Sunburned

You did everything you were supposed to do. You wore a hat, you stayed in the shade as much as possible and you applied sunblock with a protection factor of at least 15. Still, you got burned. Ouch.

"Even with the best intentions, many people will suffer at least one sunburn each summer," said Dee Anna Glaser, M.D., dermatologist and associate professor of dermatology at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. "They forget to reapply sunblock after swimming or they miss spots or they stayed outside longer than expected. A sunburn can be a painful lesson."

In general... some of the Do's & Don'ts are as follows:

DO'S-------
> Take a cool bath-not ice cold, but cool-without any bubble bath, bath salts or oils in the water.
> Apply cold compresses to the skin.
> Sit near a fan or an air conditioner.
> Stay out of the sun. Tender skin should be protected against the sun until it has healed, which usually takes a couple of weeks.
> Take aspirin, acetaminophen or ibuprofen to ease the pain and inflammation.
> To rehydrate (add moisture to) the skin and help reduce swelling, apply a thick, bland moisturizer, aloe or a one-percent hydrocortisone cream on the sunburned areas. Make sure the moisturizers have little or no alcohol content.
> Drink extra water to replace the fluid lost in the swelling of sunburned skin and to prevent dehydration and dizziness.
> Apply an over-the-counter anesthetic spray to ease the pain.

DON'TS-------
> Do not take a hot bath to "draw out the heat." Glaser said this treatment myth might only injure your skin further.
> Do not scrub your skin.
> If possible, do not apply lotions or moisturizers that contain extras, such as perfumes or preservatives.
> Do not pick at blisters or remove your skin when the peeling process begins. This can result in infection. Let the skin fall off naturally.



In addition to these 'normal' remedies; there have been lists upon lists of FOLK REMEDIES such as:

*ALOE; very effective in relieving pain and inflammation.


*VINEGAR; will prevent blistering and peeling.

*LEMON WATER; will cool the burn, act as a disinfectant, and will promote healing of the skin.

In any case, if you experience chills, fever, or rashes - you may have sun poisioning and you should seek a doctor immediately.