Got Sunburn? Do These 5 Things for Some Relief

It has happened to all of us. You’re sitting outside enjoying a family barbecue or laying out at the beach and someone says to you, “Oh, you are so sunburned!” You look down and realize you’re red as a lobster and are starting to feel a bit sore.

Sunburn can be a painful reminder that we’ve spent too much time in the sun. While some sunburns can be minor, others can be very painful and dangerous to your health.

“Sunburn can be dangerous and have life-long consequences,” says Robin Ashinoff, M.D. a board certified dermatologist with Hackensack Meridian Medical Group. “The strong ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun can cause permanent damage to your skin, accelerate skin aging and increase your risk for skin cancer in your lifetime,” adds Dr. Ashinoff.

If you’ve spent a few too many hours in the sun, there are a few things you can do to find some relief:

Hydrate yourself and your skin

Staying hydrated both inside and out is important when recovering from a sunburn. The burn disrupts the barrier function of the skin and may allow heat and moisture to leave through the skin. Also, sweating in the heat can further dehydrate you and cause headaches.

Make sure to drink plenty of water after getting a sunburn and apply aloe or moisturizers to the affected area often to restore the skin’s barrier function.

Stay cool

Keep your skin and body cool by applying cold compresses to the affected skin. Another easy way to stay cool is to use “cooling towels” typically found at most sporting goods stores. The reusable cloth gets cool when wet and helps move heat away from the skin. You can reactivate it by simply rinsing in water.

Manage pain and inflammation

If you realize early that you have allowed yourself to get a sunburn, taking 2 aspirin within the first 12 hours is a great anti-inflammatory and may help limit the extent of the sunburn. Topical anti-inflammatories such as corticosteroid ointments can also help limit the extent of the burn if applied very early. As always, check with your doctor before taking any new medication.

Leave blisters alone

If any blisters form, leave them alone. Breaking a blister can slow your healing and increase your risk for infection. If needed, lightly cover blisters with gauze or loose cotton clothing. Talk to your doctor if blisters are severe or cover a large portion of your body.

Wear SPF clothing and sunscreen

You should do everything you can to prevent future sunburn, especially on skin that’s recently been damaged. Learn more about choosing the right sunscreen.

Signs you should get care for your sunburn:

Sunburn can at times be severe and cause some worrying symptoms. If you have any of the following symptoms*, you should talk to your doctor right away, says Dr. Ashinoff:

• Fever
• Vision problems
• Severe pain
• Blisters that have become infected
• Nausea and vomiting

*This list is not all inclusive. Please consult your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning.

Next Steps & Resources:

• Meet our expert: Robin Ashinoff, M.D.
• To make an appointment with a health care provider near you, call 800-822-8905 or visit our website.

The material provided through HealthU is intended to be used as general information only and should not replace the advice of your physician. Always consult your physician for individual care.

7 Quick At-Home Sunburn Treatments

You looked forward to your tropical beach vacation for months. You endured travel stress made worse by the pandemic. When you finally arrived, you headed straight to the beach to relax in the sun. You enjoyed every minute of it and thought you’d followed all the right sun protection tips, but the facts face you in your hotel room mirror later that day: You’ve got a sunburn.

As frustrating and even embarrassing as they might be, sunburns happen. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, more than 1 out of every 3 Americans reports getting sunburned each year.

The good news? It’s simple to learn how to treat your sunburn and keep it from ruining the rest of your vacation.

How Does a Sunburn Happen?

A sunburn is an inflammatory reaction to ultraviolet (UV) radiation damage in the skin’s outermost layers, explains the Skin Cancer Foundation. It happens when your skin gets too much UV radiation without proper protection from sunscreen and clothes, adds the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).

You probably already know that the best way to keep your skin youthful and healthy is to stay out of the sun during its peak hours (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and to use sunscreen and protective clothing when you do venture out, as recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation. So how come you’re feeling the burn?

The most common reasons patients get sunburn are that they forgot to reapply sunscreen or they wait too long to reapply it, says Allison Arthur, MD, a board-certified dermatologist with Sand Lake Dermatology Center in Orlando, Florida. “Sunscreen is supposed to be applied at least every two hours, or sooner if swimming or sweating heavily,” says Dr. Arthur. Check your sunscreen label carefully, as sunscreen efficacy can range from 40 to 80 minutes under those circumstances. And don’t forget your ears and the tops of your feet — two areas Arthur says people frequently neglect.

Another possible reason you’ve gotten an unexpected sunburn: You underestimated how powerful the sun’s rays really are.

