Everybody at some time or another has decided to take a fabulous vacation out to the beach, the desert or someplace else that they normally do not venture. The trip is always wonderful, filled with fun and somehow in the excitement the sunscreen is forgotten, or you are so wrapped up you stay out a bit too long. This has happened to practically everyone capable of walking. In order to avoid all of the pain that sunburns create it would be necessary to live our lives entirely indoors, and this just is not much fun. After all, then there would be no cricket, baseball or football games, swimming on the beach and plenty of other great activities.
In order to calm the intense pain that sunburns can cause it is important to know how to treat them. Of course, prevention is always the best advice, but for those times when a burn is unavoidable, it is important to know the proper treatment methods. These can help you to avoid screaming in pain each time you lay down to sleep, and also allow others in your family to come within 50 metres of you. Without a good treatment plan you can expect to be extremely lonely, so now is the time to start learning.
Before we get started, it is recommended to schedule your outdoor activities before 10am and after 2pm, when the ultraviolet rays are less intense. It is extremely important that whenever you are outside you always wear a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen with SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 15. Even if you only plan to be outside for a couple of minutes, something can always happen where it is hours before you go inside. Treating a burn in your eye is much harder to do and is not something that is easy at all. It will also require the specialized attention of an eye doctor to ensure that your vision is not damaged.
One of the first remedies that you should try is always drinking plenty of water. This is important because it helps to ensure that your body is fully hydrated. If you are dehydrated, it will cause your skin to dry out, which in turn can make it extremely difficult to soothe your skin to a level that is comfortable. If you are dehydrated, your skin is going to have a much harder time healing. Drinking plenty of water will be extremely helpful to ensure that you are getting all of the fluids that you need, not only for your health but also to improve the shape of your skin. Also having a baking soda bath or an aromatic bath for 30-60 minutes by adding one cup of baking soda or lavender and chamomile essential oils in the case of the aromatic bath to a bath full of lukewarm or cold water. These baths are great for soothing a sunburn.
Another highly effective solution is to use aloe vera. This is available in the form of gels, but can also be used directly from the plant. If you have access to an aloe vera plant, it is a wonderful way to ensure you are protecting your skin. If you have an aloe plant, you have access to a great asset. Used for more than just sunburns, an aloe plant is also highly effective for a plethora of other burns as well.
You can also use cool milk compresses. It is important to use cool milk, not cold. If you use milk that is extremely cold, you will often find that it is extremely uncomfortable to the touch and is more disturbing than comforting. Using hot milk is also not effective since it will not properly soothe the skin. To get the biggest benefit possible from the cool milk compresses you should take some cotton gauze or even some very soft cloth and soak them in milk. You will then dab the compress onto the skin.
Another remedy is to eat food rich in Vitamin C, and supplement with Vitamin E, beta carotene and flaxseed oil which speed the healing process for burns. As far as homeopathy, Calendula, Urtica urens, Apis tinctures have been used successfully. For more details see a homeopath.
Another remedy is to wait until all sunburn heals. A small amount of relief can be difficult but is always a welcome and something that should never be discounted. Getting relief is possible and your skin will certainly appreciate the help.
Cartoon by Bob Moran
