Tips to Battle A Summer Sunburn

Many people will try to soak up as much sun as possible as this summer. If one of those hot days should result in a sunburn, check out these tips to get a little sunburn relief.

“Unfortunately, there’s no fast-fix sunburn treatment. Once you have sunburn, the damage is done — although it may take 12 to 24 hours after sun exposure to know the full extent and severity of sunburn, and several days or more for your skin to begin to heal,” Dr. Lawrence E. Gibson tells MayoClinic.com. He offers these tips:

Use cool cloths on sunburned spots. This will sooth the skin.

Take frequent cool showers or baths. An alternative to cool cloths, baths or showers will calm the skin too.

Apply soothing lotions like aloe vera. Be careful not to use products that contain benzocaine. While these products claim to have a “numbing” effect that can help alleviate the pain of a sunburn, Gibson says consumers should be wary of these products.  “There’s little evidence that these products are effective. In some cases, they may even irritate the skin. Benzocaine has been linked to a rare but serious, sometimes deadly, condition that decreases the amount of oxygen that the blood can carry,” he said.

Leave blisters in tact. Breaking blisters makes the healing process take longer.

Take an over-the-counter pain reliever. If the pain is really bad, take a pain reliever to try and ease some of the ache.

Deal with peeling carefully. Don’t pull at skin that is peeling. Use a moisturizer and keep the skin moist so the area is supple and doesn’t pull.

When to see a doctor

If the pain continues for days or if blisters are covering a significant part of the body, its best seek medical attention.

Prevent sunburn before it happens

Gibson advises everyone to use sunscreen frequently and liberally. Select a broad-spectrum product, one that provides protection against both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation. It should have a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15.