I have to be honest. I try really hard to take great care of my skin. I wear a sunscreen every day with SPF 50, and it covers the entire UV spectrum. I reapply frequently. And when I head out to my pool to swim with my daughters, it is usually after the peak 10-2 time period for sun exposure. Despite all of my hard work, I still get a little pink and I’m sporting a lot of new freckles at the end of the summer.
To get more information about sunburns and how to treat them, I asked Fayne L. Frey MD, a board certified dermatologist in West Nyack, New York and the doctor behind the amazing skin care product selector at FryFace.com for her recommendations! She has some easy to follow tips for what to do when you’re sunburned.
Do:
Stay out of the sun to prevent further damage
Take a pain reliever. A non-steroidal like Advil or Motrin will relieve some of the discomfort and swelling.
Cool the skin with frequent cool compresses or take a cool shower or bath.
Moisturize. Sunburned skin looses water into the environment so apply cool aloe gel or moisturizing lotion to healing skin.
Apply an over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream (0.5-1%) to minimize inflammation, redness and itching.
Drink water. Sun exposure and sunburn causes water lose through the skin. Stay hydrated.
Apply antibiotic cream and a wet dressing to blisters should they develop.
Get medical attention should fever, nausea or other systemic symptoms should arise.
Don’t:
Get more sun.
Break any blisters if they should develop. This increases the risk of infection.
Apply lidocaine or other “caine” anesthetics as they may cause allergic skin reactions.
Forget your sunscreen!
I’m a doctor, a mommy and a bit of a beauty addict. If you let me, I can take 2 hours to get ready in the morning. Really. I'm on a quest for faster beauty that works!
Ouch, hope you feel better soon! Enjoyed these helpful tips for preventing or treating a sunburn…how come aloe was not mention?
Ursula
http://www.blueridgebeautyblogger.com
Aloe for sunburns is actually an old wives tale. Although it feels soothing when you first apply, multiple studies have found that it is in fact no better than placebo and doesn’t help treat a sunburn.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16623024
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19218914
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17499928
I never considered taking a pain reliever to help with sunburn. I guess it makes sense why it would work considering the skin glands get inflamed just like any other part of the body and can be reduced by simple asprin. I’ll have to remember your tips if I ever get a sunburn!