Sunburn Relief
How To Get Sunburn Relief
The need to for sunburn relief often happens most frequently during the first few really warm days of summer, when the sun feels so good that we're apt to wear as little as possible to enjoy its full warmth. Then there are those days when, though we may have conditioned ourselves to avoiding too much sun, or used sun blocker faithfully, we suddenly find ourselves out on the water, and after a few hours of enjoyment have come down with a case of a bad sunburn.
For mild cases, just getting out of the sun will provide a measure of relief. The next step is one of cooling down the affected area, which may be just the neck or face, or most of the body. How one goes about getting sunburn relief though, depends a great deal on how severe the sunburn is. Severity of a burn on our skin, whether it is caused by the sun or something else, is usually defined as being one of three stages. Having an idea of which stage you may be affected with can be helpful in knowing what needs to be done to gain sunburn relief.
First Degree Sunburn - A first degree sunburn is characterized by redness of the skin, combined with the skin being warm to almost hot to the touch. The skin usually has not been damaged, except for the very outer layer, which will eventually peel away, leaving a bit of a tan to show for it. The red skin may not be terribly painful, but is usually at least uncomfortable. Relief will almost always be obtained by drawing the heat away, with cold water being the easiest and perhaps the best method for doing this. If running water isn't convenient, a cold compress can be applied to sunburned areas. Some advocate applying ice to a burned area, though many others are of the opinion that this is not a good idea. Since cold water will normally do the trick, the cold water approach is probably the best one.
Second Degree Sunburn - A second degree sunburn is one we most often call a "bad sunburn”. In this case, the skin is not only hot and painful to the touch, but blisters may form. As is the case with a first degree sunburn, drawing heat away from the skin is the first step in providing sunburn relief. A good second step is to apply a healing lotion to the skin, as the damage is more severe than that of a first degree burn. A lotion containing aloe vera is an excellent choice. Cutting a leaf from the plant and applying the gel is even better, that is of course if one has an aloe era plant handy. As far as the blisters are concerned, the main thing is to try to keep them from opening, as scarring or infection, could result. If any blisters are more than a couple of inches across it would be best to see a doctor.
If a significant part of the body is sunburned a cool bath or shower can provide relief. Don't allow the water to be ice cold however, as the person suffering the burn could potentially go into shock. A bath with water on the cool side will effectively draw much of the heat away without undesirable side effects.
Third Degree Sunburn - A third degree sunburn is rare. It is something that a person would almost have to work at to achieve, but of course it can happen, especially if one is unprotected in the hot sun, and no shade is available. When one has a third degree burn, the skin has been badly damaged. In the case of a third degree burn, even if only a small area is affected, getting immediate treatment can be a higher priority than getting sunburn relief, as without immediate treatment, the damage to the skin could become permanent. If one suffers a third degree burn there is also a much higher chance of an infection or some other complication occurring.
Summary - In summary, for first degree sunburn relief, think cool water, for a second degree burn it's cool water and a soothing and healing lotion, and for a third degree sunburn, see a doctor immediately.