Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 5: Relieve pain and discomfort
• Part 2 of 5: Protect your skin from sunlight and further damage
• Part 3 of 5: Get medical attention
• Part 4 of 5: Treating blisters
• Part 5 of 5: Considering home remedies
• Tips
• Warnings

The sun, tanning beds and other sources of UV light can cause sunburn, or red, painful skin. Prevention is better than cure, especially if your skin has been permanently damaged, but there are remedies that can promote skin regeneration, prevent infections, and reduce pain.

To step

Part 1 of 5: Relieve pain and discomfort

1. Take a cool bath or a very gentle shower. Make sure the water is just not lukewarm (cool, but not so cold that your teeth will chatter) and relax for 10 to 20 minutes. When taking a shower, use a gentle jet of water. A hard jet can irritate your skin. Let your skin air dry or pat dry gently with a soft towel to avoid rubbing your skin.
   • Do not use soap, bath oil or other substances when taking a bath or shower. These products can irritate your skin and worsen the effects of the sunburn.
   • If blisters are forming on your skin, it is better to take a bath instead of a shower. The pressure of the shower spray can destroy your blisters.
2. Apply a cold, wet compress to your skin. Wet a washcloth or other piece of cloth with cold water and place it on the affected area for 20 to 30 minutes. Re-wet it as often as necessary.
3. Take an over-the-counter pain reliever. Over-the-counter pain relievers, such as ibuprofen or aspirin, can soothe pain and reduce inflammation.
   • Do not give aspirin to children. Instead, give a low dose of paracetamol and read the packaging to determine the correct amount. Children over 12 years old can also take ibuprofen. This is a good option as it has an anti-inflammatory effect. If your child is younger than 12, consult your doctor.
4. Try a topical pain reliever. Your doctor can prescribe a spray to soothe red, itchy skin. Sprays containing benzocaine or lidocaine have an anesthetic effect that can help relieve pain. Because these agents can cause an allergic reaction, it is best to test them first on an area that has not been burned. Wait a day to see if your skin starts to itch or turn red.
   • Do not use these sprays on children under the age of 2 without seeking advice from your doctor. Sprays containing methyl salicylate or trolamine salicylate can be dangerous for children 12 and under. Capsaicin can be dangerous for people 18 and under or anyone allergic to chilli.
5. Wear loose cotton clothing over the burned areas. A wide T-shirt and loose cotton pajama pants are ideal if you suffer from burnt skin. If you cannot wear loose-fitting clothes, make sure that the garments are at least made of cotton (that allows the skin to "breathe") and are as wide as possible.
   • Wool and synthetic fabrics can irritate the skin because it itches or retains heat.
6. Consider using a cortisone ointment. Cortisone ointment contains steroids that can reduce inflammation, although there is evidence that it has little effect on sunburn. If you think it's worth trying, you can ask your doctor to prescribe this ointment for you.
   • Do not use cortisone ointment on small children or on the face. Ask your pharmacist for advice if you have any doubts or concerns about using this ointment.
   • Cortisone ointment is only available on prescription in the Netherlands.

Part 2 of 5: Protect your skin from sunlight and further damage

1. Avoid exposure to the sun as much as possible. Rather stay in the shade, or cover the burned skin with clothing if you do need to be in the sun.
2. Put on sunscreen. Use a sunscreen with a factor of at least 30 when you go outside. Apply again every few hours. Also do this if you have been in the water, sweat very much or when it is stated on the packaging.
3. Drink lots of water. Sunburn can dry out your body, so it's important to combat this by drinking plenty of water while you recover. It is recommended that you drink 8 to 10 glasses of water per day during your recovery, with each glass containing 240 ml of water.
4. Apply an unscented moisturizing lotion to your skin when it starts to heal. If you no longer have open blisters and the redness of the burn has decreased slightly, you can safely use a moisturizer. For the next few days or weeks, liberally rub an oily, unscented moisturizing lotion onto your burned skin to reduce peeling and irritation.

Part 3 of 5: Get medical attention

1. Call 112 for severe symptoms. Call the emergency number if you or a friend has any of the following symptoms:
   • Too weak to stand
   • Confusion or inability to think clearly
   • Unconsciousness
2. Call your doctor if you see signs of heat stroke or dehydration. If you have the following symptoms after your skin burns, see a doctor as soon as possible. If the symptoms are very severe, call the emergency number instead of waiting for an appointment with your doctor.
   • Feeling weak
   • Fainting or dizziness
   • Headache or other pain that does not go away with the pain relief methods listed below
   • Rapid heartbeat or rapid breathing
   • Extreme thirst, inability to urinate or deep-set eyes
   • Pale, clammy or cold skin
   • Nausea, fever, chills, or rash
   • Pain in the eyes and hypersensitivity to light
   • Severe, painful blisters, especially if they are larger than 1 - 1.5 cm
   • Vomiting or diarrhea
3. Watch for signs of infection. If you experience the following symptoms, especially around a blister, the skin may be infected. Medical help is then very important.
   • Increased pain, swelling, redness, or warmth around the blister
   • Red streaks radiating from the blister
   • Fluid or pus flowing from the blister
   • Swollen lymph nodes in your neck, armpits, or groin
   • Fever
4. Call 112 for a third degree burn. It's possible, but rare, to get third-degree burns from the sun. If the skin looks charred, waxy and white, darker brown than the rest, or leathery and thickened, call 911 right away. Hold the burnt body part over your heart while you wait and try to keep clothing out of the wound so it doesn't stick without undressing.

