How much UV radiation can your skin handle?
Intensive and frequent sunbathing can be too much for your skin to handle. Only if you gradually increase UV exposure over a period of two to three weeks, and only expose your skin to moderate UV radiation, can you achieve a lasting tan that makes the corneal layer of your skin thicker, providing a little protection from the sun.
Although this natural UV protection can prevent sunburn to some extent, it can’t protect you from all of the different types of damage caused by UV light, and can’t prevent skin cancer.
The skin of people who are sensitive to light can’t protect itself from UV radiation for long. In very fair-skinned people, UV radiation starts becoming harmful after about 5 to 10 minutes.