Sun Burns?

Sun is fun definitely a mantra which never goes wrong. Playing on the beach, reading a book poolside or just taking a walk on a sunny day are one of the biggest anti-depressant in this hectic life schedule. You spend your weekend with the sun fun formula and the next morning you see your skin with a cinnamon glow. Yes, you have a sunburn.

Sunburn hurts you more than one ways, it’s not only the short term redness, itching, swelling or discomfort. The sunburn might fade but the damage lasts much longer. Sunburn accelerates skin ageing and is also the major cause of skin cancers. Sunburn is a bad news but the good news is it is preventable.

What is Sunburn?

Sunburn is an inflammatory reaction to your skin’s outermost layer by the UV rays. The outermost layer of the skin is made up of melanin. It defends the most unprotected layer of the skin by darkening it. For people with less amount of melanin in their skin, sunburn causes inflammation to the skin cells. Skin type determines your susceptibility to sunburn, people with fair skin are prone to sunburn. But that is not a standard rule even if you are just tan or your skin type is darker still you are at the risk of getting skin cancer. The sun varies from day to day and from season to season, but even a low intensity sun is harmful to skin.

Who all are at risk?

Fair skin people are at greater risk of developing skin cancer. UV rays can also alter the tumor suppressing gene in skin. People who work or play in sun are also at a greater risk of developing skin cancer. It’s not necessary that the first sunburn will lead to skin cancer but recurrent sunburns or blistering can eventually lead to skin cancer.

Sunburn Treatment

If you near a pool or lake, take a dip into the pool in order to provide cool compression to the sunburn. Don’t stay in pool for too long in order to cut the skin exposure. Cover the damaged area with cold compression and dry the skin. While the skin is damp, try applying water based moisturizer. Avoid using oil based or petroleum based moisturizer which eventually traps heat and causes more burn. Try replenishing your body fluids by frequent use of juices and water. Avoid using canned juice which has preservatives at it can add on the itching and inflammation. For inflammation relief you can try using OTC drugs for inflammation relief under your doctor’s consultation. Your skin will heal but the real damage is done. Repeat sun burns put you at a substantial risk for
skin cancer and premature skin aging. Don’t just feel the burn, learn from your burn.