Can You “Cure” Sunburn? Sunburn Treatment!

It seems sunburn happens so quickly and is hard to prevent, but unfortunately it does happen. So what do you do when you get sunburnt? Can you treat sunburn at home? Or should you go see a doctor?

At the first signs of sunburn, taking an over the counter pain reliever should be the first thing to do. Ibuprofen or aspirin will not only take away some of the pain, but will reduce inflammation. If a child has sunburn and you do not want to give them an over the counter pain reliever that an adult would take, there are baby aspirin and children medicine for pain relief on the market. Next take a cool shower or a bath. The cool temperature will ease the pain of the burn and the irritation. Do not add any soaps to the bath or use any soaps on the body; using soap could irritate the skin. Avoid using a washcloth, loofah or scrubbing your skin with a towel, this could peel the skin prematurely and irritate it. Applying a cold towel or ice pack to the burnt area will cool the skin and reduce any swelling. Aloe vera may be applied to the sunburn. Rather than “rubbing” the aloe in, put a decent amount in a layer on the burn to prevent the skin getting too dry, reapply the aloe when it starts to dry. If you do not have aloe, using a cortisone cream will work as well to reduce stinging and inflammation.  Lastly, drink lots of water. Water will keep you hydrated and cool as well as your skin.

If you plan on going back out while still sunburnt; wear protective clothing, broad spectrum sunscreen and use a moisturizer to prevent blisters and peeling. If peeling does occur, do not peel of the skin, if you tear the skin off you could accidentally tear into the “alive” skin (the skin not peeling off) this could cause scarring. If you form blisters, do not pop the blister, not only is this painful, but it could cause scarring and possibly an infection. If the blister is very large and painful already, a physician visit is recommended. If you go outside, cover the blisters with gauze soaked in aloe. Wearing loose cotton clothing will prevent the clothes from sticking to you and the burnt area.

If you are feeling dizzy, can’t breathe, experiencing nausea, visual sensitivity to light, or severe painful blisters or a rash, go to the emergency room; chances are you have sun poisoning!

You can prevent sunburn with broad-spectrum sunscreen, protective clothing and avoiding over exposure to the sun. Sunburn can be treated but is very damaging to the skin.
Content Provided By: Alexia Hites