Sunburn Top Tips & What To Do

Sunburn can cause long-lasting damage, below are some tips from Fleming Medical on what to do.

SUNBURN TOP TIPS & WHAT TO DO

You were out in the sun all day, you forgot to reapply sunscreen and before you knew it, you scored a nasty sunburn. Now you’re scorched!
Although it may seem like just a temporary situation, i.e. It looks bad, it hurts, it peels, it can also cause long-lasting damage to the skin, such as wrinkles or even skin cancer.
You need to help the skin repair itself as quickly as possible, below are some tips on what to do. Remember sunburn is a burn and & so it is damaged skin and needs to repair & it will always have a susceptibility to burning in the future.

1. Get Out of The Sun
This sounds like a no-brainer, but it’s crucial –- and something people too often don’t do. Some damage has already been done, and you don’t want to harm your skin any more. Stay out of the sun until the burn fades completely.

2. Assess the Damage
Most sunburns aren’t severe enough to send you to the ER. Even if a couple of small blisters pop up, it’s usually safe to treat the burn at home. If you develop blisters on more than 20 per cent of your body, you should seek medical attention immediately, you should also head to the hospital if you feel nauseous, get intense chills or run a fever.

3. Take A Pain Reliever
For sunburns that you can treat on your own, over-the-counter painkillers can take the edge off. If the burn’s not so bad –- mainly your skin just feels a little tender -– popping an ibuprofen, which acts as an anti-inflammatory to reduce swelling and ease the pain.

4. Take A Cool Bath
It’s also important to cool the skin down gently, but skip the shower -– the continual blast of water on your scorched skin will not feel good. Also skip the soap, which will dry skin out even more. Instead, add a few scoops of baking soda to your bath. It’s cooling and helps your skin retain moisture.

5. Use Aloe Vera Gel or Burn Gel
If you’re away from home and can’t catch a bath, smear on aloe vera gel as it is a cooling agent and an anti-inflammatory. Alternatively, apply burn gel or burn dressings to the affected area will sooth the area & protect it from infection.

6. Drink Water
Bad sunburns cause a process called vasodilation, where your blood vessels dilate and you lose water from your skin very quickly, this can lead to dehydration, fatigue and even heat stroke if not treated.  Start sipping water immediately and keep drinking it to be sure you stay hydrated.

7. Don’t Touch The Blisters!
Leave it alone. Picking or peeling burned skin or popping blisters can lead to permanent scarring

8. Don’t Get Burned Twice!
Don’t let yourself forget how much sunburn damage sunburn causes. Use your current misery as motivation to get in the habit of applying broad-spectrum sunblock every day, especially through the rest of the summer!
Below is a selection of Burn care products from Medicare that are available in all good pharmacies nationwide.