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December 23, 2021

What to do as soon as you get sunburned

Filed under: Fitness — Tags: — admin @ 3:12 am

We all know the “slip slop slap” drill — but most of us are guilty of occasionally getting caught off guard without sunscreen (or forgetting to rub it on that one spot on our shoulders).

Then when you see the redness creeping across your skin that afternoon or evening, you know you’re in a painful couple of days.

So when you’ve copped a sunburn, is there anything you can do right away to make it a less uncomfortable experience in the longer term?

READ MORE: The spots you’re most likely to miss when applying sunscreen

Coupe on honeymoon
There’s no quick fix for sunburn, but dermatologists have some advice for how to manage the pain. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Unfortunately not: Despite all of the old wives’ tales about rubbing sliced tomato or aloe vera on the skin, dermatologists say there is no proven cure for sunburn apart from time.

The best thing you can do is try to cool the skin in any way you know how, and grin and bear the stinging feeling as the skin heals over the next week or so.

That’s the verdict of dermatologist Dr Leona Yip, who told 9Coach that sunburn really needs to be avoided at all costs.

“There are no effective treatments to alleviate the pain and peeling except moisturisers and cool compresses,” she says.

“Placing tomato or cucumber could work like a cool compress, but it’s just for comfort more than [being] therapeutic.”

RELATED: The 6 biggest sunscreen myths

Woman with handbag
Like with many things, the best cure for sunburn is preventing it in the first place. (Pexels)

Taking analgesics can help with the pain, and cooling the skin with a cold shower or applying aloe vera spray or gel may provide temporary relief.

But they won’t allow the skin to regenerate or offer a long-lasting solution.

“Aloe vera products provide a soothing, cooling effect like using cool compresses but that’s about it,” Dr Yip says.

Gentle moisturisers might help prevent dryness, but The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends against using petroleum or oil-based ointments because they can trap the heat and make sunburn worse.

Some people reach for steroid creams and ointments or anti-histamines, but Dr Yip says those efforts are also fruitless.

“They are not effective for sunburn because it is like trying to revive damaged or dead skin — but you can’t bring it back to life,” she explains.

RELATED: Why are Australians still obsessed with tanning?

The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends against using petroleum or oil-based ointments because they can trap the heat and make sunburn worse.

Sunburn is caused by exposure to ultraviolet rays, kickstarting an inflammation process that causes the skin to become sore, red and sometimes itchy for a week. It’s often followed by peeling that can make you look like a Walking Dead extra. 

The biggest danger of repeated sunburn is increasing your risk of deadly melanoma, so obviously the aim of the aim is not to get burned in the first place.

“Repeat sunburns put you at a substantial risk for skin cancer and premature skin aging, and I want people to ‘learn from the burn,’” says dermatologist Dr Jeffrey Brackeen, a member of the Skin Cancer Foundation.

While fairer folk are at a higher risk of sunburn, it affects all skin tones — even if the redness isn’t visible on darker skin.

In the case of serious sunburn, where the skin is blistering, you have a fever, chills, dizziness, nausea or headaches, seek medical attention. Never pop or scratch blisters because that could lead to infection.

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