sunburns

[mysterygal]

Even with all the talk of spf lotions, I went out and got a sunburn...a bad one...it's starting to peel..is this just inevitable, or is there anything you can do for a sunburn? (btw: I have been putting aloe vera gel on it)

[RetroModelSari]

Try to put yoghurt on your skin. it´s supposed to cool it and to give it moisture.

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

Ibuprofen, aloe, drinking lots of water, cool baths, and you can try Burow solution too, which I have never tried which is supposed to be good.

Get thee to a drugstore and get some sunscreen!!

[mysterygal]

that's what is so pathetically ironic about this , is that I have 5 bottles of sunscreen in my cabinet What happened was, I started weeding, was completely shaded, got really into what I was doing, by the time I realized I have been in full out sun, my back was already scorched

[Caledonia]

Hey, don't be embarrassed. I went out today to walk the dogs, put my sunhat on, sunscreen, and forgot that the hat doesn't shade my chin and I hadn't screened my face! Ok, I guess we've all got the Wicked Witch of the North Picture now, but in bright pink! And it's starting to itch. Where's the paper bag.....

[Tourbillion]

Bella gave you good advice.

Keep putting the aloe on it, it lets your skin breathe. If you get a bad sunburn, go to the doctor and get Silvadene creme and possibly oral steroids.


Don't be afraid of ibuprofen, it is your friend. I once had a second degree sunburn on my scalp (4th of July), I wore sunscreen everywhere else and was hardly burned on my body/face. Don't let this happen to you, popped blisters oozing, severe scalp peeling etc. It is really disgusting.

I learned my lesson and now have a nice collection of large-brimmed sun hats. Long sleeves for gardening, unless it is too hot and always high spf. I am genetically resistant to tanning.

[mysterygal]

tourb...I'm the same way, I go right past tanning to sunburn. The downfall of being a redhead! so what is the difference between a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree burn?
Last year, I got a sunburn and it blistered, probably should have gone in and seen the doc!

[MissQueenie]

Always wear adequate clothing when you are outdoors. Sunscreen is great, but it's not always reliable. You MUST reapply it regularly according the instructions on the bottle, more frequently if you are sweating or swimming. The smarter thing to do is to depend upon a physical block -- a long sleeved shirt and a broad-brimmed hat -- rather than a chemical one. I worked 14-16 hours a day in full sun (not a lick of shade from horizon to horizon, it felt like) and never once had a sunburn in 6 weeks because I was wearing a long sleeved shirt, pants, a bandana around the back of my neck, and a hat. It's not glamorous, but then neither is looking like a lobster.

The other ladies are giving you great advice, but an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! Make sure you are staying hydrated -- drink lots of water. I've also found that smearing aloe on and laying down with a fan blowing over the burnt/aloed areas is very soothing.

[Caledonia]

Originally Posted by mysterygal

tourb...I'm the same way, I go right past tanning to sunburn. The downfall of being a redhead! so what is the difference between a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree burn?
Last year, I got a sunburn and it blistered, probably should have gone in and seen the doc!

The difference between a sunburn and a burn burn is that sunburn, as we all know, can lead to skin cancer, but the depth of the burn whatever its cause is the thing that is termed 1st, 2nd, or 3rd degree, and doesn't have much to do with the skin cancer. This is absolutely non-medical qualified info, so look up your own medical books or ask your GP, but as far as I am aware (and don't take may advice, check it out - how many caveats can I get in here!!!):

A 1st degree burn is superficial and a mild sunburn, or a mild 'ouch I shouldn't have touched that pot handle' is a common cause - redness, itching, and can blister but the blisters won't be deep, ie it affects the top outer layers of the skin and can lead to pealing. So Mystery, you probably don't need to go to 2nd degree status, but you really should be taking more care. Aheed to the other girls' advice!!!!

2nd degree means the burn has gone through the surface layers and the skin has to try to protect itself, hence it causes redness, blistering, that can weep, and can be very painful. A 2nd degree burn is pretty serious and should receive medical treatment, although you could get a small 2nd degree burn and live with it (my own experience and not to be relied on by anybody else - I'm serious).

A 3rd degree burn is very serious. It has burned through the skin layers to the point where the nerves aren't responding and you might not feel pain, BUT, this is really bad and you need immediate medical attention. Both 2nd and 3rd degree burns can be fatal depending on the body coverage.

And I don't think any of us can stress enough the fact that any kind of sunburn has dire potential longterm skin cancer consequences... Please all, take care.

[Andykev]

I have red hair and white skin, I burn like a tomato.

