While sunlight is essential for the proper functioning of the human body, it unfortunately also poses many health risks. Overexposure to sunlight can result in sunburn. So, how can we counteract sunburn using home remedies?
What is Sunburn?
Sunburn is nothing more than one of the harmful consequences of sun exposure. It occurs when the amount of UV radiation reaching the skin exceeds the protective abilities of melanin. People with fair skin are the most susceptible to sunburn, which most commonly develops on the face, neckline, arms, lower abdomen, and inner thighs.
Sunburns are divided into three degrees:
- First-degree sunburn: the most common type of burn, characterized by intense skin redness, burning, pain, touch sensitivity, and swelling. It affects the surface of the epidermis.
- Second-degree sunburn: less common, it affects the epidermis and the dermis. It is accompanied by blisters, fever, intense burning, and abundant serous discharge.
- Third-degree sunburn: the rarest form, damage extends to all three layers of skin, nerves, and subcutaneous tissue. Symptoms include the sensation of dead skin and a lack of feeling in the burn area.
What to use for sunburn?
Mild cases of sunburn can be treated independently. First and foremost, you should begin by cooling the burned area. Cold towels soaked in cold water work best for this. The cold reduces redness and relieves pain.
It's a good idea to use panthenol spray or after-sun balms that contain menthol and allantoin. These substances have a moisturizing, cooling effect, and also improve the lipid barrier of the epidermis. Additionally, supplementation with vitamins E and C is important – these will regenerate damaged skin.
Home remedies for sunburn
Natural methods accelerate the regeneration process of sunburned skin. Home remedies for sunburn include:
- Aloe: has strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Usually, the juice squeezed from live aloe is used. Aloe creams can also be used.
- Apple cider vinegar: a bath in apple cider vinegar prevents infection and reduces skin inflammation.
- Oatmeal: oat flakes have anti-inflammatory properties, reduce swelling, and alleviate pain. After soaking, they should be applied to the burned skin.
- Cold yogurt, kefir, buttermilk, or sour milk compresses: they draw out high body temperature, restore the skin's proper pH, moisturize, and create a layer that protects the body from harmful microbial activities.
- Tomato or cucumber compresses: tomatoes contain lycopene – an antioxidant that effectively extracts heat from the burned area.
If the sunburn affects a child, in addition to the above methods, it is also worth applying onion and garlic extracts. These have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects. It is advisable to avoid the sun until the redness and other symptoms of the burn have subsided.
Solar Urticaria
Sun allergies are often confused with sunburn because they have similar symptoms. Characteristic symptoms of sun allergies include:
- Itchy, red spots
- Bumps
- Blisters with discharge
- Itchiness, which can be very intense
A type of sun allergy of unknown origin is solar urticaria. How can you recognize it? Solar urticaria is characterized by:
- Sudden appearance of symptoms after exposure to the sun
- Red, itchy wheals on the skin, which resemble nettle burns
- The changes last a few hours, are itchy, and disappear spontaneously
Phototoxic reactions can also often occur, resulting from the interaction between sunlight and applied drugs or cosmetics. They are manifested by:
- Reddened skin
- Skin changes that resemble burns
- Occurrence on the skin of the face and body
The simplest way to deal with sun allergies is to simply avoid the sun, and to use available protective methods, such as: UV filters, head coverings, wearing breezy clothes that cover the arms and legs. Additionally, if the symptoms are severe, consider supplementing with products that have antihistamine properties – colostrum and quercetin work great in this case.
