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Sunburn happens when you have been exposed to sunlight for a long time without any kind of protection and, therefore, the first thing to do, as soon as you notice the appearance of a burn, is to look for a covered place that has shade to cool the skin and apply sunscreen to prevent the absorption of more UV rays.
This will prevent the burn from worsening and the appearance of blisters on the skin, which can increase pain, burning and discomfort, in addition to the risk of infection if the blisters burst.
In addition, it is indicated that, as soon as possible, the person returns home and initiates the necessary care with burnt skin, which includes taking a bath with cold water, to completely cool the affected region, and applying ointments or creams after sun , to decrease discomfort and facilitate healing.
Best sunburn creams and ointments
Some options of creams and ointments that can be applied to the skin in case of sunburn are:
- Creams based on diphenhydramine hydrochloride, calamine or camphor, such as Caladryl or Calamyn;
- Bepantol liquid or ointment;
- Creams with 1% cortisone, such as Diprogenta or Dermazine;
- Water paste;
- After sun lotion in cream or gel based on aloe vera / aloe.
In order for healing to happen more quickly, products should be applied according to the packaging recommendations.
In addition, when caring for burned skin, it is important to increase your water intake, avoid the sun and wear loose clothing to relieve discomfort, in addition to not bursting the bubbles that may arise and not removing the skin that may begin to develop. let go.
To combat itchiness and discomfort more effectively, you can apply cold towels or take an ice bath before applying any cream on the areas that are burning or that are red. The use of ice packs to cool the skin or relieve itching is contraindicated, as it can worsen the burn.
Care to accelerate healing
To speed up the healing of burned skin, it is important during recovery to protect the skin from the sun, avoiding sun exposure, especially in the hottest hours of the day, wearing sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses.
In addition, after complete recovery, care must be taken that this fact does not occur again, since the chances of having a skin cancer doubles when having more than 5 sunburns. Check out 8 tips to take care of your skin in the summer and avoid burns.
When to go to the doctor
It is recommended to go to the emergency room if the burn has very large blisters, or if the person has a fever, chills, headache or difficulty in thinking, as these are signs that can indicate heat stroke, a condition that needs medical treatment. Better understand what heat stroke is and how it is treated.
Created by: Tua Saúde Editorial Team
Bibliography>
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- ANN EPIDEMIOL. Sunburns and risk of cutaneous melanoma, does age matter: a comprehensive meta-analysis. 2010. Available at:. Accessed on Sep 23, 2020
- PEDIATR NURS. The evidence on how to best treat sunburn in children: a common treatment dilemma. 2008. Available at:. Accessed on Sep 23, 2020
- NHS. Sunburn. Available in: . Accessed on Sep 23, 2020