Bananna boat brand has "after sun" lotion full of Aloe. Works. Drink lots of water and take asa or IB for pain.

Your skin is your biggest organ. Take care of it.

[Paisley]

Originally Posted by Caledonia

And I don't think any of us can stress enough the fact that any kind of sunburn has dire potential longterm skin cancer consequences...

Not to mention looking like a human Gucci bag.

[Rosie]

Water, ibuprofen (as everyone's said) another great thing is cocoa or shea butter, the unrefined kind. It'll soothe your skin and help with healing. I have a tendency to burn on my shoulders,

[Rebecca D]

I once fell asleep in the sun and woke up with a miserable sunburn. Strangely, by the end of that evening, the burn had made the skin on my chest swell into a perfect raised map of the United States! Texas, Florida - everything was there. I've never seen anything so weird in my life!

My friends had a good hard laugh at me, but while they were laughing, I was shivering, sweating and getting ill. I probably should have gone to the hospital, and really should have taken better care of the burn, because it took forever to heal.

But, I learned a lesson and now avoid the sun whenever possible. We talked about sweater guards in another thread, but they can be tied into this conversation too, because they're a great way to keep a sweater over your shoulders and back when it's too hot to actually wear the sweater. And a cute vintage scarf can help protect your neck. You'll look smart, and you'll save your skin!

[JustJen]

ok, I bit off topic but I agree that Silvadene works wonders.

When I was 16 I decided to get my mom's '60s self tanning lamp down and sun myself on a rainy afternoon. I was about 10 inches away from it for about 20 minutes. Needless to say I had severe second degree burns. It really was bad. I had to go see a doctor for the silvadene and he thought I might even need plastic surgery to correct some of the damage. I can't recall how long it took to heal but the new skin that came in was thankfully scar free.

That's why I always slather sunscreen on my face. I don't so much pay attention to the rest of my body but I also don't stay out in the sun long enough to get burned. I pretty much know my limits.

You might also try putting cooled tea bags on the area. Can't say for sure why this helps but it's my mom's remedy for a scorching sunburn.

[Matt Deckard]

Just keep slathering it on. I've tried others and they don't work as well... I'm not into the medicated stuff either... I've tried the Von's brand and it doesn't cut the butter when it comes to feeling better. My recomendation is Banana Boat Aloe After Sun. Several campouts and red red peeling skin have shown me it's the one that works the best... at least for me.

By the by, thanks Neecerie for giving me that bottle of the blue stuff after my Ft. Mac burn... I gqave my green stuff to the other campers (I'm a fool).

[Feraud]

My wife is very fair skinned and tends to burn instead of tan.
She uses high number sun blockers but they do not always work well.
Sometimes covering up is the best preventative.

[mysterygal]

I've finally got my straw hat for gardening and what not....at least my head is protected now! I gotta admit, even though it sucked getting that sunburn, I"ve got one heck of a great tan now! though not wanting to repeat it just for a sake of a tan!

[Matt Deckard]

Hats are the best way to go.

I unfortunately for the sake of the reenacting this weekend wore a beret.

[cadence]

Originally Posted by Miss_Bella_Hell

Ibuprofen, aloe, drinking lots of water, cool baths, and you can try Burow solution too, which I have never tried which is supposed to be good.

When ever I got sunburnt I never had cool baths or showers, I always ran the water as hot as I could stand it (on the sunburn, and not scalding) because I found that when I got out of a cool bath/ shower, the sunburn would start heating worse than it was before hand!! After a warmer than warm shower, it seemed to feel a little better and it didnt heat as much. But everyone is different, its just a thought!!

[Orchids Please]

This is the only thing you will ever need for killing a sunburn. Vinegar & aspirin.
Yep. Run a tepid bath and add 1 cup vinegar (white, apple, or cider, not gourmet) add 4 regular aspirin, NOT tylenol, advil, or other. Soak in tub as long as you can stand it, depending on the burn. If you can't get to a tub, a wet washcloth that you pour about 1/4 -1/2 cup vinegar on, squeeze, and pat the area burned as often as you need.

I am of Irish descent, fair, dark hair. When I went to live in AZ this recipe saved my bacon. You will not smell like a salad. Your skin will thank you.

Another summer help is if you are bitten by ants, pour ammonia (plain old fashioned white or yellow) on the bite. It will stop the pain of stinging. If you are caught out and get bitten with no ammonia, you can always use what nature gave you in the form of urine, which has been used for centuries for this problem. It sounds unladylike, but again, it is strictly an emergency measure.

As for sunburn, never cover it up with an oil based remedy - that only seals
the burn in and you keep cooking.

I hope this helps.

Enjoy Summer!