99TravelSafe.com
43 - Dealing with Sunburns
The Website For The Smart and Savvy Traveler
IF you feel you have been exposed to too much sun
-- Take a cool bath - not ice cold, but cool - and don't use bath salts, oil or a bubble bath.
-- Do not scrub your skin or shave your skin. Use a soft towel and pat your skin dry.
-- Use a sunburn remedy containing aloe vera.
-- Use a light moisturizer or a dusting of powder to ease chafing.
-- Stay out of the sun. If the sunburn is severe or you are blistering, feel faint or nauseous, see a doctor immediately.
Although a sunburn may seem like a temporary condition, sunburns can cause long-lasting damage to the skin, including raising the risk to get skin cancer.
To alleviate the damage caused by a sunburn;
-- Take frequent cool baths or showers to help relieve the pain and gently dry after the bath
-- Apply a moisturizer that contains aloe vera or soy to help soothe sunburned skin. Apply this while your skin is still damp from a bath or shower and whenever you feel discomfort.
-- To relieve discomfort, you can also apply calamine lotion, place a cool, damp washcloth on the affected area, or take a colloidal oatmeal bath.
-- Consider taking aspirin or ibuprofen to help reduce any swelling and discomfort.
-- Drink extra water. A sunburn draws fluid to the skin’s surface and away from the rest of the body. Drinking extra water when you are sunburned helps prevent dehydration.
-- If your skin blisters, allow the blisters to heal. Blistering skin means you have a second-degree sunburn. You should not pop the blisters, as blisters form to help your skin heal and protect you from infection. Keep blisters clean and apply petroleum jelly to protect them while they heal.