sun burn treatment?

Question

what is the most effective way to get rid of a sun burn quickly? i burnt my legs last weekend, and now they are red. plus my right foot has swollen a little bit. does anyone know the best and quickest way to get rid of a sun burn?

Answer 1

I always just rub on aloe and it goes away in a couple of days.

Answer 2

cold water is the best first aid when you burn yourself - 20 minutes under the tap is ideal. NEVER ice or vinegar or milk or butter or green tea or mustard or toothpaste or sunscreen or semen or vaseline or tomatoes or vanilla extract or yogurt or sour cream or egg white or lavender oil or cocoa butter or salt or tea bags or potato or shaving cream or olive oil or baking soda or banana peel or petroleum jelly or whipped cream or avocado or bacon grease or corn starch or tumeric or lemon juice or curd- not until the skin is fully healed!

alcohol might help with the pain but it is a serious risk as it will dehydrate you - so don't drink any. ibuprofen or aspirin will help but larger burns are often accompanied by stomach ulcers, so tylenol/panadol is best for pain if you are gonna tough it out. drink plenty of water or energy drinks that don't have caffeine (gatorade)

i would advise that you cover the burnt area with sterile paraffin wax or aqueous cream bp. (check the links below and see if you can find a local equivalent). wash the burn and reapply every 4-6 hours - cover with cling wrap if you wish to cover with clothes - this will stop your clothes getting covered with paraffin and maintains the burn.

cling wrap alone is ok if you can't get hold of any paraffin. it also acts as a protective artificial skin - helping retain moisture and protect from further damage and pain. cling wrap is cheap and clean off the roll. in Australia ambulances often use this when someone has been burnt. - please note that cling wrap isn't always practical, like on your face.

the paraffin imitates the natural oils, creating a seal stopping water leaving the body and reduces pain by protecting sensitised nerves. both of these factors improve healing - good stuff stays in, bad stays out - that is one job of healthy skin. aloe is good coz it remoisturises but that moisture can be quickly lost as the skin can't contain fluids. so put aloe on, and then the paraffin on over the top. if there is broken skin leave out the aloe - just paraffin.

http://www.doorone.com.au/xGS-Aqueous_Cream~NS-1~linkin_id-8009837

http://www.pharmacyonline.com.au/david-craig-paraffin-400g-p-1831.html

hope this helps - let me know how you go and what similar brands/alternatives are available in your area

email if you still have questions - send photos [e-mail]

finally if you are really worried go to a hospital that has a burns unit or plastic surgeons. serious sunburn i.e. blisters (and all other burns) should be seen by a burns trained doctor or nurse.

Answer 3

By "get rid of" do you mean, make it go to tanned or make the pain go away?

For the pain, aloe can help (heals the burn) but some ppl are allergic and it makes the burn (and the pain) worse! Noxema (if they still sell it) will take out the sting...I would put a coat on at bedtime so the sheets wouldn't hurt and wash it off in the morning...it does dry out your skin so plenty of moisturizer after. A cool bath in apple cider vinegar also helps take the sting out of burns (and helps heal by restoring the natural "acid mantle" on your skin that got burned off!)...get the REAL stuff at a health food store and put a cup or two in your bath water...you can also use cotton to dab it directly on your skin full strength. Stinks to high heaven but it works!

If you want to get rid of the red, try a self-tanning lotion! Whenever I get a sunburn (too often since I have the skin of a red head and live in sunny so. Texas), I use Coppertone Endless Summer self tanning lotion...apply it carefully to avoid streaking (use circular motion and wash hands after applying)...and use the lightest shade available. Makes the red look less red and for some strange reason, the ingredients in self tanner also reduce the pain and swelling of a bad sunburn (at least for me). If it isn't a bad burn, I use one of those new moisturizers with a small amt. of self tanner (Loreal Sublime Glow is my favorite). The moisture helps the skin heal, the self tanner makes the red less noticeable, AND the other ingredients give you a nice "glow"...all around, a great product! Use it several times a day and the red will be gone in a day or two (depending on how red it is...I turned myself purple once...that took a couple of weeks to go away)!

Answer 4

For minor burns, including first-degree burns and second-degree burns limited to an area no larger than 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) in diameter, take the following action: Cool the burn. Hold the burned area under cool (not cold) running water for 10 or 15 minutes or until the pain subsides. If this is impractical, immerse the burn in cool water or cool it with cold compresses. Cooling the burn reduces swelling by conducting heat away from the skin. Don't put ice on the burn. Cover the burn with a sterile gauze bandage. Don't use fluffy cotton, or other material that may get lint in the wound. Wrap the gauze loosely to avoid putting pressure on burned skin. Bandaging keeps air off the burn, reduces pain and protects blistered skin. Take an over-the-counter pain reliever. These include aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others), naproxen (Aleve) or acetaminophen (Tylenol, others). Use caution when giving aspirin to children or teenagers. Though aspirin is approved for use in children older than age 2, children and teenagers recovering from chickenpox or flu-like symptoms should never take aspirin. Talk to your doctor if you have concerns. Caution Don't use ice. Putting ice directly on a burn can cause a burn victim's body to become too cold and cause further damage to the wound. Don't apply butter or ointments to the burn. This could cause infection. Don't break blisters. Broken blisters are more vulnerable to infection. Home treatment for minor burns For home treatment of first-degree burns and sunburns: Use cool cloths on burned areas. Take frequent cool showers or baths. (I found cool baths using Aveeno oatmeal colloid to be incredibly comforting and relaxing.) Apply soothing lotions that contain aloe vera to burned areas to relieve pain and swelling. Applying 0.5% hydrocortisone cream to the burned area also may help. Lotion may help relieve the itching when the skin begins peeling. Other home treatment measures, such as chamomile, may help relieve your sunburn symptoms. It is important to protect a burn while it is healing. Newly healed burns can be sensitive to temperature. Healing burns need to be protected from the cold, because the burned area is more likely to develop frostbite. A newly burned area can sunburn easily. Sunscreen with a high sun protective factor (SPF at least 30) should be used for the first year after a burn to protect the new skin.

Answer 5

One doesn't get "rid" of a sunburn,it will heal on its own time. Sunburn is no different than a burn from scalding water etc,and depending on its degree or layers of skin that's been damaged,is how long you expect the healing process to take. Using a healing skin cream like an aloe or cocoa butter based cream will help,wearing protective clothing until the skin is healed,and using sunblock will prevent further damage. Sunburn damage effects the deeper skin layers,and never goes away. Take care. SW RNP

Answer 6

Aloe vera gel will reduce redness and prevent peeling, try to get some streight from the plant. Cut it open and squeeze it out. You can buy the plant at almost any greenhouse.

Answer 7

i have the exact problem! please write what ur gonna do cos im fed up of it!!

i am currently using some after sun, and washed my legs with water and vinegar. i dont know if it is helping.

Update: i feel good now. so try my method :) after before you sleep put a wet cloth on the burn and youll feel good immediatly :) gluck

Answer 8

lots of aloe vera and lotion. plus drink lots of water, it will get rid of the red, and reduce peeling. plus helps maintain the tan.

Answer 9

you can't get rid of a sunburn. you can only treat it until it heals on its own. until then you can ease the discomfort with aloe vera gel.

Answer 10

99.9% pure aloe vera - as obvious as it sounds - it works!