Treating Sunburn

Your skin can burn if it gets too much sun without proper protection from sunscreen and clothes. To help heal and soothe stinging skin, it is important to begin treating sunburn as soon as you notice it. The first thing you should do is get out of the sun – and preferably indoors.

Once indoors, these dermatologists' tips can help relieve the discomfort:

• Put a cold, damp towel on your skin. Do this for 10 or 15 minutes a few times every day. That will help take some of the heat out of your skin.

• Use a moisturizer that contains aloe vera or soy to help soothe sunburned skin. Lotions that have something called aloe vera in them help make your skin feel better. Be careful not to use lotions or creams that have any of these things listed in the ingredients: petroleum, benzocaine, or lidocaine.

• Ask your parents about taking ibuprofen if the sunburn really hurts. This will help reduce any swelling, redness and discomfort.

• Drink extra water. Sunburn makes you get very dry inside, so you need to drink a lot. Drinking extra water when you are sunburned helps prevent dehydration.

• Leave blisters alone. If your skin blisters, don't pop them because that makes the sunburn worse.

• Tell your parents if you feel sick. They might need to take you to the doctor if you feel dizzy, weak, sick to your stomach, cold, or just not yourself.

• Take extra care to protect sunburned skin while it heals. Wear clothing that covers your skin when outdoors.

Although it may seem like a temporary condition, sunburn – a result of skin receiving too much exposure from the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays – can cause long-lasting damage to the skin.

Read the full article from the American Academy of Dermatology here