People on a tropical beach vacation have an increased risk of getting a sunburn because those destinations tend to be closer to the equator, where the sun’s rays are the strongest.

A trip to the beach can also increase your risk of summertime sunburn because both sand and water reflect the sun back at you, per the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, increasing your UV load. (That’s why you’re also at risk of a sunburn when vacationing in snowy destinations — snow is reflective, too.)

Finally, an overcast sky doesn’t mean you won’t get burned. Arthur says she often sees the worst sunburns after a cloudy day: “People don’t see the sun, and they forget that they need protection from the UV rays penetrating through the clouds.”

How to Treat a Sunburn at Home

A sunburn can develop in a matter of minutes, but it can take several hours to appear, says Marisa Garshick, MD, a board-certified dermatologist with MDCS Dermatology in New York City: “It can often peak 24 to 48 hours after sun exposure and then will subside, taking days to weeks to fully recover.”

Unfortunately there are no shortcuts to healing a sunburn, but knowing how to treat it will minimize your discomfort, and reacting quickly will get your vacation back on track.

How to Ease a Sunburn and Promote Healing

Try these sunburn treatments to relieve your pain and feel more comfortable:

1. Get Out of the Sun

The AAD says the first step in treating your sunburn is getting out of the sun (and preferably moving indoors to air-conditioning). Be sure to completely cover the burn with lightweight protective clothing or a hat whenever you step outside, and seek shade often until your sunburn is completely healed.

2. Cool Down With a Shower or Cold Compress

If the pain and heat of your sunburn are making you uncomfortable, taking a quick cool shower or bath or applying cool compresses (like a wet towel) to the affected areas may provide some relief, per the AAD. After a brief rinse, gently pat yourself dry, deliberately leaving your skin slightly damp. (Keep in mind that while you can use ice in a cold compress, you should avoid applying it directly to sunburned skin, per the Skin Cancer Foundation.)

3. Keep Your Skin Moisturized

Slather on aloe vera gel to soothe your parched skin and help relieve some of your sunburn symptoms, advises the AAD. Your skin is more susceptible to potential irritants right now, so stick to bland, fragrance-free, chemical-free balms, and look out for neomycin (a common allergen that’s found in Neosporin), warns Arthur: “When people are allergic to these ingredients and apply them to burned skin, it can trigger more inflammation, blisters, itching, or discomfort. ” Avoid “-caine” products, such as benzocaine, which can also trigger an allergic reaction and irritation, notes the AAD.

4. Use Pain Relievers to Reduce Inflammation

Take a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication, like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve), if needed for pain. “By reducing inflammation, pain relievers can help to reduce swelling and redness associated with a sunburn,” explains Dr. Garshick.

5. Take Extra Care to Stay Hydrated

When you are in the sun for long periods of time, it is easy to become overheated and dehydrated — plus, as the AAD notes, a sunburn will pull fluid in your body toward the surface of the skin, putting you at a higher risk of dehydration. To counter this risk, drink plenty of water and other nonalcoholic fluids to help keep you hydrated. (This Hydration Calculator can provide an estimate of how much water to drink based on individual factors like age, sex, and activity level.)

6. Resist the Urge to Peel

A few days after your sunburn, your skin may start to peel, which is a sign that your body is healing and removing the damaged cells, notes the Skin Cancer Foundation. But, they add, never peel the skin yourself; let it come off naturally, and that know it will stop peeling on its own once the sunburn has healed. Be gentle with your skin while it heals, and avoid any rough scrubbing agents or loofahs during this time.

7. Learn From the Experience

Finally, while it won’t directly heal your sunburn, be kind to yourself. Arthur says folks don’t need to beat themselves up about getting an occasional minor sunburn. Instead, she recommends learning from the experience: “I think that a sunburn is an important wake-up call,” she says. “Focus on trying to figure out what went wrong that led to the sunburn, and be more proactive about preventing future sunburns.”

When to Seek Emergency Care for Your Sunburn

Medically, sunburns are measured in degrees, which categorize the burn by the level of damage to the skin, as the Cleveland Clinic notes.

First-degree burns are the most common, damaging the skin’s outer layer; they usually heal on their own in a few days to a week. If your sunburn blisters, you likely have a second-degree burn, which damages the skin’s inner layer and might take weeks to heal; it could even require medical treatment.

Third-degree sunburns are rare, but the Cleveland Clinic says that someone could get a burn like this by falling asleep in the sun for many hours near the equator, or by taking a medication that increases UV-sensitivity. These sunburns are so severe that they are considered a medical emergency. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, medications that may increase your risk of a sunburn include antibiotics, antifungals, and cholesterol-lowering drugs; certain topical skin-care products, like alpha-hydroxy acids and retinoids, can also increase your skin’s photosensitivity.

