Past generations of sun worshippers thought nothing about hitting the beach in the hottest part of the day and staying until they were baked. Most didn’t bother with sunscreen or take the threat of skin cancer seriously. People are more careful today. If you ever stay too long on the beach or at the pool without proper protection however, you are going to need to know how to heal sunburn.
You’re probably already burned by the time you notice your skin getting pink. As soon as this happens though, you need to head for a shady spot, preferably inside. The pink tinge will turn to red within hours. Taking a cool shower is one of the best things you can do to get relief. You can also make a compress from a mixture of cold water and baking soda.
You want to avoid the temptation of lathering the skin with creams and lotion right after a burn. Hydrocortisone and aloe are good for your skin, but not until it begins to heal. You need to wait until your skin starts to dry and gets itchy to apply creams. Severe burns might need extra attention and prescription lotions.
You can use things you probably already have in your refrigerator and pantry to create effective natural remedies. Cucumbers are a great source of analgesics and antioxidants. You can use your blender to mash them into paste and apply that to the burn. Tea, of any variety, is good for drawing out heat and restoring the PH. The tannic acid in tea makes it a great natural soother. Pouring cider vinegar into bath water is another way to get relief.
Blistered skin is an indication of a second degree burn, which is much more serious. You can wash it with antibiotic creams. When you have large clusters of blisters, applying dry bandages may be necessary to prevent infection. Popping the blisters is tempting, but you should never do it. That increases the chances of infection and will slow the healing process.
Infection is a possibility with any kind of burn. You need to pay attention if you run a fever, see discharge oozing from blisters or if the pain gets worse instead of better. Any of these symptoms are probably worth a trip to the walk-in clinic, or even the emergency room if the fever and pain warrant it.
There are a lot of old wives’ tales about healing sunburns that aren’t true and can be harmful. It is not true that putting petroleum jelly or butter on a burn will help it. This is something that can make it worse, cause allergic reactions, and increase the amount of time it takes your skin to heal. Over the counter remedies can be effective. Read the label before you use any of them on your skin though.
Sandy beaches and backyard pools are very appealing to a lot of people. They can be a great source of enjoyment and relaxation. Too much time in the glare of the sun can have serious consequences though. It’s always better to apply too much sunscreen than not enough.
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