colleagues at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, alongside other US institutions.
"While the role of UV exposure in cSCC is well-established, the specific effect of sunburns remains less certain," Weber and colleagues wrote, probably because measuring the effects of sunburn decades after it happens is difficult.
"Disentangling chronic UV exposure from sunburn is challenging due to their potential overlap – individuals with more sunburns may also have greater chronic exposure."
Where possible, the team used data adjusted for age, sex, skin colour and skin sensitivity.
Notably, frequent severe sunburn during childhood was linked to greater odds of later developing cSCC - by as much as three times - while even a small number of serious sunburns appeared to raise cSCC risk.
Although confidence in the evidence was still low, partly because the information depended on people recalling their own histories of sunburn, Weber and colleagues concluded that the findings underline the value of effective sunburn-prevention measures, particularly for children and teenagers.
Dermatologist Jinia El-Feghaly reinforced that guidance in the University of Rochester release.
"Children are more susceptible due to multiple risk factors, including the biology of their pigment-producing skin cells, the higher likelihood of sun exposure, and inconsistent use of sun protection," she explained.
Earlier meta-analyses assessing sunburn histories and other forms of skin cancer have reported a similar pattern: more severe sunburns in childhood, per decade or across a lifetime are associated with a greater risk of melanoma, for example, or basal cell carcinoma.
Put simply, the damage can build up. Frequent severe burns are hazardous, so preventing them is likely to substantially reduce the risk of skin cancer.
The Fitzpatrick Scale categorises skin types according to how readily they burn, but skin cancer can affect all skin types. (University of Rochester Medical Center)
Other factors affecting skin cancer risk
However troubling these findings may be, they are not the full picture.
UV radiation is a recognised carcinogen, and a person's lifetime exposure to sunlight genuinely affects their chance of cancer. Yet other significant factors must also be considered.
Genetics has an influence, and lifestyle choices - including cigarette smoking - can also add to the risk of skin cancer.
Tanning-bed use also increases the likelihood of melanoma. A 2025 study suggested that regular exposure to artificial UV light could be more damaging to skin than sunlight.
Short periods in the sun may support vitamin D levels, but the results of recent meta-analyses on sunburn history and skin-cancer risk suggest that burns leaving visibly injured skin should genuinely be avoided.
We cannot change our past sunburn histories, but we can prevent further additions to them.
Preventing sunburn and UV damage
Guarding against too much sun takes some forethought and preparation. As the now globally known Australian public-information campaign of the 1980s put it: Slip (on a shirt), Slop (on some sunscreen), Slap (on a hat).
"Some people avoid sunscreen because of myths that its ingredients can cause skin cancer," Victor says.
"However, the strongest evidence points to UV exposure as the primary cause of most skin cancers."
Related: FDA Approves First New Sunscreen Ingredient in Decades
Avoiding strong midday sunshine and finding shade beneath a tree or umbrella are further sensible ways to prevent sunburn.
The meta-analysis was published in JAMA Dermatology.
This article was fact-checked by Rachel Garner and edited by Clare Watson. While we take pride in our process, we are only human. If you spot an error, please let us know.
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