Now it’s summer and the weather is hot and sunny it’s tempting to spend a lot of time outside. But if you don’t apply sunscreen, you’ll get a sunburn. And it hurts! Ouch!
A sunburn is a sign that UV radiation from the sun rays has damaged the DNA of your skin cells which caused them to die. The immune system then tries to repair the damage and removes the dead cells. This is what causes skin to become red and painful.
Next time, remember to always apply sunscreen half an hour before going out and several times throughout the day. But in the meantime, here’s how you can treat your sunburn:
1. Stay away from the sun. Applying sunscreen to a sunburn only worsens inflammation and itching. Instead, covering it up with loose fitting clothes that won’t further irritate your skin.
2. Take an antinflammatory like aspirin or ibuprophen to stop inflammation and reduce redness and pain.
3. Cool skin by applying aloe vera gels or cool moisturizers. Keep them in the fridge for a few hours before applying to the sunburn.
4. Don’t pop blisters and don’t peel skin off. They protect the sensitive underlayers of skin that shouldn’t be exposed. If you peel it off you would only cause more damage and and the sunburn would take longer to heal.
5. Shower with lukewarm water. If the water is too hot, you would burn off more skin.
6. Drink plenty of water. A sunburn can dehydrate your body so it’s important to drink lots of water.
7. Visit your doctor immediately if you get open wounds or extensive skin damage.
Have you got any additional tips on how to treat a sunburn?
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I just bought a sunscreen cost me $30.
.-= Sherry´s last blog ..This, That & My Blog giveaway =-.
Wow, that’s a lot! But if it protects skin well then it’s worth it, isn’t it?
We sell a ton of Aloe vera gel just for this. You can take tablets with PABA in in addition to sunscreen, which helps to activate the melanin in your skin, helping you to tan faster instead of burning.
Only other thing sun-safety wise I can think of is that beta-carotene tablets as supposed to help prevent prickly heat.
.-= Anastasia´s last blog ..EOTD: Guild Wars – Kurzick =-.
Aloe Gel works so well for sunburns. Thanks for the useful tips, as always.