Bad Sunburns
Learn Tips For Treating Bad Sunburns
Bad sunburns are the nemesis of every tropical vacationer. While a golden tan is often the goal of a relaxing trip to the beach, nothing ruins a vacation more quickly than overstaying your time in the sun and receiving a painful, blistering burn. To avoid both a ruined vacation and increased risk of skin cancer, there are certain tips you should follow to prevent bad sunburns. If you have already burned, there are some things you can do to make yourself more comfortable as your damaged skin heals.
Receiving a blistering sunburn increases your chances of developing skin cancer; if you receive a blistering sunburn during childhood, your chance of developing melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, will double. People who have five or more sunburns of any severity also have twice the risk of developing melanoma. The message here is clear: preventing bad sunburns is absolutely the best course of action. There are a number of tips that can help you keep your skin healthy and undamaged by the sun. Because the sun is at its strongest during the hours between 10 in the morning and 4 in the afternoon, try to avoid being outside during the middle of the day. If you do go outside, stay in the shade as much as possible. Provide your own shade by wearing a hat with a broad brim, and covering up with lightweight clothing with long sleeves and long pant legs. Even if you plan to stay in the shade, or will be outside when the sun's rays aren't as strong, it is still important to use sunscreen.
Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF 15 half an hour before you will be exposed to the sun, and reapply it every two hours. Be especially vigilant about reapplying the sunscreen if you are swimming, as both the water and the act of drying yourself with a towel can remove the sunscreen. Remember that by the time you notice red skin, your skin has already been damaged. Still, you can avoid particularly bad sunburns by getting out of the sun the moment you notice a reddening of your skin.
If it is too late for you to take these preventive measures to avoid bad sunburns, there are things you can do to make yourself more comfortable and encourage your damaged skin to heal. To relieve the pain associated with a severe sunburn, it can help to apply a cool, wet washcloth to the burned skin. This is one of the easiest and best remedies for a sunburn. Although it may be tempting to cool your skin with ice, you should avoid doing this, as ice can further damage your delicate skin. In fact, you should avoid using a lot of products on your skin, as the ingredients and even just the act of applying them can irritate your skin further, making the sunburn more painful and taking it longer to heal. A chilled gel made of 100% aloe vera can be safely used if the wet washcloth does not provide enough relief. It can also help to take an anti-inflammatory drug, such as ibuprofen.
When your skin begins to peel, about 3 to 8 days after sustaining the sunburn, don't pick or rub at the dead skin that is sloughing off. When the new, healthy skin underneath the burn is ready to be exposed, the dead and damaged skin will naturally peel off on its own. Keep moisturizing your skin with the lotion during this time while your skin continues its healing process. Soon your damaged skin will be replaced by healthy skin, and you will once again be ready to enjoy your vacation.