Part 4 of 5: Treating blisters

1. Get medical attention. See your doctor right away if you have sunburn blisters. This is a sign of a serious sunburn that should be treated with personal medical advice, as the blisters increase your risk of infection. Follow the warnings and general advice below while waiting for your appointment or if your doctor does not recommend a specific treatment.
2. Leave the blisters intact. If the burn is severe, your skin may blister. Do not try to puncture them and avoid rubbing or scraping them. If a blister opens, it can become infected and scarring can occur.
   • If you really can't function when the blisters are whole, see your doctor and ask if he / she can puncture them in a safe, sterile way.
3. Protect the blisters with a clean bandage. Wash your hands with soap and water before applying or changing bandages to prevent infections. Small blisters can be covered with a bandage and larger ones you can cover with a bandage or sterile gauze that you gently tape with adhesive tape. Change the dressing daily until the blister has disappeared.
4. Get an antibiotic ointment if you see signs of infection. Ask your doctor for an antibiotic ointment (such as polymyxin B or bacitracin) for your blisters if you suspect an infection. Signs of an infection are a foul odor, yellow pus or additional redness and irritation around the blister. Ideally, you go to your doctor for a diagnosis and advice based on your symptoms.
   • Note that some people are allergic to these types of ointments, so test a small area that is not burned first to see how your skin reacts.
5. Treat a burst blister. Do not peel loose pieces of skin from broken blisters. They will fall off on their own soon enough. Don't risk irritating your skin even more.

Part 5 of 5: Considering home remedies

1. Use these resources at your own risk. The agents described below have not been fully scientifically proven and should not be used in place of regular medical treatment. There are also resources here not which can slow the healing process and cause infections. Do not use egg whites, peanut butter, petroleum jelly and vinegar.
2. Immediately apply an agent containing 100% aloe vera or pure aloe vera from a plant to the area. If you use this method right away and often, you can even get rid of the worst sunburn in a day or two.
3. Try tea. Put 3 or 4 tea bags in a jug of warm water. When the tea is almost black, remove the tea bags and let the liquid cool to room temperature. Gently pat the burned areas with a tea-soaked cloth. Put on as much as you want, but don't rinse. The more the better. If the cloth hurts, dab the burned areas with the tea bags themselves.
   • Do this before going to bed and leave it on all night.
   • Know that tea can stain your clothes and sheets.
4. Consider eating foods rich in antioxidants and vitamin C. If your skin is just burned (still red and not peeling), eat blueberries, tomatoes and cherries, for example. A study has shown that this causes your body to need less fluids, reducing the risk of dehydration.
5. Try calendula ointment. Calendula ointment is seen by some people as a very good remedy for severe burns with blisters. You can find it at the drugstore or health food store. Ask an employee for advice. Please note that no herbal remedy is suitable for the treatment of serious injuries. If you have severe burns or blisters that won't heal, see your doctor immediately.
6. Apply witch hazel lotion to your skin. This medicine can soothe painful skin. Apply it gently to the burned skin and leave it on.
7. Use egg oil (oleova). Egg oil is rich in omega 3 fatty acids such as docosahexaenoic acid. It also contains immunoglobulins (antibodies), xanthophylls (lutein and zeaxanthin) and cholesterol. The omega 3 fatty acids in egg oil are bound to phospholipids, which are able to form liposomes (nanoparticles). These particles can penetrate deep into the skin and heal the dermis.
   • Massage the damaged skin twice a day with egg oil. Gently massage the area for 10 minutes, including 2 to 3 centimeters of the skin around it. Do this twice a day.
   • Leave the egg oil on for at least 1 hour and avoid exposure to direct sunlight.
   • Wash the egg oil off your skin with a mild, pH-neutral shower gel. Do not use soap or other basic substances.
   • Repeat this twice a day until your skin is completely healed.

Tips

• Place a lukewarm cloth on the burnt areas.
• Sunburns have been linked to skin cancer later in life, especially if you get blisters from the burn. Check yourself regularly for signs of skin cancer, know about the other risk factors and ask your doctor for advice if necessary.
• Scientific research shows that aloe vera does not help with sunburn.
• Use a good sunscreen to avoid sunburn. Sunscreen helps to prevent sunburn. A good sunscreen has a protection factor of at least 30 to protect against sunburn. The protection factor, also referred to as SPF, indicates how strong a product protects the skin against damage from UVB radiation. However, a good sunscreen should also protect against UVA rays. UVA rays play a major role in sunburn, so it's important to use a good sunscreen with the best UVA protection. Apply the sunscreen to your skin 15 minutes before you go out into the sun.

Warnings

• Do not put ice on a sunburnt area. This can feel like the ice burns your skin again, which is almost as painful as the sunburn. This can damage your skin even more.
• Pay close attention to medications (including herbal remedies and essential oils) to see if they make you more sensitive to sunlight as a side effect.
• Do not pull, poke, scratch, or pull on the burned area. This causes even more irritation. By peeling off the burned skin, you will not conjure up brown skin and shedding will not go faster. It can cause an infection.
• Even if you tan in the sun and don't burn, it can damage the skin and you may be more likely to get some types of skin cancer.