How to Treat a Sunburn
Millions of you failed me this weekend. You got too much sun and not enough sunscreen. The result: a sunburn. It’s OK. It happens to the best of us. Now what do you do? Here are 7 tips to treat a sunburn.
A sunburn is an actual radiation burn of your skin. The ultraviolet light from the sun damaged the DNA of your skin cells, triggering these cells to die (which is a good thing since you don’t want mutated cells hanging around, causing trouble). The dead cells trigger release of pro-inflammatory signals called cytokines that lead to redness, swelling, and pain. The dead cells will slough off in a few days leading to peeling and often uncomfortable itching.
Here are seven ways to treat a sunburn if you get home and see a bright red you in the mirror:
- Take anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprophen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve) or aspirin. These stop inflammation and reduce the amount of redness and pain. It is important to take them early as they can help block the release of interleukins, the skin’s main sunburn cytokine.
- Apply cool compresses and cool moisturizers. Try Eucerin Calming Cream. Put it in the refrigerator for a few hours before applying to your burn.
- Avoid hot showers. Instead, take a luke warm bath with Aveeno Collodial Oatmeal. The oatmeal is both a soothing anti-inflammatory and a moisturizer, which are the two things your skin needs most.
- Avoid any additional sun exposure. The best way is to cover up with clothing; applying a sunscreen to a sunburn can worsen the inflammation and itching.
- If you have blisters, resist the urge to pop them. They form a protectant seal on your skin; if they tear, the sensitive underlayers of skin will be exposed. You won’t like it. Don’t peel off the dead skin either; rather let it slough off on its own in the shower.
- If you have extensive burns or blistering, see your physician. He or she can prescribe topical steroids to help minimize the inflammation.
- Avoid numbing sprays such as benzocaine. Although they can feel great when applied, they are notorious for causing allergic contact dermatitis. If you think a sunburn is bad, try adding an incredibly itchy, allergic contact dermatitis on top of a sunburn. As one of my patients put it: “Its like being tied down on a hill of fire ants.”
Post written by Jeffrey Benabio, MD. You might also like:
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Photo credit: Keith Lewis
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i do enjoy what you’re doing on this site…thanks for sharing…..
I’ve had great results from using Aloe Vera for sunburn. Seems to help the burn heal faster and the pain relief is almost immediate. Not sure what if any affect is has on the skin from a dermatology standpoint, but I’ve never had an adverse reaction to it.
Best stuff I’ve found is the 99% pure gels you can get at health food stores.
[...] How to Treat a Sunburn [...]
Michelle-
Thank you!
Dean-
Aloe Vera is anti-inflammatory. Many people use it for skin conditions just like this. Thanks for adding this.
[...] the Hot Showers, lay off for a while. Hot showers can be irritating for a sunburn, according to Dr. Jeffrey Benabio of The Derm Blog. Instead, Dr. Benabio recommends showering or bathing with lukewarm water and Aveeno Colloidal [...]
[...] of the Hot Showers, lay off for a while. Hot showers can be irritating for a sunburn, according to Dr. Jeffrey Benabio of The Derm Blog. Instead, Dr. Benabio recommends showering or bathing with lukewarm water and Aveeno Colloidal [...]
[...] | The Derm Blog trackback ¿Recomendarías este post? Más noticias sobre: Consejos de belleza Tags: [...]
I love aloe, too. Although we try hard NOT to get burned, sometimes we do. We keep aloe in the fridge, in a few different preparations (gel, spray, etc). The coldness of the getl helps with the burn pain, too.
[...] If you slip up and get a nasty sunburn, don’t panic. Just read this: How to Treat a Sunburn. [...]
My wife is obsessed with prevention and skin care. She makes constant visits to the dermatologist etc. etc. I like the site and will certainly pass it on to my wife and others.
I’ve got the sunburn. . .I need to know now the best way to get my skin back to an even tone. I just got sunburn on my knees and shins and I look like a freak. I can’t wear shorts now. Any suggestions? Thank you.
[...] because I have been treating sunburns with lukewarm oatmeal baths for years. I came across this blog by a dermatologist about treating sunburns. Here’s a quote from his blog, "Avoid hot showers. Instead, take a [...]
[...] the sunburn (surprisingly helpful actually) and Susan the Food Blogga’s dermatologist husband recommends Advil among other things, to reduce the inflammation. I’ve taught the girls to count to 4 as well [...]
[...] the sunburn (surprisingly helpful actually) and Susan the Food Blogga’s dermatologist husband recommends Advil among other things, to reduce the inflammation. I’ve taught the girls to count to 4 as well [...]
I found this site really helpful. My boyfriend has really pale skin and gets sunburned every year without fail. I’m going to pass this information onto him. Thank you