Sunburn Help!!!?

Question

I got surnburned at the week end (my own silly fault) whats the best stuff to apply for it to stop hurting so badly? Especially at night Help !!!

Answer 1

Apply after sun and lots of it, also you can try putting a wet flannel on the area, that cools it down alot. You can also get aftersun shower gel, great idea as the hot water will inflame your burns. Also try putting after sun on the night before you go sunbathing, it prepares your skin a bit better

Answer 2

I've read some proper wives tales in your replies, so I thought I ought to chip in with some facts. Sunburn causes the skin to swell, there is an increased blood flow (hence the redness and the fact it feels hot), and it is unable to retain moisture as effectively as normal. The core pain comes from the injury to the skin (which contains many nerve endings which become hypersensitive - to clothes / breeze etc...) can only be taken away by pain killers (use paracetemol containing codeine and ibuprofen) or local anaesthetics (e.g. lidocaine), however the latter have pretty poor skin penetration and would need you to apply huge amounts (big area and high blood flow removing the drug), and lidocaine would only last for at most two hours.
The pain however, is exacerbated by both evaporation from the skin surface and drying out of the skin (and often your body in general). The burn can be made more comfortable by keeping the skin moist to reduce these two factors (therefore don't use baby powder), and you have had various suggestions of proprietory products, and some have anti-inflammatory ingredients (e.g. aloe vera) or substances which act on the nerves to improve comfort (e.g. menthol). The temptation is always to remove clothing for comfort, but this increases the fluid loss from the skin. Apply moisturisers liberally and they don't have to be rubbed right in - the problem is at the very surface. Light moisturisers are useless, their effect will rapidly be over, use something heavier and greasier, Vaseline would last the longest.
Because the skin's temperature sensors are now engorged in extra blood flow, you feel hot, but your body is actually cooling much quicker than normal. Avoid regular cool baths / showers and fans, for this reason. If you get shivers / shakes then wrap up warm even if it is uncomfortable. Hydration is very important due the the increased fluid losses - drink plenty.
Deeper sunburn often blisters around day 3 - if so, avoid things that are going to irritate the raw areas or get them infected (tomatos, porridge oats, milk, menthol, essential oils, perfumed products etc...), as this can deepen the burn and increase the chances of it scarring.
If you are in real agony, or are ill (vomiting / shaking / unable to drink) then go to A&E and you will be referred to a Burns Service where your can be given better pain relief and have your burns cleaned and often dressed.

Answer 3

Oooouch!! Aloe Vera is good but also at night-pharmacies and drug stores make a spray called dermoplast. THE BEST STUFF IN THE WORLD!! No doubt-its still going to hurt but the dermoplast makes it numb. I was sunburnt about 3 weeks ago and we tried everything. Cool towels, vinegar baths, washclothes dipped in vinegar water compressed on the sunburn, aspirin-EVERYTHING! Just try that dermoplast-buy like 2 bottles because you are definitlely going to need it!! I had gotten it so bad-I had sun poison-if you feel nauseated or throwing up or anything-be sure to drink lots of water because you can become dehydrated! After a few days of being sunburnt, I noticed that my skin was really tight and after I went to the doctor, he told me that I was becoming dehydrated. That is also another good idea-go to your doctor and he can give you pain medicine and other methods of easing your pain! Good luck and get well!

Answer 4

i work at a tanning bed store and i see this all the time what you need to do is go to your local tanning bad and ask for two things! one a moisturizer good brands are skin system , hemp's or cool beans. cool beans has cooling ingred. in it that feels awesome! the second thing would be tan aid its an aloe Vera type gel but not like the one you get at walmart!!! that stuff is dry! you need moister! the tan aid has moister rich proteins its the bomb !!!! these moisturizers are formulated for tanning so its unlike the others over the counter lotions!!! good luck also where semi-loose clothing to prevent rubbing.

Answer 5

Milk, put some milk on a cotton ball and sponge on your sunburn. It can't be lowfat or slim the fat in the milk provides a cooling sensation and it helps sooth the skin.

Aloe helps too! Take some advil or Tylenol to reduce the swelling

Answer 6

Just use Aloe Vera gel. You can get it at your local drugstore. It has a cooling effect, so it helps it to stop hurting. It helps if you can find one with some kind of moisturizer in it.

Answer 7

I have your same problem too. Only if i go out to the mail box i am likely to get burned....as you can see i burn VERY easily....what i usually do is apply some aloe Vera to the burned places......do that like every 2 hours...and on top of that put some moisturizers.....sun burn hurts, but it will eventually go away...Happy Healing!

Answer 8

okay two words- calamine and glycerin cream- find it at boots it comes in a green tube and isn't too expensive i don't think. or failing that put some aloe vera aftersun in the fridge for half an hour and apply- the cooling sensation is amazing

Answer 9

Wash the area every hour or so with cold water. Also when you are washing the skin use porridge oats as this helps to heal the damage skin. It isn't an old wives tale it is proven. It does work

Answer 10

Try this, I did on my boyf this weekend and his burn disappeared: take a big dollop of aloe vera gel, put 1 drop of peppermint essential oil and 3 drops of lavender essential oil in it and then apply on the burn. The aloe vera is soothing, the peppermint is cooling and the lavender heals burns.

Answer 11

If you mix apple cider vinegar with water, about 1/4 vinegar & 3/4 water dip a wash cloth & place it on burn it will help. It's smells bad, but it takes away the burn. If your willing to take a cool bath, mix a bottle into the bath water.