Dorothy FarrarHome remedies for sunburn
There is no one who has never had a sunburn , but the degree to which it occurs is different for each person. The skin is red, painful and tight. She was burned by the sun’s UV rays. The pain is usually most severe 4 hours after sun exposure and subsides after 2 to 3 days.
What is sunburn?
Sunburn, also known as photodermatosis or solar dermatitis, is a burn caused by the sun’s ultraviolet rays. A distinction is made between first and second degree burns.
A mild sunburn usually leads to reddening of the skin, which begins to itch and peels off after a few days. Skin is also often tender, which can make wearing clothes or sleeping on your back uncomfortable, sometimes even painful.
Second-degree burns often also develop larger skin blisters that are filled with sweat or other body fluid. These blisters do not always heal without consequences. This is especially true if those affected are constantly scratching themselves due to the severe itching. Sometimes permanent pigment disorders in the form of mostly small, white spots then appear on the remaining skin.
Who is affected?
A severe sunburn can also be accompanied by migraine-like headaches , fever, chills or blurred vision. In very severe cases, sunburn can even lead to heat stroke, which is life-threatening for the patient and requires immediate medical attention. This particularly affects older people and people who are very overweight or already have cardiovascular problems.
The long-term consequences of sunburn are also very serious and sometimes even dangerous. This accelerates skin aging and can contribute to a leathery appearance of the skin. In addition, malignant skin tumors can develop. Skin cancer caused by sunburn often does not develop until many years after the causal injury to the skin.
causes
Sunburn is always caused by staying in the sun for too long or without protection. The risk is particularly high in midsummer. Sunbathing without sun protection can lead to serious burns in light-skinned people after just a few minutes. There is also an increased risk of burns during walks or outdoor sports.
The risk is particularly high on or in reflective surfaces such as water or snow. UV radiation is also particularly intense in the high mountains, so that even a short unprotected stay outdoors can result in sun-related burns. The risk of sunburn is all the higher, the lower the skin’s own protection, which is determined in particular by the concentration of melanin. The principle applies that the lighter the skin, the lower the self-protection.
What helps against sunburn?
- One of the most important measures and home remedies against sunburn is cooling the burned skin. Simply rinse the burned skin with cold water or apply cold compresses to the affected areas of the skin for 15 minutes. The cold removes heat from the skin and reduces swelling.
- Chilled green tea can be used as a cold compress solution. Unlike water, it not only cools the skin, but the ingredients in the tea reduce inflammation and protect the skin from damage.
- The skin should be sunscreened with sun protection factor 20 at least 30 minutes before sunbathing, but also on cloudy days when the day is spent outdoors. In addition, direct sunlight should be avoided between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., as the radiation is strongest at this time of the day.
- Another home remedy for sunburn is vinegar. Simply dip a kitchen towel in apple cider vinegar and place it on the affected areas. Leave on the skin until it is dry again. This action can be repeated as often as you like. Vinegar (about 2 cups) can also be mixed into a cool bath because it reduces itching , inflammation, and pain.
Quick help for sunburn
- If the sunburn extends over the whole body, there is a home remedy with oatmeal. Just run cold bath water and add some oatmeal. You can buy oatmeal, but you can also just grind oatmeal in a food processor.
- Peppermint has cooling properties and thus helps against sunburn. For the treatment, a peppermint tea is made, and after cooling it can be dripped onto compresses. These compresses are then placed on the affected skin areas. But a few drops of peppermint oil in lukewarm water can also be applied to the skin and help to heal the burned skin.
- Another home remedy for sunburn is to soothe sore skin with cold black tea.
Alternative remedies
- Potato and cucumber slices are effective alternative remedies for sunburn. They cool the painful sunburn areas and also ensure that the swelling subsides.
- Another cooling and hydrating alternative remedy for sunburn is a paste made from turmeric (turmeric), barley flour, and yogurt. Everything is mixed together in equal parts and applied to the affected areas of the skin. Rinse off with lukewarm water after 20 minutes.
- One of the alternative remedies for sunburn that has been described as the most pleasant is the juice of an aloe vera plant . To do this, a fresh leaf is broken open, the juice squeezed out and applied to the burned skin. However, 100 percent aloe vera gel is also available in online pharmacies.
- St. John’s wort has been used for burns for centuries. It has an antiseptic (germ-reducing) and pain-relieving effect. Only one ointment should be taken, however, since St. John’s wort taken orally makes the skin more sensitive to sunlight.
See Sunburn for more information . For disorientation, confusion and faintness caused by too much sun, an ambulance must be called immediately. A doctor should also be consulted if a sunburn develops very large blisters or if there is pus.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.