Sunday 25 February 2018

Top Tips For How To Heal Sunburn

By Deborah Lewis


Past generations of sun worshippers thought nothing about hitting the beach in the hottest part of the day and staying until they were baked. Most didn't bother with sunscreen or take the threat of skin cancer seriously. People are more careful today. If you ever stay too long on the beach or at the pool without proper protection however, you are going to need to know how to heal sunburn.

As soon as you notice your skin getting pink, you need to leave the beach and go inside. The pink will increase to red as the hours go on, and you will begin to feel the burn. It's a good idea to get into a shower as soon as possible when you have been overexposed to the sun. You can mix baking soda and water to make a cooling compress. Too much soap will dry out your skin.

Putting lotion on your skin seems like a good idea, but it's not the thing to do immediately after a burn. As your skin heals it will feel dry and itchy. This is the time to rub hydrocortisone or aloe into it. For more severe burns you should see a doctor about a stronger prescription cream.

Natural remedies are often more effective than the more expensive lotions and potions you find in stores. Cucumbers, for instance, are a good source of antioxidants and analgesics. You can turn them into paste by mashing them in a blender and then applying the paste to the affected area. Tea bags are also great for sunburns. There is tannic acid in tea that draws heat away from the body and restores PH. Cider vinegar added to bath water is another natural soother.

You know you have second degree burns when the skin actually blisters. This can become serious. Infection is a real possibility. Dry bandages over the blisters will help prevent infection. Popping blisters can cause raw skin and invite infection. It also slows down the healing process.

You do have to keep an eye on your skin to make sure it doesn't become infected. Signs of infection include fever, discharge from blisters, and pain that increases instead of decreasing. At this point you need to take a trip to a walk-in clinic or the emergency room depending on the severity of the burn.

There are a lot of old wives' tales about healing sunburns that aren't true and can be harmful. It is not true that putting petroleum jelly or butter on a burn will help it. This is something that can make it worse, cause allergic reactions, and increase the amount of time it takes your skin to heal. Over the counter remedies can be effective. Read the label before you use any of them on your skin though.

Sandy beaches and backyard pools are very appealing to a lot of people. They can be a great source of enjoyment and relaxation. Too much time in the glare of the sun can have serious consequences though. It's always better to apply too much sunscreen than not enough.




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