Monday, April 23, 2018

All Sun Worshippers Should Know How To Heal Sunburn

By Deborah Lewis


A lot of today's sun worshippers are more aware of over exposing themselves to damaging rays than previous generations. They are more inclined to use sunscreen and stay inside during the hottest parts of the day. If you have stayed too long on the beach or at the pool, without using these recommended protections however, following some easy tips for how to heal sunburn is your next step.

Even bad burns can mislead you. You might think your skin is just turning pink when it is actually already burned and will get worse before it gets better. You need to get inside as soon as possible at the first sign of color. Taking a cool shower is one of the best things you can do to ease the pain. A mixture of cold water and baking soda pressed into a washcloth is soothing.

You want to avoid the temptation of lathering the skin with creams and lotion right after a burn. Hydrocortisone and aloe are good for your skin, but not until it begins to heal. You need to wait until your skin starts to dry and gets itchy to apply creams. Severe burns might need extra attention and prescription lotions.

You can use things you probably already have in your refrigerator and pantry to create effective natural remedies. Cucumbers are a great source of analgesics and antioxidants. You can use your blender to mash them into paste and apply that to the burn. Tea, of any variety, is good for drawing out heat and restoring the PH. The tannic acid in tea makes it a great natural soother. Pouring cider vinegar into bath water is another way to get relief.

Blistered skin is an indication of a second degree burn, which is much more serious. You can wash it with antibiotic creams. When you have large clusters of blisters, applying dry bandages may be necessary to prevent infection. Popping the blisters is tempting, but you should never do it. That increases the chances of infection and will slow 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.

It's a lot of fun to go to the beach or the pool in the summer. The combination of sun, water, and heat can be very relaxing. You have to be careful that you don't overdo however, and end up with a painful reminder of your outdoor excursion.




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