The spots people forget: sunburned lips, eyes, and scalp

Most people cover their arms, shoulders, and face and then call it done, but the sun finds the spots that get skipped. Lips, eyes, the scalp, and the tops of the ears burn readily precisely because they are easy to miss, and some of these areas carry risks out of proportion to their size. Treating them well starts with recognizing that they need protection at all, the same cumulative-damage logic behind how sunburns raise skin cancer risk applies here too.

Lips have very thin skin and little protective pigment, which makes them burn fast and also makes the lower lip a genuine site of concern for sun-related skin cancers over a lifetime. A plain lip balm does nothing against ultraviolet light; what you want is a balm with broad-spectrum SPF 30, reapplied often, especially around water and snow. A burned lip is tender and prone to cracking, so treat it gently with a bland, fragrance-free balm and keep it out of further sun while it settles.

The eyes are the surprise for most people. Ultraviolet light can burn the surface of the eye itself, a painful condition called photokeratitis that feels like grit, light sensitivity, and watering hours after intense exposure on water, sand, or snow. It usually heals within a day or two of rest in dim light, but it is genuinely a sunburn of the eye and a reason to wear sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB, not just tinted lenses. Repeated exposure also contributes to longer-term eye problems, so this is prevention worth taking seriously.

The scalp and ears round out the list. A part line, thinning hair, or a bald spot leaves skin fully exposed on top of the head, where a burn is easy to earn and awkward to soothe. The tops of the ears are another common site for both burns and, over years, skin cancers. A wide-brimmed hat solves most of it, and a spray or powder sunscreen made for the scalp covers the rest. When these areas do burn, the same gentle care applies: cool them, moisturize lightly, leave any peeling alone, and stay covered until they recover.

Related reading: Sunburn myths that make it worse and Protecting children from sun damage.