Sunburn often occurs when a person is exposed to the sun for too long. Not only disturbing appearance, this condition also causes a burning feeling in the skin. To overcome this, there are several simple ways that can be done to treat sunburned skin.
sunburned skin or sunburn is a skin condition that occurs as a result of overexposure to UV rays from the sun. This condition usually appears within a few hours after being in the sun too long without using sunscreen or closed clothing.
When experiencing sunburn, the skin will be red, slightly swollen, itchy, and feel warm and painful to the touch. In some cases, sunburned skin can even experience severe damage, such as blistering and peeling.
Various Ways to Overcome Sunburned Skin
Treatment of sunburned skin aims to relieve the symptoms that appear. When your skin is experiencing this condition, try some of the following ways to relieve the symptoms you feel and help the skin's recovery process:
1. Apply a cold compress to the skin
Sunburned skin will generally experience inflammation characterized by redness. Well, one easy way to deal with this inflammation is to compress it using a cold towel for 10-15 minutes.
Cold towel compresses can be made by dipping a towel in cold water or ice water. Apply cold compresses several times a day.
2. Soak with natural ingredients
In addition to cold compresses, you can also treat sunburned skin by bathing or soaking in cold water for 15 minutes. However, avoid soaking in pools that contain chlorine because it can irritate the skin even more.
To help overcome sunburn, you can also put some natural ingredients into the bath to soak. The following are some of the natural ingredients in question:
- Whole grain, to reduce itching on burned skin.
- Apple cider vinegar, to restore the skin's pH balance and speed up the healing process.
- Baking soda, to remove redness and relieve irritation.
- Essential oils, such as chamomile or lavender, to help reduce pain or burning on sunburned skin.
Avoid rubbing the skin while bathing or after. Simply dry the affected area by gently patting the skin with a towel.
3. Use natural ingredients in the kitchen
There are many natural ingredients in the kitchen that you can use to treat sore and peeling skin from sunburn, including cucumber, aloe vera, honey, and olive oil and sesame oil.
These ingredients contain natural antioxidants, painkillers, and anti-inflammatories that can restore the condition of skin that is injured and damaged by sunburn.
How to use it is quite simple, you just need to cool the cucumber or aloe vera, then puree it in a blender and apply it directly on the skin for a few minutes. Meanwhile, honey and oil can be directly applied to the skin.
4. Drink more water
When your skin is sunburned, it will look drier. Not only that, you are also at risk of becoming dehydrated.
Therefore, try to drink more water or fruit juices to replace lost body fluids. With adequate body fluids, sunburned skin will also be hydrated and recover faster.
5. Use drugs
If you experience unbearable pain or stinging, you can relieve it by taking pain relievers such as ibuprofen or paracetamol.
In addition, you can also use topical medications such as corticosteroids to relieve inflammation of the skin. However, the use of these drugs should be consulted with a doctor first.
In addition to the methods above, you can also do the following things to relieve complaints: sunburn and accelerate the healing of the skin when sunburned:
- Use moisturizer when the skin is experiencing sunburn started to peel off.
- Wear clothes made of soft materials that cover the skin when doing outdoor activities until the skin is experiencing sunburn fully recovered.
- Avoid squeezing the blisters that appear to prevent infection. If the blister breaks, clean it with water and gently pat it dry with a soft cloth.
- Avoid cleaning sunburned skin with harsh chemical soaps, such as soaps that contain fragrances and antibacterials.
Sunburned skin is really uncomfortable, right? So, so that it doesn't happen again, you should take preventive steps when you want to move in the hot sun.
Don't forget to regularly use sunscreen with SPF 30 or more before going outside. Also avoid direct sunlight by wearing long sleeves, hats with wide brim, and sunglasses that have UV protection.
Sunburn is a fairly common condition and usually heals within a week. Nevertheless, sunburn should not be taken for granted.
Burns to the skin from intense and repeated sunburn can cause more skin damage. This skin damage can trigger the appearance of wrinkles, dark spots, and increase the risk of skin cancer.
Therefore, immediately take care when your skin is sunburned. Do not hesitate to consult a doctor, if sunburned skin causes severe blisters, feels very painful, swollen, accompanied by fever, or does not improve.