You skimped on sunscreen. Then forgot to re-apply. Now, you will have a sunburn that — quite literally — burns like no other, and your scorched skin more resembles the scaly, flaky mess shed from reptiles (ew) than its usual smooth, glowing disposition. It could be unsightly and even a little bit disconcerting, but while a sunburn is rarely thing, a peeling sunburn is each an indication of injury and a step in the proper direction. When your skin begins to peel, it’s actually your body’s way of ridding itself of dead, damaged skin cells that were exposed to the sun’s damaging ultra-violet rays. Pretty cool, should you ask us.

But should you ask us, we’ll just ask dermatologists — and that is exactly what we did so as to offer you a clearer idea of why sunburns peel, what it means on your skin, and prevent it in the longer term.

• Joshua DraftsmanMD, is a board-certified dermatologist the director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in Recent York City.
• Ava ShambanMD, is a board-certified dermatologist in Beverly Hills and the founding father of Ava MD.
• Ellen MarbleMD, is a board-certified dermatologist in Recent York City and the founding father of MMSkincare.
• Sheilagh MaguinessMD, is a board-certified dermatologist and associate professor on the University of Minnesota Medical School.

• Why does a sunburn peel?
• What are the stages of sunburn healing?
• How long does it take for a sunburn to completely peel?
• How do you treat a peeling sunburn?
• What happens to burnt skin that does not peel?
• Does a peeling sunburn scar?
• How are you going to prevent sunburn peeling?

“UV light exposure causes free-radical damage to your skin,” Joshua Zeichner, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Recent York City, tells Allure. “Significant inflammation results in a process referred to as programmed cell death, where skin cells shut down because they’re too damaged to live properly. Any redness, and particularly peeling, signifies that there was damage to the skin.”

In non-science speak, your body is literally shedding dead skin that was touched by the sun as a type of protection. (Not enough protection to forgo sunscreen, after all. Do not get too excited.)

“Sunburn symptoms are inclined to appear quickly after sun exposure,” says Ellen Marmur, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Recent York City. Your skin may begin to redden when you’re still getting sun exposure or you might feel that tell-tale scorched sensation the following time you’re taking a shower.