How does overexposure to UV radiation affect the skin?

Overexposure to UV radiation significantly affects the skin in various harmful ways, making the selected answer the most comprehensive and accurate. When skin is exposed excessively to UV rays, it can experience sunburn, characterized by redness, pain, and inflammation. This is an immediate effect of UV radiation on the skin.

Moreover, long-term consequences include premature aging, a process known as photoaging. This is marked by the development of wrinkles, fine lines, and a loss of skin elasticity and texture, which occur due to the breakdown of collagen and elastin fibers in the deeper layers of the skin as a result of UV damage.

Perhaps most critically, excessive UV exposure increases the risk of skin cancer, particularly melanoma, which is a serious form of skin cancer. This risk arises from cumulative DNA damage in skin cells caused by UV radiation that can lead to mutations, resulting in uncontrolled cell growth.

The other options present incomplete or misleading information. For instance, the notion that overexposure leads only to sunburn ignores the severe long-term consequences, including the heightened risk of cancer and aging. Claiming that there are only cosmetic changes without associated health risks fails to acknowledge the serious implications of skin cancer. Finally, the idea that UV exposure improves skin elasticity is entirely incorrect