High exposure to X-rays during diagnostic medical imaging or radiotherapy can also result in radiation burns.

[1] The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) considers 50 watts to be the lowest power above which radio stations must evaluate emission safety.

[8] Chronic radiodermatitis occurs with chronic exposure to "sub-erythema" doses of ionizing radiation over a prolonged period, producing varying degrees of damage to the skin and its underlying parts after a variable latent period of several months to several decades.

[3]: 40  Chronic radiodermatitis, squamous and basal cell carcinomas may develop months to years after radiation exposure.

[3]: 39–40 Radiation-induced erythema multiforme may occur when phenytoin is given prophylactically to neurosurgical patients who are receiving whole-brain therapy and systemic steroids.

[3][11] Restated, radiation recall dermatitis is an inflammatory skin reaction that occurs in a previously irradiated body part following drug administration.

Unlike gamma rays, beta emissions are stopped much more effectively by materials and therefore deposit all their energy in only a shallow layer of tissue, causing more intense but more localized damage.

The cornified keratine layer of epidermis has enough stopping power to absorb beta radiation with energies lower than 70 keV.

Beta emissions are also severely attenuated by air; their range generally does not exceed 6 feet (1.8 m) and intensity rapidly diminishes with distance.

[17] Careful washing of exposed body surface, removing the radioactive particles, may provide significant dose reduction.

Primary erythema lasting more than 72 hours is an indication of injury severe enough to cause chronic radiation dermatitis.

Similar effects apply to animals, with fur acting as additional factor for both increased particle retention and partial skin shielding.

To produce skin lesions comparable with contagious pustular dermatitis, the estimated dose is between 465 and 1395 Gy.

Very high energies from electron beams from particle accelerators, reaching tens of megaelectronvolts, can be deeply penetrating.

[23] High-energy beta emissions should be shielded with plastic instead of lead, as high-Z elements generate deeply penetrating gamma bremsstrahlung.

A white snow-like dust, nicknamed by the scientists "Bikini snow" and consisting of contaminated crushed calcined coral, fell for about 12 hours upon the Rongelap Atoll, depositing a layer of up to 2 cm.

Deeper lesions, painful, weeping and ulcerated, formed on more contaminated residents; the majority healed with simple treatment.

Twenty-three U.S. radar servicemen of the 28-member weather station on Rongerik[41] were affected, experiencing discrete 1–4 mm skin lesions which healed quickly, and ridging of fingernails several months later.

Sixteen crew members of the aircraft carrier USS Bairoko received beta burns, and there was an increased cancer rate.

[15] During the Zebra test of the Operation Sandstone in 1948, three men had beta burns on their hands when removing sample collection filters from drones flying through the mushroom cloud; their estimated skin surface dose was 28 to 149 Gy, and their disfigured hands required skin grafts.

The AEC however had a policy to compensate farmers only for animals showing external beta burns, so many claims were denied.

[43] During the Operation Upshot–Knothole, sheep as far as 50 miles (80 km) from the test site developed beta burns to their backs and nostrils.

[42] During underground nuclear testing in Nevada, several workers developed burns and skin ulcers, in part attributed to exposure to tritium.

Some firefighters developed beta burns of lungs and nasopharyngeal region after inhalation of massive amounts of radioactive smoke.

The beta activity was extremely high, with beta/gamma ratio reaching 10–30 [clarification needed] and beta energy high enough to damage basal layer of the skin, resulting in large area portals for infections, exacerbated by damage to bone marrow and weakened immune system.

The Chernobyl liquidators' burns first appeared on wrists, face, neck and feet, followed by chest and back, then by knees, hips and buttocks.

Numerous accidents also occur during radiotherapy due to equipment failures, operator errors, or wrong dosage.

[46] The burns may be fairly deep and require skin grafts, tissue resection or even amputation of fingers or limbs.