After a higher dose procedure of 10 Gy+, when can skin effects typically show up?

Skin effects from radiation exposure after a procedure involving doses of 10 Gy or higher typically appear days or weeks later due to the biological processes involved in radiation skin injury. Immediately following radiation exposure, the skin might not show any visible signs because it takes time for the cellular damage to manifest.

For doses as high as 10 Gy, the skin undergoes changes as the cells begin to die and the healing process initiates, which often includes inflammation, erythema, or even skin necrosis. These effects can develop over time as the skin tissue reacts to the damage done at a cellular level.

Additionally, while there can be some immediate reactions such as transient erythema or a burning sensation, these are not indicative of the more significant and long-lasting effects that can show up several days to weeks later, as the initial radiation injury becomes more apparent. This timeline aligns with the nature of biological responses and healing at the cellular level in the skin.