Sunburn. please, please, please help?

Question

I applied sunscreen and everything but somehow it wasn't enough. Must have washed off in the water, even though it claimed to be waterproof AND I reapplied!!!

My back/shoulders/chest/face/arms are all sunburned.
It's really painful. And I'm scared because I know that I've just increased my chances of getting skin cancer.

I've done a black tea compress (soaking a towel in black tea and applying it to the area). Currently I am using an aloe vera gel spray called 'Sooth-a-caine', which seems to be relieving a bit of pain.

I'm hoping that by keeping the area moisturized, I will avoid peeling and the burn will just turn into a tan, taking the pain away as well?
True or am I completely wrong?

Can i take pain medications for the sunburn?

Any help will be very appreciated. I don't know much about sunburns, other than the fact that they are not nearly as harmless as most people choose to believe.


PLEASE HELP.

Answer 1

if you have light skin, it can burn even with sunscreen. don't worry bout the whole cancer risk thing. i burn every year and have yet to get any problems. pain meds work well, and aloe works great. good luck!

Answer 2

Take some aleve. Keep applying the aloe, it will peel no matter how much you moisturize, but it will help. It will turn to tan eventually. Try staying out of the sun for more than twenty minutes between 10 am and 2 pm, that is when the sun is at its most direct position, and therfore the time you burn the easiest. You basically want to treat that time of day as you would a tanning booth, only for about twenty minutes at a time. After that or before that you can usually spend the time outdoors. When I swam all summer, I was in the sun by 6 am until about 10. Stayed out of the sun until about 3 and never burned, just got brown as a bear.

Answer 3

Even with sunblock these days you have to limit your exposure, as you have found out. The pain of the burn can be eliminated by taking a vinegar bath. Stand in the tub, and pour plain white vinegar all over you, use a sponge and keep applying until the sting is gone. Then shower in cool to luke warm water so you don't smell like a pickle.
After, apply moisturizers liberally and often, you may still peel, that is a result of the burn literally killing the out layers of skin, and stay out of the direct sun during mid day. Wear hats, and clothing to protect the skin until it has stopped peeling. And in future, don't try to rely on sunblock alone, it is only an aid, not the entire answer.

Answer 4

I am NO doctor, let me say first, but being a sun baby (before I grew up and learned about the value of 45 spf sunscreen!), I've had lots of experience with sun burn.

1) aloe vera gel (100% PURE if you can get it!) is the best thing you can do. If you have an aloe vera plant, you can rub the goop from the leaves directly on your burn - oh, it feels good.

2) keep yourself hydrated during the recovery process by drinking plenty of water, it'll help you and your skin

3) i see nothing wrong (but again, I'm not a doctor) with taking some ibuprofin (advil, etc.) to cut down on inflamation and help with the pain.

4) apply cold water and/or take cool baths along with the aloe vera application as often as you can...anything to help take the heat away from your skin...this will facillitate healing as well

good luck!

Answer 5

There's really not much you can do but wait it out. Keeping it moist seems to help for the pain but not for peeling. If you got a really bad sunburn then it's going to peel because you killed the layer of skin.
I alway keep the bottle of aloe vera in the frig. It feels really good when it's applied cold. Also, try to keep the area open to the air. Don't cover it with a shirt or pants. This way the heat can escape making it a little less painful.

Answer 6

You're not going to drop dead from one sunburn. Let me tell you that. Do you see girls now a days who fake bake for hours on end? They should be worried, not you. Anyways.. For a sunburn (I have extremely fair skin, so I tend to get burnt easily) you can take pain meds (like tylenol or whatever). I recommend getting aloe vera LOTION (not spray). It has a lot of moisture in it, and usually goes on reallly cool which feels good. And yes when your burn turns into a tan, all the pain goes away.

Answer 7

Stay away from aloe, or any cream for that matter! They will trap the burn and make it worse. The moisturizer is a good idea to prevent peeling but it rarely works. I get burnt a lot and have found that if you put creams or gels on your burn it lasts longer. I have found the best method is to just let the burn exposed and stay out of the sun the best you can till it heals. If the location of the burn poses a problem, in reference to letting it exposed, keep the clothing loose!

Answer 8

You shouldn't worry about it too much because your chances are just raised by a little bit but everyone gets sunburns atleast once in their life. As for the peeling, your skin will peel on its own which shouldn't hurt. If it's too serious you may want to see your doctor about it but it is doubtably that bad. Just wait it out and you will peel and you'll feel much better except you'll probably be annoyed with the peeling.

Answer 9

i think that the reason you burned was that the spf wasnt strong enough for you. you can try something called aloe vera. it helps quite a bit for the burn and cools the pain. this is the number one thing i use when ive gotten burned.

you can take pain meds along with it to help the pain .

Answer 10

You need to find an aloe plant, cut off a piece of the plant and rub the green goo that's on the inside of the plant on your burn. None of the aloe products you buy in the store will work, you need the pure aloe from the plant. I had a HORRIBLE burn once and I put the aloe goo on me and left it on overnight, the next morning my burn turned into a tan, it didn't hurt and I didn't peel. It's like a miracle!