How to Treat a Sunburn

I remember it as if it was yesterday. Actually it was just last week. Anyway, my roommate came home from his camping trip with a gigantic sunburn on his back.

He said the usual lines that we all say to avoid looking dumb for getting burnt by the sun including, "It was overcast", "I never burn" and my personal favorite, "I guess I got a little color this weekend." His journey of pain didn't end with the jokes and comments that I then made to him about his burn, as his sunburn continued to bother him for about two more weeks. After his burn healed, I then decided to look into treating sun burns as I realized that I, too, may get a sun burn one day. Thus, I scoured the internet to provide tips on how you can make your next sun burn a quick and painless experience.

As I researched sun burn treatments, I noticed that most of my sources seemed to have very little advice on the subject. What advice they did have, however, was basically the same. Therefore, it was very easy to get a grip on the best ways to ease the pain and speed up the recovery time of sun burned skin. The process for treating a sun burn can be broken up into six simple steps:

• Don’t Make Things Worse: If you know you are burnt or think you might be burnt, please get out of the sun. I hate to break it to you, but your game of beach volleyball is done for the day. If you think that you are already burnt and no longer need to worry about burns, you are sadly mistaken. The last thing you want to do is make your burn worse or possibly turn it into a second-degree burn. (About.com)

• Severity Check: We all know when we are really burnt. I usually turn from a "hot dog pink" to a darker, more "polish sausage red" color. However, many of us do not know the signs of a sun burn that can cause more damage than just redness and irritation. One of the best ways to tell if your burn is worse than the average sun burn is to look for blisters. According to About.com “Blistering means the skin is completely damaged and complications are likely.” Therefore, if you see blisters, make sure to head to the doctor.

• Cool Down: One of the easiest ways to make your burn feel better is to take a cool shower. Also, applying cool towels or compresses to the sun-burnt areas can help. (ehow.com)

• Have an Aloe Party: After you have cooled down from a shower, apply aloe to the affected areas. If you can’t reach all of your burnt areas, have a friend do it. According to essortment.com, using aloe helps to add moisturize to the dried and burnt surfaces of your sun burn.

• Medicate: This is probably everyone’s favorite step. To treat the annoying pain of the common sun burn, pick up some ibuprofen or acetaminophen from the grocery or drug store. These medications will also reduce inflammation. If your burn still hurts after taking a couple of these pills, you may be in need of an urgent medical appointment. (About.com)

• Dress for Success: Wear loose clothing for the next couple of days to avoid rubbing up against the burn and irritating it. (ehow.com)

If you burn is still very irritated or keeps hurting after a few days, consult with your physician, as you may have a severe burn. By getting your burn checked out by your doctor, you not only can remain healthy but you also may get to miss work!

Source: www.skincare-news.com