Oops.
It’s the first day of your beach vacation and you stayed out in the sun a
little (or a lot) too long. Now your skin is paying the price and you are in
need of some relief.
اضافة اعلان
A
sunburn is your skin cells’ reaction to damage from the sun’s ultraviolet
radiation. In a first-degree sunburn, the top layer of skin, called the
epidermis, is injured, resulting in redness, pain, and swelling.
Second-degree
sunburns are more severe because the next layer of skin, called the dermis, is
also harmed. When this happens, blistering can occur because the epidermis and
dermis become separated, and inflammatory fluid floods in, causing the skin to
bubble up.
On
darker skin, sunburns are harder to notice at first because redness is less
apparent. “Folks of color can also get sunburn, it just takes a lot more sun
exposure for that to happen,” said Dr. Adewole Adamson, a dermatologist and
assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Texas at Austin
Dell Medical School.
Sunburns
also damage skin cells’ DNA, which, over time, could lead to skin cancer. One
blistering sunburn during childhood or five or more sunburns at any age doubles
a person’s risk for melanoma, said Dr. Jesse Lewin, an associate professor of
dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and a spokesperson for
the Skin Cancer Foundation.
Unfortunately,
there is nothing you can do about the long-term harm a sunburn inflicts on your
DNA, but there are remedies to soothe your skin in the short-term.
Keep
your skin (and yourself) hydrated
It is
important to drink lots of water when you have a sunburn because “the increased
blood flow to your skin” can cause you to lose fluids, said Dr. Jennifer
Holman, a dermatologist at US Dermatology Partners in Texas and a spokesperson
for the American Academy of Dermatology.
For
the skin itself, keep the burn cool and moisturized. Take a cool shower or bath
or use chilled compresses on the area. But skip the ice packs because extreme
cold could further injure the skin.
Next,
apply a gentle moisturizer to the burn. The experts were divided on whether you
should opt for a thick or thin lotion. Adamson and Holman recommended creams
that contain ingredients like ceramides or petrolatum, which trap in moisture.
However, Lewin cautioned that those thicker lotions could also trap in heat,
and advised using a thinner, water-based option instead.
Aloe
is often touted as a sunburn treatment, and the experts said it is also a good
ingredient to look for because it is an effective moisturizer, but there is
nothing unique about it when it comes to treating sunburns. Regardless of which
kind of moisturizer you choose, the product should be fragrance-free and have a
short ingredient list to avoid any potentially irritating additives.
If
you are really uncomfortable, an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory pain
reliever, like Advil or Motrin, can provide some relief and help alleviate any
swelling. Stay away from topical pain relievers that contain lidocaine or
benzocaine, though, because those can aggravate the skin.
Be
gentle with peeling skin and blisters
If
you have blistering, make sure to keep the area clean with soap and water. If
the blisters are causing you a lot of discomfort, Adamson said it’s OK to drain
the fluid with a sterilized needle, but do not rip the blister off. Your skin
is your first line of defense against bacteria and other pathogens, and
exposing the tissue underneath can make you vulnerable to infection.
Even
if you don’t have blistering, peeling can occur a few days after a burn, as
that top layer of now-dead skin sloughs off. It is normal to want to assist the
process, but be careful not to take off healthy skin. Any sign of bleeding
means you’ve gone too far, and you are opening up an entrance for infection.
Because of that risk, Holman recommends using a sharp pair of sterilized
scissors to clip the dead edges instead.
Don’t
make it worse, and don’t worry too much.
The
vast majority of sunburns are not acutely dangerous. The only times you might
need to see a doctor are if you have a fever (because it could indicate
heatstroke), or if a young child gets a severe sunburn (because they’re at
greater risk for dehydration).
As
your skin heals, which typically takes about a week, make preventing another
burn a high priority. That doesn’t mean a sunburn has to ruin your vacation —
just be extra careful when you go back outside.
Make
sure you wear sunscreen with at least SPF 30 and reapply every two hours. Don a
wide-brimmed hat and cover the burned area with ultraviolet protective
clothing. Stick to the shade when you can (an umbrella is your friend), and do
your best to avoid the sun during the peak hours of 10am to 4pm
Finally,
try not to worry too much. A sunburn does increase your risk of skin cancer,
“but it doesn’t mean destiny,” Adamson said. Fear of sunburns shouldn’t
“prevent people from doing healthy activities, like being outside.”
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