Look Young Again!

Home :: Skin Disorders :: Sunburn

Highlighting Muss Sunburn Treatments

In some cases, skin aliments can develop due to an individual’s body reacting to an excess in its system, or due to an allergic reaction, and they are other times when the environment is the culprit and plays a key role. The thing to remember is that if you have unexplained rash, growth or blemish on your skin, seek medical attention.

Sunburn is a burn caused by overexposure to ultraviolet light (UV) that can be found naturally in the sun’s rays. It can also be caused by overexposure to other sources of UV rays such as sun lamps and tanning beds. They are times when an individual will not even realize that they have Sunburn until hours later when the skin becomes red and is warm to the touch.

Who can get them?

Anyone can get Sunburn. It is common in young adults. Younger children and the elderly are also at risk for Sunburn, since their skin is especially sensitive to the sun’s rays. It also occurs more frequently in light-skinned individuals more than individuals with darker skin tones.

What can cause them?

Sunburn happens when the exposure to ultraviolet light is greater than the level of Melanin in a person’s skin. Melanin is the substance that gives a person its skin color; it also acts as a sunscreen to protect against ultraviolet light.

How does it happen?

When an individual is exposed over a long period of time to harmful ultraviolet rays, the body’s Melanin can’t handle the additional exposure and sunburn occurs. Darker individuals have more Melanin in their skin that is why it takes longer for them to get sunburned.

Where do they appear?

Sunburn can appear anywhere on the body that has been exposed to ultraviolet rays.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms of Sunburn may not be immediately obvious to the individual. After two to six hours of being exposed, an individual’s skin will become red and inflamed; it will also be warm to the touch. The person may also experience a great deal of pain, as moving around becomes more difficult. This skin condition will reach its peak about seventy-two hours after exposure. After a couple of days, the skin begins to peel. An individual may also experience a fever, chills, and tenderness of the skin. In severe instances blistering and first and second degree burns can occur.

How can it be diagnosed?

Sunburn can be easily diagnosed by the redness of the individual’s skin, and a brief look at their recent activities. In most cases, a person does not need to seek medical attention, unless they are experiencing a high fever or blisters begin to appear on the skin. If a young child should get sunburned, as a precaution they should be taken to a doctor. If doctor is uncertain, a skin biopsy can be done to confirm the diagnosis of sunburn.

What treatments are available for Sunburn?

They are many treatments available to an individual with Sunburn. First, if you are going to be outside for a long period of time, you should wear long sleeves and use a hat or umbrella. You should bear in mind, that you can get sunburned even on an overcast day, the sun’s rays still reach the earth. You should also always apply a sunscreen that has a SPF of at least fifteen before going out and reapply it every two hours; this will provide your skin with extra protection.

The main treatments for sunburn include using a topical moisturizers made with aloe to soothe the area, and provide some relief. Taking cool baths can also help with the pain. Ibuprofen can be taken to reduce the pain. To prevent dehydration a person should drink lots of fluids. If the sunburn had developed into blisters, an antibiotic cream may be prescribed to help prevent a secondary infection. The main thing is to try and keep the individual as comfortable as possible.

While Sunburn can be painful and uncomfortable most times it is not at all serious. The major problem with continuous exposure to ultraviolet rays is the increase change of getting skin cancer in the future. While getting a tan might seem like a nice thing, the prolong effects can be more damaging for an individual.