Sunburn is a type of skin allergy that is caused by harmful sun rays. It is also caused by excessive exposure to the sun. In sunburn, your skin becomes reddish, itchy and flaky with pain. Sunburn can easily be treated with many natural remedies at home without taking any medication. If you feel dehydrated or if sunburn lasts more than one week then you need to consult a doctor for proper treatment and medication.
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Applying Topical Treatments:
- Rub aloe vera over the sunburn area: Aloe Vera is very beneficial for preventing sunburn and healing sunburned skin. You can purchase pure aloe vera gel or lotion from the market and apply on your skin. You can also cut the leaves of the Aloe Vera plant from the center, take the gel out of it and apply it directly on your skin to heal sunburn. Whenever you feel pain on your sunburned skin, immediately apply aloe vera gel. Refrigerate aloe vera gel for the cooling sensation on your skin.
- Use a cold washcloth or shower to Cool your skin down: Soak the washcloth in cold water and put it on your face or sunburnt skin to get a cooling sensation and relief from pain. You can also take a cold water shower to cool down your whole body and heal sunburn. Shower spray may cause pain on your sunburnt skin, so it’s better to take a cool bath instead of taking a cool shower. Don’t use too cold water because it can be harsh for your skin.
- Make poultice using tea bags to soothe the burn: Make chameleon tea and cool down the tea bag. Put a tea bag on your sunburnt skin to get relief from pain and heal sunburn.
- Avoid using benzocaine products: Benzocaine products are applied topically on your skin. It is sometimes used to get relief from pain but benzocaine products can irritate your skin and cause allergic reactions. It also decreases oxygen concentration in your bloodstream. So avoid using benzocaine products. Use Aloe Vera gel instead or chameleon tea bags to get relief from sunburn.
2. Healing Your Sunburn Quickly:
- Stay away from the sun as much as possible: Another best treatment for sunburn is to avoid going outside in the sunlight. Sunburn will heal more quickly if you don’t expose your skin to sunlight. It’s better to stay at home or indoors to treat sunburn and relieve pain. Depending on your sunburn intensity, it may either take one week to heal or more. If it’s necessary to go outside, wear lightweight clothes and protective inner coating like Cotton or nylon and wear a big round hat to cover your face.
- Drink water to stay hydrated: Sunburnt skin does not store water in it. It dries out your skin and causes rupturing of skin. Keep yourself hydrated to keep your skin moist. Drink plenty of water daily whenever you feel thirsty and avoid dehydrating drinks such as coffee, tea, alcohol, soda etc. Keep a bottle of water with you to drink water when you feel thirsty.
- Peel your skin gently as it starts flaking off: When your sunburn starts to heal it will shed your upper layer of skin. This is a sign of healing sunburn. Wash your hands and try peeling your dead upper layer of skin with your fingers to speed up the healing process of sunburn. Make sure to moisturize your skin when you peel your skin to heal quickly.
- Use sunscreen or sunblock creams: If your skin is affected by sunburn many times on the same spot again and again, it may lead to many skin problems such as premature wrinkling, dark spots or may be some sort of skin cancer. So, once your skin is healed from sunburn, apply sunscreen or sunblock wherever you go outside or when you are more likely to expose your skin in the sun. Sunscreens or sunblocks prevent and protect your skin from harmful sun rays and Ultraviolet rays. The best sunscreen or sunblock product is having potienty of 30 SPF. If you have fair, light skin then you should take more care for your skin because it has high chances to get sunburn.
3. When to Seek Medical Attention:
- Visit a doctor if you have red skin that does not vanish for a maximum of 1 week: If your skin is sunburned and is not healing after many natural remedies and care, it’s time for you to consult a skin specialist or a doctor. If your skin is still red and itchy after 1 week of sunburn, you need to visit your doctor for proper treatment and medication. If you see symptoms like redness, itchy, mild tender and peeling skin then you don’t need to visit a doctor. It is a normal and common symptom of sunburn. These symptoms can be healed by natural remedies mentioned above.
- Consult a doctor if blisters are developed on your skin: Red skin and blisters on skin are the symptoms of severe sunburn. If you see big blisters on your skin, you should consult a doctor for treatment because it can cause skin infection. Make sure not to pop blisters on skin otherwise it will react with your skin and lead to severe skin infection. Avoid applying any cream such as cold cream on blisters.
- Get medical treatment for a reaction using a natural remedy: If you are treating your sunburn with natural remedies then skin infection may develop in some people. Natural remedies may react with some skin types and cause infections. If you notice some kind of skin infection you have to immediately consult your skincare doctor for proper treatment.
- Seek emergency treatment for any kind of skin infection: As discussed, blisters could lead to skin infections. If you see pus, swelling, or red streaks on your skin, it could be dangerous for you because these are the symptoms of severe skin infection developed from blisters. If you notice these symptoms, immediately go to an emergency to seek medical care. If you don’t treat skin infections as quickly as possible, it may cause serious skin infections and may sometimes lead to death.
- Get emergency medical care for fever, chills, or dehydration: If you are exposed to sun for a long time and it causes fever, chills and dehydration such as dry mouth, dizziness, headache, sleepiness, rapid breathing, increased heart rate, and dark-colored urine, you really need an immediate medical attention at you nearest skincare hospital. These symptoms are also dangerous for your health so you should go to an emergency or urgent clinic for proper treatment and medication.
- Consult a dermatologist if you found moles on your skin: Moles are caused by sunburn. If you see moles on your skin when treating sunburn, you should consult a dermatologist. Moles can cause skin cancer because it may contain cancerous cells. If you have larger, changed shape, or raised moles then get an appointment with a dermatologist for immediate treatment. Moles could cause pain and swelling on your skin. Colors of moles are very important because if moles become darker or lighter than you should consult with the doctor.