How to Soothe a Sunburn

By eHow Health Editor

Rate: (14 Ratings)

Ouch! You fell asleep on the beach and now you're in some serious pain. The sun bakes your skin just as a fire does, and when you expose your skin for too long, it will burn. Here's how to soothe those lobster-red body parts.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Hat And Protective Clothing
Loose-fitting Pajamas
Tea Bags
Aloe Vera Plant Or Gel
Aspirin, ibuprofen or acetaminophen

Step1

Bathe or shower in cool water to bring down your overall body temperature. Soak for 10 to 15 minutes.

Step2

Peel the skin from an aloe vera leaf and gently lay on the burn. Or, apply 100 percent aloe vera gel to soothe the pain and promote healing.

Step3

Aspirin, ibuprofen or acetaminophen can ease the stinging and swelling somewhat (see Warning).

Step4

If your legs or arms are sunburned, keep them elevated.

Step5

If your eyelids are burned, place chilled, damp tea bags over them to soothe them.

Step6

Sleep in loose-fitting pajamas or nothing to reduce pain.

Step7

Stay out of the sun for several days while your skin heals, or at least keep sunburned body parts covered up with a hat and protective clothing.

Step8

If you experience blistering, fever, chills or weakness as a result of your sunburn, contact your doctor. Do not pop the blisters or apply lotions or gels to them.

Step9

In the future, follow the "slip, slop, slap" rule: Slip on a longsleeved shirt, slop on some broad-spectrum sunscreen (15 SPF or higher), and slap on a hat and sunglasses whenever you're going outside, especially between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun's strongest. Use 25 SPF or higher if you'll be exposed for an extended period or are fair-skinned. Reapply sunscreen liberally every 1 to 2 hours (more frequently if you are swimming or sweating).

Tips & Warnings

Be sparing in the application of lotions, gels or oils on a sunburn. They can seal the heat into the skin and prevent it from cooling. Never put butter on a burn.
Never give aspirin to children.
Visit a dermatologist if you develop any odd skin conditions after spending time in the sun. It might be an early sign of skin cancer.
Avoid sunburn sprays containing benzocaine, which irritates some skin types.

Comments

roopasekhar said

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on 6/9/2007 applying aloe vera gel would help to soothe the burn, and rubbing fresh tomato juice on the sunburn will help the skin return to its normal colour.

Anonymous said

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on 8/8/2006 Aloe vera gel works. Also, a plain, white, loose fitting, T-shirt works great. And in the shower, try not to put the burned area directly under the water from the shower head.

Anonymous said

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on 8/1/2006 If you get a sunburn, get a towel and soak it in cold water and apply to the burned areas.

Anonymous said

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on 6/30/2006 Vaseline will immediately do the trick for a long time; if you would rather not take a cold bath.

Anonymous said

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on 6/30/2006 An excellent tip to help take the pain out of a serious or minor sunburn: Mix 2 cups water and 2 cups milk in a bowl. Wet a washcloth or towel with the formula, and gently place over the burnt area for about 15 to 30 minutes. Nice and cooling, however, it is not necessarily a cure. But, it can help to heal the burn a little faster.

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