Sun Safe Wound Care

What You Need to Know During UV Safety Month

When most people think of summer, they think of sunshine, beach days, and outdoor adventures. But for patients with chronic wounds, increased UV exposure during the hotter months brings hidden risks. July is UV Safety Month, the perfect time to explore how sun exposure affects wound healing and what clinicians, caregivers, and patients need to know to protect vulnerable skin. The Overlooked Impact of Sun on Wound Healing Sunlight plays a complex role in health. While moderate UV exposure helps the body produce vitamin D, too much sun can have the opposite effect, especially when it comes to wound care.

Here’s why: UV radiation triggers inflammation and oxidative stress, both of which can impair the body’s natural ability to heal wounds. In fact, research shows that excessive sun exposure can:

• Delay re-epithelialization (the process by which skin cells cover a wound)

• Increase the risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation or scarring

• Suppress immune responses needed to fend off infection

• Dry out wound beds and surrounding skin
  

For patients already navigating diabetes, immobility, or vascular conditions, the sun becomes another risk factor that providers must manage proactively. Who’s Most at Risk?

While all wound care patients should practice sun safety, certain populations are more vulnerable to UV-related complications:

• Older adults: Aging skin is thinner and more sensitive to UV damage.

• Diabetic patients: Peripheral neuropathy and poor circulation increase the risk of unnoticed burns and impaired healing.

• Bed-bound or wheelchair-bound individuals: Prolonged exposure from windows or outdoor time without protection can lead to sunburned pressure points.

• Patients with open or chronic wounds: Any disruption in the skin barrier makes tissue more susceptible to UV injury and infection.
  

Providers must consider both direct exposure (time spent outside) and indirect exposure (sunlight through windows or car rides) when evaluating wound healing setbacks during summer. 5 Key Strategies for Sun-Safe Wound Care

1. Cover, But Breathe: When a wound is exposed to sunlight, it’s essential to use appropriate dressings that provide coverage without trapping heat or moisture. Transparent dressings that allow airflow while blocking UV rays are ideal.Tip: Use UV-protective wound dressings where available, and educate patients to avoid wrapping wounds in plastic or dark materials that trap heat.
   

2. Shield the Skin Surrounding the Wound: The periwound skin (the area around a wound) is often overlooked, yet it’s fragile and prone to breakdown, especially in the sun.Use a broad-spectrum SPF 30+ sunscreen on surrounding skin, avoiding direct contact with the wound itself. Mineral sunscreens with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide are gentle and effective options.
   

3. Hydrate Inside and Out: Heat and sun can dehydrate both the body and the skin, leading to dry, cracked tissue that’s more prone to injury and infection. Encourage patients to:

   • Drink plenty of water daily

   • Apply gentle, fragrance-free moisturizers on intact skin

   • Use misting sprays to keep skin cool without soaking dressings

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4. Time Outdoor Activities Wisely: For mobile patients, encourage sun exposure before 10 am or after 4pm, when UV intensity is lower. Even short durations outdoors can lead to sunburn or heat stress if not planned properly.For immobile patients, ensure shades or curtains block direct sunlight during peak hours, especially in rooms where patients spend extended time near windows.
   

5. Educate, Empower, and Remind: Patient education is critical. Many patients underestimate the power of the sun, especially if they’ve never had problems before. Use visuals and examples to explain how sun exposure can disrupt wound healing. Provide reminder cards or integrate sun safety into your patient discharge or daily care plans.
   

As wound care specialists, we don’t just treat, we teach. UV Safety Month offers a great opportunity to refresh our protocols and patient conversations. Sunburn may seem minor, but for a wound care patient, it can be catastrophic. One missed step, like going outside without covering a leg ulcer, can set back weeks of progress. Worse, it can introduce infection, worsen scarring, or lead to new wounds from fragile skin breaking down.

At Skilled Wound Care, we take a holistic view of patient recovery. That means looking beyond the wound bed and seeing the full picture, including seasons, environment, education, and lifestyle. UV safety isn’t an extra box to check. It’s an essential part of the healing process.

Interested in learning more about wound care best practices? Visit our blog at www.skilledwoundcare.com/blog or reach out to our team to discover how we’re changing lives, one wound at a time.