From what little I've experienced of sunburn, it's evil. Oddly enough despite my normal pallor (even people at the hospital commenting I look pale), I happen to be 1/8th cherokee indian. When I was a child and my nocturnal tendancies hadn't kicked in yet, I would tan rather than burn. I would just sometimes get a light burn on my cheeks and shoulders... and that's with using SPF 4 or 8 sunscreen.