What to do if badly sunburned

Finally, the much-desired vacation came, the weekend coincided with good weather, a trip to the sea took place, or you finally got to your favorite summer cottage. In such euphoria, few people think about security measures, everyone just enjoys a vacation. However, the sun is very insidious, literally in a few hours it can burn the skin so that you will remember the delights of a long-awaited rest for a long time. In order not to spoil your well-being for the rest of your vacation, you need to carefully monitor your skin, protect it from the sun. Today we’ll talk about tanning - what it is and how it is dangerous, how to avoid it and what to do if the skin is burned.

Sunburn

Each of us has at least once in a lifetime encountered sunburn and knows what it is. A tan is characterized not only by red and inflamed skin. Often the general condition of the patient worsens - he feels chills, a headache appears, and body temperature rises. The skin becomes hot, blisters and blisters may appear on it. A couple of days after getting a burn on the skin, itching can occur. With severe burns and damage to the epidermis, secondary infection can develop if bacteria or microbes get into the open wounds of the blisters. A burn in children can be accompanied by weakness and drowsiness.

Four degrees of sunburn are shared. The first degree is redness of the skin without damage. The second degree is the appearance of blisters, blisters, papules, accompanied by high temperature. The third degree is damage to more than half of the skin. Fourth - severe dehydration of the body, a change in the work of the heart, kidneys and liver, such a burn can lead to death of a person. The third and fourth degrees of burn require mandatory hospitalization.

The treatment of sunburn is a complex matter. It is necessary to relieve inflammation, relieve the patient of local and general hyperthermia, suppress itching, and support skin restoration. However, many make a number of common mistakes that you should be aware of. In no case do not wipe the burned areas with pieces of ice. A sharp temperature drop can lead to devastating effects on the skin. It is also impossible to wash burnt skin with household soap - there is a lot of alkali in it, which destroys the protective layer of the epidermis. Do not treat the skin with alcohol tinctures - this contributes to an even greater burn. Also, do not lubricate the burn with dense and thick creams and ointments, such as petroleum jelly. It creates a dense layer on the skin through which air simply does not pass. Blisters that form on the skin must not be punctured or crushed so as not to cause infection. But what rules should be followed when getting a sunburn?

What to do if sunburned

Once you find that your skin is burned, you need to get away from the sun as soon as possible so as not to aggravate the intensity of the burn. Remember, even if there are clouds in the sky, ultraviolet rays reach your skin, especially if you are near water. In great danger are people who like to swim on an air mattress - in this case, a burn can be obtained in a matter of hours. What to do in this situation?

1. First of all, you need to wash yourself with cool water. Water will relieve burning, reduce local temperature, relieve skin from dehydration, wash off sea salt and sand. If possible, you need to draw water into the bathtub and lie in cool water.
2. When taking a shower, do not use soap, washcloths, scrubs, or other objects that could damage or injure burned skin. Do not rub your skin with a towel, but just pat it lightly.
3. Take a small piece of gauze and soak it in cold water. Apply gauze to damaged areas of the skin. When the gauze heats up, repeat the manipulation again. So you need to do as long as possible. If you cool the skin in this way for an hour, the consequences will be much less pronounced.
4. Drink two liters of water to get rid of internal dehydration and protect yourself from heat stroke.
5. Drink an antipyretic, apply one of the medicinal ointments, which we will talk about a little later, protect the skin from direct sunlight for another 5-7 days.

These are the main first aid measures for sunburn. If you are burned, you need to carefully monitor your skin, treat and restore it.

Medication for sunburn

Here is a description of some groups of drugs that may be helpful if you are sunburned.

