Sunburned?  Now what?

Inevitably it happens to everyone at some time during the summer, even me and my own kids – SUNBURN!  It’s like a curse word for a dermatologist and makes me grieve a little inside. I’m here with some rescue tips for sunburn and a little prevention advice as well.

Sunburn occurs when the skin’s DNA is damaged by UVB rays from the sun.  While UVA isn’t great either, generally UVA does not induce sunburn, more UVB.  When UVB impacts the skin,vit causes DNA damage to the skin cells which leads to inflammation in the skin.  The redness we see in a sunburn is the result of inflammation and extra blood flow to the skin trying to repair the damage.  In extreme cases of sunburn, patients can also develop blisters as the damage skin swells from within and accumulates fluid that appears on the skin as blisters.

While there many traditional treatments for sunburn and home remedies, most dermatologists and the American Academy of Dermatology would recommend a few different ones that are less well known.

Take a full dose of an anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofren or aspirin –This works to reduce the inflammation that has been triggered by the excessive sun exposure.   An anti-inflammatory is helpful every 6-8 hours until the redness begins to fade.  This also can help with pain and discomfort.  Apply a cool compress or take a cool shower – This is more for symptomatic relief.

Apply a light moisturizer or aloe vera to nourish the skin – Plain clear aloe vera gel is a great choice.  We often recommend and use Fruit of the Earth Clear Aloe Vera Gel.

Accelerate DNA repair – There are a number of creams that are designed to help repair the damaged DNA.  We often recommend and use ZO Daily Power Defense.

Protect the damaged skin – Be gentle with the skin to avoid popping any blisters or tearing the skin.  And most importantly, don’t reburn the skin.  Give sunburned skin time to heal.  If you must be in the skin, a mineral based zinc oxide sunscreen is a great choice.  Because sunburned skin is more sensitive to development of allergy, a very plain sunscreen with minimal chemicals and allergens such as Vanicream Mineral SPF 50+.  

If you end up sunburned any time of year, hopefully you can refer back to these tips for a quick recovery.

Fruit of the Earth Clear Aloe Gel

ZO Daily Power Defense

Vanicream

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