Regardless of your sunburn’s degree, Arthur and Garshick advise canceling your plans and seeking immediate medical care if you have any of the following symptoms:

• Severe pain
• Fever
• Fainting
• Nausea or vomiting
• Headache
• Confusion
• Blistering that covers a large surface of the skin
• Blisters in delicate areas like the face
• Painful or gritty eyes

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5 rules for a beautiful tan

All through the long winter we look forward to the summer to finally bask in the sun, lie on the beach, get a good tan. However, excessive tanning leads to rapid aging of the skin, doctors remind us

Throughout the long winter, we look forward to the summer, so that we can finally warm up like this: fry in the sun, lie on the beach, get a tan on vacation. But modern science inexorably reminds us of the dangers of sunburn, doctors recommend protecting yourself from the sun and not abusing sunbathing.

Excessive tanning leads to much faster aging of the skin, provokes various changes in it. Under the action of free radicals, age spots (chloasma) appear on the skin, as well as benign and malignant neoplasms.

To avoid the harmful effects of free radicals on the skin, you can use special creams that, thanks to the presence of antioxidants, bind these active substances, remove them and thus protect the cells.

It has been proven that excessive solar radiation, and especially sunburn, significantly increase the risk of developing melanoma – skin cancer, one of the most dangerous types of cancer. Melanoma is characterized by high mortality (approximately every third patient dies), due to the fact that this malignant neoplasm is developing rapidly, giving many metastases. And there is only one way to prevent melanoma: protect yourself from sunlight, constantly use sunscreen, watch moles – as soon as you notice any changes, immediately consult a doctor!

Children are particularly vulnerable to UV damage. Be sure to lubricate the skin of the child with a cream with a high degree of sun protection, because delicate children’s skin is especially susceptible to sunburn, which in the future can lead to persistent health problems for your baby.

We always suggest sticking to the golden mean. It is not necessary to sunbathe in the very sun, be sure to protect your skin from sunburn, your head from sunstroke, and your eyes from ultraviolet radiation. Sounds too complicated? In fact, this is a matter of habit, and if you take a responsible approach to the issue of your health, these small rules will become familiar and understandable:

• The best time for sunbathing is from 9 am to 11 am and after 4 pm. The most dangerous time is from 12 to 15 hours, when the sun is most active.

• Always use a quality sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30-40 in the city, and at the beach and when traveling south – at least 50-60. The guaranteed duration of any sunscreen is 2 hours, so be sure to reapply it regularly on your skin.

• Be sure to protect your head and eyes from the sun. Before going to the beach, do not use decorative cosmetics and perfumes – under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, these products can lead to the appearance of age spots and skin irritation.

• Your tan will last longer if you drink plenty of fluids.

• Vitamins A, E, C contribute to the acquisition of a beautiful tan. They are especially abundant in spinach leaves, tomatoes, carrots, citrus fruits, strawberries, rose hips, green peas, black currants, red peppers, sea buckthorn, Brussels sprouts, red and cauliflower, mountain ash, apricots , pumpkin, greens.

Protecting the eyes

The eyes need protection from the sun just as much as the skin. The bright sun destroys the lens of the eye, which can lead to the development of cataracts, a disease that is responsible for approximately 50% of cases of blindness. The sun may cause corneal burns. It is merciless to the delicate thin skin around the eyes, and the need to constantly squint from bright light contributes to the appearance of mimic wrinkles around the eyes.

The conclusion is obvious: be sure to wear sunglasses. It is important that the glasses are not just beautiful and with dark glasses, but give 100% UV protection. When buying, be sure to pay attention to this! Unfortunately, not all glasses with dark glasses are sunglasses, and such glasses are harmful, since tinted glasses “deceive” our pupil, which expands in response to low light intensity. As a result, even more ultraviolet light enters the retina.

By the way! Do you know who needs sunglasses the most? Children! Their eyes are especially susceptible to ultraviolet radiation, since they have not yet fully formed the structure of the eye, and therefore the eyes are very susceptible to external influences – the cornea of ​​​​a child’s eye can become inflamed after an hour of exposure to the sun without protection.

Hyperpigmentation

Hyperpigmentation is associated with excessive deposition of pigment in the skin. There are a lot of reasons that cause hyperpigmentation of the skin: from excessive exposure to the sun and increased sensitivity of the skin, injuries and inflammatory processes on the skin to serious hormonal changes, metabolic disorders, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, intoxication of the body, nervous disorders and even the use of certain drugs. drugs.

