What to do about a sunburn?

We wait a long time for summer, and it’s so easy to go overboard when the sun is out.  It’s not just about applying a good sunblock once, you need to reapply it every 2 hours and immediately after swimming (you towel off the water and the sunblock when you dry off).  But once it’s happened what do you do?  Get out of the sun as quickly as possible – ideally indoors not just under an umbrella as the sun does reflect off the sand and light concrete, so even though you might feel shady you may be adding to the burn.

Once indoors, these dermatologists’ tips from the American Academy of Dermatology that can help relieve the discomfort:

1. Take frequent cool baths or showers to help relieve the pain. As soon as you get out of the bathtub or shower, gently pat yourself dry, but leave a little water on your skin. Then, apply a moisturizer to help trap the water in your skin. This can help ease the dryness.
2. Use a moisturizer that contains aloe vera or soy to help soothe sunburned skin. If a particular area feels especially uncomfortable, you may want to apply a hydrocortisone cream that you can buy without a prescription. Do not treat sunburn with “-caine” products (such as benzocaine), as these may irritate the skin or cause an allergic reaction.  We love the COOLA After Sun Radical Recovery
3. Consider taking aspirin or ibuprofen to help reduce any swelling, redness and discomfort.
4. Drink extra water. A sunburn draws fluid to the skin’s surface and away from the rest of the body. Drinking extra water when you are sunburned helps prevent dehydration.
5. If your skin blisters, allow the blisters to heal. Blistering skin means you have a second-degree sunburn. You should not pop the blisters, as blisters form to help your skin heal and protect you from infection.
6. Take extra care to protect sunburned skin while it heals. Wear clothing that covers your skin when outdoors. Tightly-woven fabrics work best. When you hold the fabric up to a bright light, you shouldn’t see any light coming through.

Although it may seem like a temporary condition, sunburn—a result of skin receiving too much exposure from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays—can cause long-lasting damage to the skin. This damage increases a person’s risk for getting skin cancer, making it critical to protect the skin from the sun. Be sun smart.