Sunburned? Now what?

No matter how hard we try, it happens sometimes.  You get sunburned.  This year, I got one on my chest while sitting under an umbrella reading poolside (I neglected to consider those reflecting rays.)  Lily had one on her thighs from the sunscreen wearing off while going down the water slide hundreds of times at the beach. It happens to all of us.

So, now what are you going to do?… Sunburns are uncomfortable at best and sometimes painful or itchy.  From a dermatologists perspective they are a sign that the skin has been severely damaged by the sun.

That leads me to the #1 most important tip for treating a sunburn.  TAKE AN ANTI-INFLAMMATORY.  These include NSAIDS (Ibuprofen, Aleve, Advil and Motrin) as well as Aspirin.  Take a dose as soon as you recognize the sunburn and continue for 24- 48 hours at the dose directed on the label.  This cuts down on the inflammatory response that your body is having in response to the sunburn.  It not only helps with the discomfort, it may also reduce some of the long term damage from the sunburn.

[shareable]Sunburned? Take an anti-inflammatory. See my blog post for more tips…www.wvderm.com[/shareable]

#2 is equally simple.  Cool compresses, a cool bath and cool (even refrigerated) clear aloe gel are very soothing.

#3 is a new thing I am adding to my regimen lately  –  ZO Skin Health’s Daily Power Defense.  This product is amazing in that it actively works to repair the damage done by the UV rays.  When skin is damaged by the sun, the DNA of the skin cell is damaged.  This product contains DNA repair enzymes to repair the damage.

For more details, check out this link to a video from the AAD with tips to treat sunscreen and these tips from the skin cancer foundation.

[reminder]When, where and how did you get your worst sunburn? And let me know if you have any remaining questions regarding sunburn therapy.[/reminder]