It is quite difficult to get rid of age spots, so it is better to simply prevent their appearance. To do this, be sure to use a high-protection sunscreen when you go outside – even on a cloudy day.

When buying day and foundation creams, be sure to pay attention to the packaging indicating that they contain a sun protection filter – SPF (English – sun protection factor). If there is no SPF in the cream, it means that you need to supplement your facial care with a special sunscreen. In winter, an SPF of 8-10 is enough, in summer – at least 20. The choice of the degree of protection of the skin depends on its type and sensitivity, as well as on the region. If in the middle lane, most likely, the SPF value of 30 is enough for you, then at sea you need a cream with an SPF of about 40. The higher the SPF, the longer you can stay in the sun without harmful effects on the skin.

If you have a tendency to develop hyperpigmentation of the skin – minimize the time spent in the sun, be sure to use sunscreen with a high degree of protection.

You can try to get rid of hyperpigmentation on your own, using brightening creams, masks, or with the help of a beautician. The doctor will select an effective program, advise what is better to choose from the modern arsenal of cosmetic products. With hyperpigmentation caused by sunlight, peelings and ozone therapy help well.

Peeling is a controlled damage and exfoliation of certain layers of the skin, which is accompanied by a significant activation of the recovery and renewal processes and leads to an improvement in the appearance and condition of the skin.

Ozone therapy – subcutaneous injections of the drug with ozone – is very effective in post-inflammatory post-traumatic hyperpigmentation, after rashes, after acne. The cosmetologist makes local injections of ozone under inflammatory elements, dark spots, as a result of which blood circulation improves in this area and the pigment becomes discolored. It is good to combine ozone therapy with peels. An important advantage of ozone therapy is that it can be done in the summer.

Another effective way to combat hyperpigmentation is a laser. The laser beam acts pointwise on age spots, removing cells in which melanin synthesis is impaired. Thus, the problem is solved radically: there are no cells that give pigmentation, respectively, there are no spots on the skin. The only drawback of this procedure is that it can be performed on the face not earlier than autumn – when the solar radiation becomes less intense.

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life hacks and the best products for long-lasting tanning

A vacation is ahead, and you really want to bring yourself a beautiful tan as a gift. Even a week by the sea is enough to get a nice radiant skin color. We’ve rounded up the best tips to help you tan faster and keep that “sun kiss” effect longer.

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peeling

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Beauty secrets

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If you use sunscreen and choose the right time to tan, then dermatologists are in favor of being under the sun. Thanks to ultraviolet rays, vitamin D is obtained, calcium is absorbed and immunity is strengthened. Only the vacation flies by so quickly, and you want to keep the caramel color or the shade of milk chocolate on your skin longer. We will tell you how to get and maintain a beautiful tan using safe and affordable means.

Do not self-medicate! In our articles, we collect the latest scientific data and the opinions of authoritative health experts. But remember: only a doctor can diagnose and prescribe treatment.

Prepare your skin for tanning

The preparation for sunbathing is as important as the process itself. Before you learn how to keep a tan for a long time after the sea, get acquainted with the simple rules for getting it. These simple beauty tricks will help you start your vacation fully armed.

1. Use a gentle scrub or exfoliation daily for a week or two before your trip to the sun. Dead cells on the surface of the skin cause the dark pigment to lie unevenly. Just avoid products with fruit acids – they increase the risk of burns.
2. Start drinking vitamins A and E, in combination or separately. Vitamin A stimulates the production of melanin, you will quickly become chocolate. At the same time, it helps to keep the tan as long as possible. And vitamin E softens and moisturizes the skin, which will make it look great.
3. Drink carrot juice, which is rich in beta-carotene, which is also necessary for the production of melanin. Remember that beta-carotene is fat-soluble, which means it needs fat to be absorbed. Add cream or a spoonful of vegetable oil to the juice.

ADVERTISING – CONTINUED BELOW

The last recommendation is relevant not only when preparing for a meeting with the sun, it is also the answer to how to keep your tan longer after the sea. Beta-carotene is responsible for the golden hue of the skin. It is found not only in carrots, but also in sea buckthorn, melons, peaches, apricots, plums, broccoli, spinach, parsley, mangoes, citrus fruits. The menu will be delicious!

To keep your tan after the sea, tan properly

To get all the benefits from your vacation and not get sunburn or aging skin, try to tan properly. Following the tips on how to be in the sun correctly will help not only maintain health, but also achieve an even, lasting tan.

