Summer is the season of fun in the sun…which can also result in TOO much sun exposure. Ouch! Sunburn can really get in the way of your enjoyment of a vacation or just regular life, so let’s talk about some ways to help address it so you can get that sunburn healed as quickly as possible:
- Cool Your Skin
…but don’t do this with ice applied directly to the skin! The extreme cold from the ice can actually lead to additional tissue damage, which you’ll definitely want to avoid.
Instead, help your skin cool down with a cold compress applied to the sunburned area or with a cool shower or bath. In a bath, you can also add colloidal oatmeal or baking soda to the water to further help calm down your sunburned skin.
- Hydrated Your Body
Not-so-fun fact: Sunburns pull fluid away from other parts of the body and toward the skin’s surface, and so staying hydrated becomes extra important when you’re sunburned.
- Relieve The Pain
If you’re really feeling uncomfortable due to your sunburn, you can take an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory (such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen) to reduce symptoms like swelling, pain, and redness. If you’re dealing with itching related to your sunburn as it heals, you can apply hydrocortisone cream to help alleviate that.
- Ignore Blisters & Peeling Skin
More severely sunburned skin can sometimes blister, and if you find yourself in that situation, do your best to leave your blisters alone! Blisters mean your skin has experienced a second-degree burn. NEVER pop them, because that can lead to infection. If a blister pops on its own, be sure to clean the area well and apply antibiotic cream.
Similarly, if your skin starts to peel – a common phase in the sunburn-healing process – try to keep from picking at it. Instead, let it handle the peeling at its own pace to avoid scarring or infection.
- Moisturizer & Protect
Aloe vera – in either gel or moisturizer form – will help soothe and hydrate sunburned skin. Meanwhile, avoid products with ingredients like alcohol, fragrance, or lidocaine, as those can really irritate sunburned skin. Also stay away from things like petroleum jelly or oil-based products, because those can keep heat and sweat from leaving your body as your burn heals.
If your sunburn is severe, or if you’re having trouble healing your skin on your own, come see us at Pinnacle Urgent Care. Be on the lookout for symptoms like severe blistering, fever, chills, dizziness, or signs of infection (like red streaking, increased pus production, or a bad smell coming from the burn), and seek medical care if those occur.
P.S. To help avoid this in the future, make sun protection a priority for the rest of the summer (and beyond!).