To help your sunburn heal, be sure to: drink plenty of water. stay out of the sun until the redness, peeling and pain have disappeared.
Depending on how painful your sunburn is, you may want to take some ibuprofen or apply a cool compress. The next time you go outside stay covered and give your sunburn time to heal by avoiding direct sunlight for a few days. Call your health care provider if your sunburn causes you to have a fever, chills, or nausea.
Sunburns often go away on their own within a few days to a week. More severe sunburns take longer to heal. The bad news? The damage to the DNA in your skin cells is permanent.
Pain is usually at its worst 6 to 48 hours after the burn. While the symptoms of a sunburn may be temporary, the skin damage is permanent. The symptoms of a sunburn may resemble other skin conditions. Always talk with your healthcare provider for a diagnosis.
Second-degree burns (also known as partial thickness burns) involve the epidermis and part of the dermis layer of skin. The burn site appears red, blistered, and may be swollen and painful.
“A sunburn is the result of acute damage to the skin due to immediate overexposure to UV rays and does not transition into a tan. A tan is a more gradual process that develops as the skin responds to UV and tries to shield it from further harm. ”
Second-degree sunburn: A more severe burn; this degree of sunburn can last for up to three weeks. These burns affect both the top layer of skin and the underlying layer of skin known as the dermis. Peeling, blistering and rashes are common symptoms of this moderately severe sunburn.
The fingertip test. Fingertip test for checking that skin blanches which is a normal skin reaction. Skin that does not blanch when gently pressed is damaged. Remove finger and there should be a blanched (pale) area where the finger was.
If your sunburn is peeling, that means it is healing. This can be an itchy, somewhat painful process—but in some rare cases, the itch can be taken to a whole new level. This is known as hell's itch, or the devil's itch, which can feel like a deep, painful, throbbing itch that lasts for a few days after sunburn.
Apply Aloe
Aloe is a tried-and-true remedy that will soothe your sunburn almost instantaneously. This succulent is known for its moisturizing, cooling and anti-inflammatory effects, providing the much-needed relief you are after.
Hot showers, baths and hot tubs
But even when your sunburn pain subsides, hot water can still be too drying. As your skin recovers from a burn, it needs to maintain all the natural moisture it can. There's no need to take cold showers. A lukewarm or cool shower will do.
However, after sun works to help repair the skin and to minimise the pain and inflammation we often associate with sunburn, which is why we recommend using after sun for sunburn.
Truly, logic should be applied if you have sunburnt skin, it will take time to heal, and should be a focus for allowing the skin to mend from burn. Bottom line, If you want to get a tan, you should wait until skin is healed.
Most sunburn is a first-degree burn that turns the skin pink or red. Prolonged sun exposure can cause blistering and a second-degree burn. Rarely, severe sunburn can cause a third-degree burn or scarring.
If your skin is not blistering, moisturizing cream may be applied to relieve discomfort. DO NOT use butter, petroleum jelly (Vaseline), or other oil-based products. These can block pores so that heat and sweat cannot escape, which can lead to infection. DO NOT pick at or peel away the top part of the blisters.
A second-degree sunburn, which is more serious, causes the skin to become severely red, swollen, and blistered because the dermis, a deeper skin layer, and nerve endings have been damaged. This type of sunburn is more painful and could take about two weeks to heal.
Skin can start to turn red within 3 to 4 hours but reaches peak skin reddening and inflammation between 12 to 24 hours after exposure. Increased blood flow to the area, increases heat and swelling as the lymphatic system sends fluid to that area to try to repair the damage.
If you or your child has sunburn, you should get out of the sun as soon as possible – head indoors or into a shady area.
Use a cool, damp compress
Simply apply this cold compress to the affected area to help numb pain, alleviate itchiness, and provide instant sunburn relief. However, while a cold compress can help heal the effects of a sunburn, you should not apply ice directly to your skin as it can cause further damage and pain.
Hell's Itch is an inciting dermatologic reaction that can occur after sun exposure and is often characterized by symptoms such as intense pain, itching, paresthesia, and suicidal ideation.
Apply a moisturizer that contains aloe vera or soy to help soothe sunburned skin. Do 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.
That's because a sunburn causes melanin-producing cells called melanocytes to make more skin-darkening pigment. “You won't get a deep, dark tan after one sunburn, but ongoing exposure and damage from UV light will darken skin,” notes Dr. Kassouf. “Depending on your skin type, the skin change may look like a tan.”