• When the goal is to quickly tan, you don’t have to lie (stand) for an hour, turning one side to the sun, then the other. By the way, if you relax, you run the risk of falling asleep and getting a heat stroke or getting burned. Better and faster tan lies when you are in motion. Play, run, have fun, and the sun will do its job.
• If you remember, then tanning should not only be fast, but also beautiful and healthy. Stay in the sun until 11-12 pm and after 4 pm. No matter how much you want to get and keep a tan after the sea, you can’t put a high load on your skin. Introduce her to ultraviolet dosed! Otherwise, you will turn into a living ember, and your body will hurt mercilessly.
• Be sure to use sunscreen. Apply it 20 minutes before sun exposure (not the beach!) and reapply every two hours thereafter unless directed otherwise. These are products that do not affect the speed of obtaining a golden hue, but allow you to get an even tan and ensure its preservation. A cream with a low SPF (up to 15) blocks UV rays to a lesser extent. But for fair skin and the first days in the sun, the level of protection should be higher. Just do not take the cream left over from last year, they usually have a short shelf life after opening.
• A product with bronzers will help you get a quick tan in the sun. This is not self-tanning, but a special lotion or cream with components that stimulate the production of melatonin in order to keep your tan after the sea as long as possible.
• Sunbathing, drink! Water, of course. It will help you equally maintain both excellent health and a summer tan at the sea, which will be easier for you to maintain. Increase your daily allowance by a liter, your skin will thank you and will be firm and smooth, despite the dehydrating effect of ultraviolet radiation.
• Be sure to apply a nourishing cream from the After Sun line or any softening and soothing cream before going to bed. This will give the skin both an opportunity to rest and recover for the next day, and will enhance the color and help maintain a beautiful tan on the face and body.

How to keep your sea tan for a long time

Vacation is over, but you still have a chance to show off your golden skin tone to your friends or colleagues. We will reveal ways to keep your tan for a long time after a vacation and at the same time memories of the sea. Simple life hacks to help you.

1. When you return from the sea, my body is coffee grounds . Don’t rub! Coffee is often recommended as a scrub, and this is a really great idea for how to keep your Turkish tan. But not if you want to leave a dark skin tone. Simply apply coffee grounds to your body with gentle movements and rinse with warm water. Coffee will increase pigmentation. By the way, if you are looking for a way to keep your tan after a tanning bed for a long time, then coffee will also help.
2. Wash your face with tea . Sleeping brew is an excellent antiseptic, prevents inflammation and acne, tea extract tightens, refreshes the skin and helps to keep your tan longer after a tanning bed or the beach, as if you arrived yesterday from the coast.
3. Once a week apply light auto bronzer . You do not run the risk of becoming orange or spotty, because the skin is already tanned! Support it with self-tanning and enjoy the effect for months. This is a cream that not only preserves the tan, but also slightly increases it, with its help you can keep the tan for a long time both after a solarium and after a vacation at sea.
4. Do not go to the sauna and steam room, do not rub your skin with a towel . Handle it more carefully, more gently, just blot it. The same principle of action if you do not know how to maintain a tan after a solarium. No overheating and friction!
5. Eat salmon! Fatty fish, as well as butter, tomatoes and cheeses, help to keep the sunburn or sea tan longer. Remember foods with vitamins A, E, C.
6. Don’t forget about beta-carotene ! In addition to taking it internally, you can pamper your skin with a mask made from a mixture of coconut oil and carrot juice, it helps a lot in maintaining a tan.
7. How else can you keep your tan at home? Take a cool shower rather than a warm bath. Cool water does not steam the skin, which means that the upper epidermis will not be removed. By toning blood vessels and skin, you will slow down the process of exfoliation of pigmented layers. You will still clean yourself well with scrubs, as you used to, be patient until autumn if you want to prolong your tan.
8. Do not get carried away with cleansing treatments . This is a clarification to the previous advice, including regarding the problem of how to keep a tan on your face. After all, we wash and process it much more often than other parts. If peelings are good before the trip, then they are detrimental for keeping dark pigment. After exposure, you should think not only about how to maintain a tan, but also how not to injure sensitive skin. Do not wash the painted layer with a washcloth and do not disturb the body with abrasive products, at least for a while.
9. Moisturize your skin . We wrote about how to keep your tan after a vacation with the help of nourishing creams. But moisturizing ointments also play an important role. The skin has become dry after the sun, the affected cells are preparing to be removed. Lubricate the body before going to bed and in the morning, if possible and during the day. These funds should have a dense texture.
10. If the weather permits, you can go outdoors and sunbathe during your free time or on weekends , thereby refreshing your tan and strengthening it. Tanned skin “absorbs” the sun’s rays well, and an hour or two a week is enough.