5 effective ways to deal with sunburned skin (sunburn)

Be careful if you are out in the sun for too long. The reason is, the skin can experience sunburn or catch fire. If you have this, you will feel the pain, pain, and you will not feel confident about it. But don't worry, there are various effective ways to deal with sunburned skin.

Tips for dealing with sunburned skin

Prolonged exposure to UVA and UVB rays can cause skin damage and irritation. Apart from being influenced by the time of sunbathing, the type of skin and the intensity of the sunburn can also affect how severe the condition is sunburn experienced.

Burned skin will usually be red and painful. Even if the burn is severe enough, the skin will become swollen and blistered. In addition, you can also feel various flu-like symptoms such as fever, nausea, headaches, and weakness.

To fix this, there are several ways you can do, namely:

1. Put a cool towel on the skin

Source: Health Ambition

The first thing you need to do to treat sunburn is take a towel and soak it in ice water. Then, wring it out and place the towel on the skin for 10 to 15 minutes. This method is done to help neutralize the heat on your skin.

If you experience sunburn in some parts of the body, then you can take an easier way, namely by taking a shower. Bathing helps relieve the pain and soreness you feel. But don't forget to use a moisturizer if you shower more than usual to keep your skin from drying out.

2. Using special moisturizers and creams to soothe the skin

When you get sunburned, you need to use a moisturizer to hydrate dry skin. Choose a moisturizer with a variety of soothing ingredients, such as aloe vera. Aloe vera has a cooling effect, which makes the skin feel much better.

Apart from aloe vera, you can also use a special cream to help moisturize and regenerate skin damaged by burns. You can use products made from Centella asiatica or gotu kola leaves.

Quoted from WebMD, this plant contains certain chemicals that help reduce inflammation. In addition, Centella asiatica is also able to increase collagen production which is very important for healing burns caused by prolonged exposure to UV rays.

You also need to be careful and avoid creams or lotions that contain petroleum, benzocaine, or lidocaine. Petroleum traps heat on the skin while benzocaine and lidocaine can irritate the skin.

3. Drink lots of water

Burns usually draw fluid to the surface of the skin to move away from the rest of the body. As a result, you will easily become dehydrated. By meeting the needs of fluids, the body will stay well hydrated and prevent the skin from drying out which can worsen symptoms sunburn that you experience.

The reason is, dry skin will usually feel very itchy. Even though scratching the skin that is experiencing burns will only make it irritated. In addition to plain water, you can consume coconut water or sports drinks to help replenish lost electrolytes.

4. Take anti-inflammatory drugs

Jeffrey Brackeen, MD., A Dermatologist in the United States and a member of The Skin Cancer Foundation, recommends that you take medication to treat sunburn. When you begin to notice that your skin is showing signs of burning, then try to immediately take medication that can help reduce inflammation.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen and naproxen help with pain due to inflamed skin.

5. Do not pick up the blister or scratch it

To treat sunburn and make it heal quickly, try not to squeeze or scratch when the blisters start to appear. Blisters are a sign that you have a second degree burn. If you scratch or even squeeze, don't be surprised if your wound gets worse. Therefore, control the urge to scratch it so that the skin is protected from infection.

Even though it seemed like a temporary condition and didn't last long, sunburn can cause permanent skin damage. This damage can increase your risk of developing skin cancer. Therefore, do not underestimate this condition and deal with it in the right way.