1. Anti-inflammatory and antipyretic drugs. Drink a tablet of Paracetamol, Ibuprofen, Nurofen, Fanigan. This will reduce inflammation, redness and swelling, relieve temperature - both general and local.
2. Antihistamines. They are needed to relieve swelling and get rid of itching. Especially antihistamines should be given to the child if he is burnt. This will allow the baby to sleep better at night. Give what you have from allergies in your home - Cetrin, Zodak, Diazolin, Zirtek, etc.
3. Vitamins A, E and C. Regular intake of these vitamins promotes active skin regeneration and epidermis recovery. Vitamins can be taken both internally and externally, applying the composition to damaged areas of the skin.
4. Panthenol. This is one of the most powerful and effective anti-tanning agents, which works great both immediately after a burn, and a few days after skin damage. You can use any ointment, cream and spray, which includes Panthenol - this is Bepanten, D-Panthenol, Dexpanthenol, Pantoderm, etc. This ingredient perfectly anesthetizes, relieves inflammation, regenerates the skin, and helps restore the protective layer.
5. Therapeutic and restorative ointments. Quite a lot of drugs that have anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, analgesic effect. Aerosol Livian softens and soothes sore skin, Psilo-balm and Boro-plus ointment cool and heal it. Fenistil and Radevit perfectly relieve itching and swelling. In the treatment of burns, you can use tools such as Sudocrem, Eplan, Floretsa gel, Actovegin, Solcoseryl, Olazol, Zinc ointment. Surely some of these tools must be at your place. If none of this is available, you can use simple sea buckthorn or almond oil. They perfectly soften, relieve inflammation and itching.

If you feel severe dizziness, nausea, if the damage to the skin is quite serious, it is better to seek medical help.

Folk remedies against sunburn

There are many recipes in the arsenal of home secrets that will help you relieve pain and burning with the help of improvised means.

1. Dairy products. It can be kefir, yogurt, fermented baked milk. It is important that the products are kept cool. It is necessary to apply the product on the skin in several layers, not allowing the epidermis to dry.
2. Whipped protein. Chicken protein needs to be whipped and applied to the skin, when it begins to dry, apply another layer. And so 5-10 times.
3. Watermelon Juice. Watermelon juice soothes sore skin, relieves redness and itching. The juice can simply be applied to the skin with a brush or blotted in a juice napkin and applied to burnt skin.
4. Raw potatoes. The pulp of raw potatoes will help relieve burning and redness. Take a couple of tubers, peel them from the skin and grind using a blender, meat grinder or grater. Apply the pulp to the damaged skin, relief will come instantly.
5. Soda. You can make a soda compress - soak a napkin or handkerchief in a solution of soda (a tablespoon of powder per liter of water) and apply to the affected skin. It is very effective to make soda baths - dissolve a pack of baking soda in the bath and sit in the water for at least half an hour.
6. A decoction of nettles and mint. These herbs perfectly cool and heal the skin. Prepare a strong broth, cool it and make lotions on the basis of a cool broth.
7. Clay. Clay very well relieves burning, itching and redness. At home, you can use any cosmetic clay - white or blue. Just mix it with water and apply gruel on the inflamed skin. If trouble has caught you on the beach, you can use the most common clay from the coast.

Use our tips to get rid of pain and sunburn quickly and effectively.

Any disease is easier to prevent than to cure. This rule is especially true for sunburn. If you do not want to spend half your vacation at the hotel, you must definitely protect yourself from the sun. You can sunbathe only until 11 a.m. and after 4 p.m. Sunbathing is prohibited for young children, pregnant women, the elderly. Use high SPF sunscreen in the sun. Especially need to protect light-skinned people. Moreover, the cream must be applied every 2-3 hours or after each bath. Start sunbathing gradually, no need to stay in the sun on the first day of rest.

A tan is not always beautiful and successful. Some people will never achieve a bronze tan, due to their skin type. Holders of fair skin, as a rule, can be either white or red. Try to protect the skin from the aggressive effects of the sun, because ultraviolet is very harmful. The sun can cause early aging, the appearance of premature wrinkles. But the worst and most dangerous thing is that ultraviolet light can cause skin cancer. Protect yourself from the sun, so as not to treat sunburn.

Video: what to do if burned out in the sun