subject: Ouch! Protect Your Skin From Painful Sunburn This Season [print this page] After a day at the beach or pool, red, painful skin that often feels hot to the touch is never a good sign. Usually appearing a few hours after initial sun exposure, sunburn can take several days or longer to fade away. When you develop sunburn, your skin is actually damaged by UV radiation and your body is responding to the damage. Your body responds to this sun damage with increased blood in the capillaries, which causes the redness. As a result, getting sunburn is a very bad idea. Not only does it look bad, it hurts, peels and inflicts long-lasting, wrinkle-inducing damage. Your sunburn is completely preventable with sunscreen, shade and proper clothing. However, mistakes happen, so there are ways that you can successfully ease the pain, and maybe even limit the damage.
Be Sure to Act Quickly
If you feel the tingling of a burn, or see visible signs of skin reddening on yourself or your child, it is important to get out of the sun immediately. Once out of the sun begin treatment right away to further protect your skin and limit the side effects of the burn. Sunburn tends to sneak up on many of us, taking anywhere from four to six hours for symptoms to actually appear.
After a cool shower or bath, apply moisturizer to soothe your skin and prevent further dryness caused by the sunburn. Repeat frequently to make peeling and flaking less noticeable. Also, you should consider a moisturizer that contains vitamin C and vitamin E because it may help limit skin damage. It is also ok to use aloe to help sooth the pain from sunburn, but do not scrub, pick or peel your skin as this can cause further damage.
Any burn draws fluid to the skin surface and away from the rest of the body. Be sure to drink plenty of water, juice and sports drinks for a couple of days in order to rehydrate yourself. Watch out for signs of dehydration as well:
*Dry mouth
*Thirst
*Reduced urination
*Headache
*Dizziness
*Sleepiness
Children are especially vulnerable, so check with your doctor if they appear ill.
Oh No - What if I have Blisters?
In some cases, your sunburn can develop blisters. Home treatment may help decrease pain, prevent infection, and help the skin heal. Small, unbroken blisters usually heal on their own, so be sure to follow these guidelines:
*Do not break the blisters - leave them alone
*Do not cover the blisters unless something such as clothing is rubbing against them
*Avoid wearing clothes or shoes, or performing activities that rub or irritate the blisters until they have healed.
While your blisters are healing, watch out for signs of an infection. If you suspect an infection, visit your dermatologist in West Palm Beach, FL immediately for further diagnosis and treatment. Be sure to protect your skin before going out in the sun to further prevent the development of sunburn this summer.
