A little bit of sun can be good for your soul and give you some vitamin D, but too much sun can cause skin cancer, premature signs of aging, and sunburns. Even if you lather up with a broad spectrum sunscreen when you’re outside, you can still end up with a sunburn, so what can you do to get rid of it? Let’s take a closer look.
Don’t Pick At Blisters
If you got a bad sunburn and blisters have started to form, you may want to pick at them but don’t. Picking at blisters could lead to some permanent scarring or even an infection. Just leave them and don’t touch them. If they pop on their own, try cleaning them with a clean cotton pad and some rubbing alcohol.
Take Ibuprofen
Sunburns can be painful; especially when you’re trying to sleep at night. To help ease the pain and discomfort caused by your sunburn, take some ibuprofen. Ibuprofen is excellent at not only getting rid of the pain but swelling as well; make sure to check with your primary care physician beforehand to ensure that it mixes with other medications that you are on.
Avoid the Sun
The sun and sunburns do not mix. Try to stay out of the sun for the next couple of days to avoid making your current sunburn any worse than it already is. If you have to spend time outside because of work or if you’re on vacation, make sure to cover your skin up with some clothing like a long sleeve shirt.
Try Cold Compresses
Similar to how your skin is really warm when you have a fever, your skin will feel similarly when you have a sunburn. Try applying cold, damp compresses to your skin to help take the heat out of it; just don’t leave any ice packs on the skin for too long because it could cause a type of freezer burn.
Keep your skin extra healthy and protected this summer and use these sunburn care tips. To learn more about skin care contact our Williamsville office at (716) 633-6100.
