Sunburn

Sunburn

As good as sunlight feels, all the warnings about sun exposure definitely put a damper on the old-fashioned pleasure of basking in a beach chair. If you’ve heeded the warnings and shifted away from sun-worshipping habits, you probably rub on the sunscreen before you head for the beach. Interest in your own comfort as well as medical warnings may influence you to sun yourself at cooler times of the day. And if you can’t remember the last time you had a truly uncomfortable searing from sunlight, you may feel like your skin is especially resistant to damaging rays.

But many people who have enjoyed the pleasures of sunning through their youth and middle age continue to bask when they’re in their sixties and older. Often, older people get sunburned because they still follow the outmoded idea that a tan symbolizes attractiveness, youth, and fitness, says Jonathan Weiss, M.D., dermatologist and assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. Or they think that the damage is already done because of sunburns they had earlier in life. But the fact is, everytime you go out in the sun without proper protection, you’re adding to any damage that the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays may have already done to your skin, says Dr. Weiss.

That damage can go way beyond the red, painful skin you sport. In addition to the immediate discomfort, sunburn increases your chances of developing skin cancer, not to mention worsening wrinkles. Photoaging, the result of unprotected sun exposure, leads to tough, leathery skin that can make you look 15 to 20 years older than you are. Along with aging your skin, UV radiation can harm your vision, leaving you at greater risk for problems like macular degeneration and cataracts.

As a rule, the best treatment for sunburn, of course, is not to get it in the first place, says Dr. Weiss. But if you happen to find your skin reddening after a few hours out in the sun, there’s plenty you can do to soothe those burns—and to make sure that you don’t get burned again.

Try This First

Preempt pain. When you know you’ve spent too much time in the sun, take aspirin or another nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) before you start feeling the burn, says Dr. Weiss. These over-the-counter medications offer two kinds of sunburn relief. They knock out pain and they reduce inflammation and swelling.

If taken soon enough, these drugs can help keep inflammation down and keep a sunburn from getting worse, says Dr. Weiss. He suggests taking the maximum dosage given by the package directions for 48 hours following the sunburn.

Other Wise Ways

Cool it. The best way to soothe sun-sizzled skin is to apply cool water as quickly as possible to prevent the sunburn from getting worse, says D’Anne Kleinsmith, M.D., staff dermatologist at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan. She recommends cold wet compresses and cool baths to bring down the heat of a sunburn. Do not apply ice, says Dr. Kleinsmith, because it could further injure the skin that’s already been irritated by sunburn.

Just add milk. Whole-milk compresses are an excellent remedy for any kind of burn, says John F. Romano, M.D., clinical associate professor of dermatology at New York Hospital–Cornell Medical Center in New York City.

Dip gauze or a clean washcloth into milk, lay it on your sunburned skin, and leave the compress in place for 20 minutes or so, suggests Dr. Romano. Repeat every two to four hours, using milk that’s room temperature or slightly cooler, but not ice-cold. Since milk leaves a residue that will soon have your skin smelling “sour,” rinse yourself off with cool water afterward, he adds.

Alleviate with aloe. Aloe vera gel is probably the most soothing treatment you can apply to a sunburn, says Dr. Weiss. Apply it as needed to alleviate the pain and dryness of sunburned skin.

You can buy bottles of the pure gel in health food stores. Or try growing the plants around your house, and then just slice open a leaf and slather on the gel when needed.

Make yourself moisturized. Bland moisturizers (those without fragrances or irritating ingredients) such as Cetaphil cream or Eucerin cream can comfort sun-damaged skin, says Dr. Weiss. Smoothing on cream after a cool bath helps to lock moisture into parched skin, he says. Also, moisturizers with menthol or eucalyptus can add a cooling sensation.

Soothe with hydrocortisone ointment. An over-the-counter hydrocortisone ointment, either 0.5 percent or 1 percent, may help keep down inflammation and swelling, according to Dr. Weiss. Ointments are preferable to hydrocortisone creams since creams can contain preservatives that can sting irritated or blistered skin. Apply as directed on the label.

Flush your system. If your skin swells from a sunburn, that causes you to lose fluids from the rest of your body. To replace that fluid, you need to drink lots of water. Dr. Weiss suggests you drink at least eight, eight-ounce glasses of water a day until the sunburn no longer gives off heat.

Practice prevention. Your first line of defense should be a sunscreen. Get in the habit of putting it on every morning. Dr. Weiss recommends the use of products with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15. Also, check the label to be sure that the lotion is designed to protect against both UVA (the deep-penetrating rays) and UVB (the sunburn-causing rays).

Dr. Weiss recommends looking for zinc oxide or titanium dioxide among the ingredients. These are inert, opaque compounds that block almost the entire spectrum of damaging rays, he says, without exposing you to the irritating effects of chemicals like para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) found in many other sunscreens.

Apply sunscreen liberally—use about the amount that would fill a shot glass—per application for the average-size person. Apply evenly on all exposed skin, including your lips, nose, ears, neck, scalp (if hair is thinning), hands, feet, and eyelids, taking care not to get the product in your eyes, says Dr. Weiss. Be sure to put the sunscreen on 30 minutes before you go out, he adds. It takes about that long before it will protect you fully.

Know when your time is up. If you are careful to reapply sunscreen after getting wet, you can safely stay outside as long as the sunscreen promises. For instance, if you use an SPF 15 sunscreen, you can stay outside 15 times longer without burning than you could while not wearing sunscreen. If you would begin to burn after 8 minutes with no sunscreen, you can stay out for 120 minutes without burning by wearing SPF 15 sunscreen. But you can’t “layer” sunscreen. Once your two hours is up, you can’t reapply more sunscreen and stay out for another 120 minutes. Also, wearing an SPF 15 and an SPF 30 sunscreen does not make for SPF 45, says Dr. Weiss.

Cover up. Loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirts and pants or long skirts provide the greatest protection from the sun’s rays. Tightly woven cloth is best, says Dr. Weiss. A simple rule of thumb is to hold the fabric up against the light: the closer the weave, the better the protection.

Don a hat and shades. Dressing for the sun should also always include a broad-brimmed hat and UV-protective sunglasses, says Dr. Weiss. He suggests a brim of about four inches all around and sunglasses that will block at least 99 percent of both UVA and UVB radiation.

Avoid peak exposure. Your chances of developing a sunburn are greatest between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., when the sun’s rays are strongest at all latitudes. The risk drops considerably before and after those times, says Dr. Weiss. It’s also easier to burn more severely on a hot day because the heat increases the effects of ultraviolet radiation. In addition, you’ll burn faster at high altitudes and in the mountains because there is less atmosphere to block ultraviolet rays, he adds.

Beware of clouds. People often discount the risk of getting sunburned on cloudy or overcast days. But you can’t let your guard down even when the sun is in hiding, says Dr. Weiss. Up to 80 percent of ultraviolet rays can penetrate the clouds.