Despite health warnings about sun damage, many of us still subject our skin to the sun’s burning rays. More than one-third of adults and nearly 70% of children admit they’ve gotten sunburned within the past year, according to the CDC. Here’s what you need to know about how to keep your skin safe and where to find sunburn relief if you linger on your lounge chair too long.
What is Sunburn? The Skin cancer Foundation defines Sunburn as an inflammatory reaction to ultraviolet (UV) radiation damage to the skin’s outermost layers. At the heart of it all is melanin, a pigment that gives your skin its color and defends it against the sun’s rays. Melanin works by darkening your unprotected sun-exposed skin. The amount of melanin you produce is determined by genetics, which is why some people get sunburned while others tan. According to Medical News Today, sunburn can cause pain and burning, and according to this 2005 study, it can also increase the risk of skin cancer, wrinkles, brown spots, and freckles. The skin may appear swollen, possibly with blisters.
In addition, Stephanie Watson of WebMD, stated that the symptoms of sunburn vary between people. Sunburn can affect anyone, but those with lighter skin are more susceptible. Following exposure, the skin may become hot, sensitive to the touch, painful, irritated, itchy and blistered. Light skin may turn red. Darker skin may change to a darker tone. Symptoms of severe sunburn can affect the whole body. They include fever, chills, headache, nausea, vomiting and a general feeling of being unwell. A person with severe sunburn may need medical attention.
Sunburn treatment is designed to attack the burn on two fronts — relieving reddened, inflamed skin while easing pain. There are few home remedies for sunburn. First is through applying cold compresses to your skin or taking a cool bath to soothe the burn. Second is using creams or gels. To take the sting out of your sunburn, gently rub on a cream or gel containing ingredients such as Menthol, Camphor and Aloe. Refrigerating the cream first will make it feel even better on your sunburned skin. There are also nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, like ibuprofen or naproxen, that can relieve sunburn swelling and pain all over your body.
Furthermore, Medical news today suggests that the best way to avoid sunburn is to manage the way people expose their skin to sunlight. This includes sitting in locations with shade, wearing clothing that covers the body, preferably that is made of tightly-woven fabric, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, protecting the eyes with sunglasses, avoiding going out in the hottest part of the day, always wearing sunblock of SPF 30+ and reapplying it regularly, considering extra protection for the face, neck, trunk, and parts not usually exposed to the sun.
If you ever experience sunburn, avoid popular sunburn myths! Some treatments that people use for sunburn can make symptoms or skin damage worse. Do not apply butter to a burn on the skin, do not use petroleum jelly and do not apply ice or ice packs as these aggravate the condition. Yes, no one is preventing you from getting exposed to the sun. The ray of sun is even having beneficial effects on our body, like converting vitamin D into absorbable form, but be mindful of too much exposure.
PNFP-ZDS Marie Claire A. Gaas
References:
- Sunburn
By Stephanie Watson, Medically Reviewed by Debra Jaliman, MD on July 21, 2020
https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/guide/sunburn
- Sunburn & Your Skin
https://www.skincancer.org/risk-factors/sunburn/
- How to treat and prevent sunburn