Soak for 15–20 minutes, making sure that the water is cool yet not too cold — adding ice to the bath may feel pretty good, but it can cause your system to go into shock. Immediately post-sunburn, do not use soap or scrub your skin — it can irritate the skin and/or further dry it out.
If you have an actual aloe plant in your garden, break off a leaf and apply the thick inner gel/juice directly to sunburned skin. Make sure you test a small area of your skin first, however — aloe allergies are fairly common. Alternatively, buy a bottle of pure aloe gel from a pharmacy. For best effects, place the gel in the refrigerator and apply it after it becomes cool. There is conflicting evidence as to whether aloe speeds up the healing process. In at least one study, it was actually shown to slow healing.
Alternatively, buy some finely ground oatmeal (sold as colloidal oatmeal in drug stores) and mix it in liberally with cool water in the tub before taking a bath. You can make your own finely ground oatmeal by pulverizing a cup of instant or slow-cooking oatmeal in a blender, food processor or coffee grinder until it has a smooth, fine consistency. For smaller sunburned areas, place a handful of dry oatmeal in a square of gauze and soak it in cold water for a few minutes. Then apply the home-made compress to the burn for 20 minutes every couple of hours.
If the sunburn is particularly painful, consider applying some hydrocortisone cream. A low-dose (less than 1%) hydrocortisone cream is helpful for quickly reducing pain and swelling. Don’t use creams that contain benzocaine or lidocaine — they can cause allergy in some people and make the sunburn worse. Furthermore, don’t use butter, petroleum jelly (Vaseline), or other oil-based products on sunburned skin — they can trap the heat in your body, making your sunburn worse. [6] X Research source Sunburn pain tends to be worse between six to 48 hours after sun exposure. [7] X Research source
Because sunburn draws fluid to the skin’s surface and away from the rest of the body, keep on the lookout for symptoms of dehydration: dry mouth, excessive thirst, reduced urination, dark-colored urine, headache, dizziness and/or sleepiness. Small children are especially vulnerable to dehydration (they have a greater surface area of skin compared to their weight), so check with your doctor if they appear ill or are acting strange after getting sunburned.
Look for creams, lotions or gels that contain NSAIDs or pain relievers — this is a potentially quicker way to get relief from the medication. Keep in mind that aspirin should not be taken by children or teenagers under 18 due to the risk of Reye’s Syndrome, a potentially fatal condition.
Second degree sunburns heal within 10–21 days, typically without any scarring. Third degree sunburns often need skin grafts to heal and always leave scarring. [15] X Research source Other reasons to see a doctor after a sunburn include symptoms of dehydration (see above) or heat exhaustion (heavy sweating, faintness, fatigue, weak but rapid pulse, low blood pressure and headache). [16] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source For children, as a general guideline, seek medical attention if a blistering sunburn covers 20% or more of their body (a child’s whole back, for example). [17] X Research source
Change the bandages one to two times daily (if accessible), but remove them carefully so as to minimize further damage. Also, change the bandage immediately if it gets accidentally wet or dirty. When the blisters do break open, apply an antibiotic ointment to the area and cover loosely with another clean bandage. One or more blistering sunburns in childhood or adolescence doubles the risk of developing melanoma (a form of skin cancer) later in life. [19] X Research source
Colloidal silver solution, which can be purchased at many health food stores or made at home, is also a powerful antibiotic and much less expensive and problematic than silver sulfadiazine cream. [21] X Research source Pour some colloidal silver into a sterile spray bottle and mist it over your burned skin, then let it dry before covering with bandages. If your doctor thinks widespread infection is a strong possibility due to your severe sunburn, they might prescribe a short-course of oral antibiotics to be on the safe side. Be aware that some antibiotics can cause photosensitivity, worsening chances of sunburn again — make sure you are staying out of the sun. If your sunburn is severe enough, your doctor may recommend oral steroid therapy (pills) for several days in order to combat the inflammation and pain.
