Whether you're flocking to the beach, or parking up on your boat, many Australians will be spending the Australia Day public holiday cooking under the summer sun.

PHd Candidate at the University of Queensland Katie Lee told 6PR Mornings on average the human skin can take up to 20-30 hours to clear half of the damage. 

"If the sunburn is painful and you can't cope with the pain - over time those types of burns can increase your risk of skin cancer," Ms Lee told Gary Adshead.