Ouch! Ouch! You went to the beach and rolled back red as a lobster. And it hurts. Here are some techniques to get rid of this nasty ailment. But remember in future: prevention is better than cure- so rub in that lotion!


Steps

1. Get out of the sun! Some people think once you're burned it can't get worse. It can and it does! If you couldn't feel it, your dead skin would start falling off!
2. Use the succulent aloe vera plant. Cut it down the length of the leaf and open it, revealing the inner portion of it. Rub the clear gelatinous part, over the burned area. Repeat as often as you like. This is better than most aloe vera treatments that you can purchase, because it's clear and you know what's in it. Use very mild lotion before bed at night to help keep the skin moisturized.
3. Wear loose-fitting cotton clothing that will not irritate the affected areas. Other materials, especially man-made ones like polyester, can rub harshly against the skin and make a burn feel much worse. If it is summer vacation and you are able to stay at home, do so, and wear as little clothing as possible to keep it from hurting your skin. Try putting a soft cotton blanket over the couch or bed to keep your skin from rubbing against upholstery.
4. Use an anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen to take the pain out of the burn and help with skin inflammation.
5. Use a cool, damp cloth and rest it on the spots where you are burned; it will help keep you cool and reduce the burning feeling.
6. Drink lots of water. When you have a sunburn, you get dehydrated easily.
7. Bathe with cool water and avoid soap on the affected area, which can cause irritation.
8. You can also try taking a bath with green tea. The tannin in the tea draws out some of the pain and can soothe the redness.

Tips

• DO NOT pick, poke, or peel your sunburn. This will cause even more irritation. By picking off the layer of sunburn, you're NOT going to uncover a tan, and you're NOT going to make the "peeling" process go faster. So let it heal itself!
• The first shower you take after getting the burn, rinse the area with warm, NOT HOT, water. This opens the pores and releases the trapped heat in your skin. Keep the area cool afterwards.
• It's a good idea to purchase a waterproof sunscreen and apply it liberally whether you think you'll be going in the water or not. This is to assure you're prepared for those "just in case" situations like a spontaneous dip in the pool or the jokester who thinks its funny to saturate the beach side observer.
• Avoid wool or synthetics with sun-burn. You'll be most comfortable with no clothing on the affected area.
• Aloe Vera Gel is often effective, and feels especially soothing when previously cooled in a refrigerator. However, an Aloe Vera plant when split open and rubbed on the burn is more effective than gels.
• When resting a cool damp cloth on your burns, keep it there for 20 minutes.
• If you have a terrible sunburn and Aloe Vera doesn't seem to soothe it much, then try using Calamine lotion.
• If you have open blisters on your burns, the best thing for it is to apply Bacitracin, 2 times a day. This will help with the healing and to reduce the chance in getting an infection.
• If you don't know what else to do have a cool shower which can bring down the heat on your burn.

Warnings

• While sunburn is linked to melanoma (the most deadly form of skin cancer), regular sun exposure that doesn't result in burning still causes skin damage and increases your risk of other types of skin cancer.
• It is possible, though rare, to have third-degree burns from the sun. If you suspect this might have happened, see a doctor immediately.
• Because sunburns aren't the only problems the sun can cause, you should also check for symptoms of heat exhaustion.
• Pay close attention to any medications (including herbal remedies and essential oils) for many of them have side-effects which include increased sun sensitivity.
• DO NOT take a hot shower when you have a sunburn. ( The pain will increase)
• Avoid using any creams or sprays with Benzocaine on your burns. The Benzocaine may irritate your skin, therefore you will become itchy.
• When you have a sunburn, you shouldn’t use petroleum jelly. This product holds in the heat, thus increasing the pain for you.
• DO NOT break the skin or peel the dead skin off. This will cause more pain for you.
• Just because you have a sunburn doesn’t mean that you can’t get an even worse burn. So, while you have it, the smartest thing to do would be to not go out in the sun. (Going out in the sun will also make the burn hurt more.)
• DO NOT put ice on a sun burn. A good majority of people think it helps but applying ice to a sun burn is just like getting an "ice burn" which can be almost as painful as sunburn besides it only cools down the areas AROUND the burn.
• Be careful of applying vinegar to open cuts or to areas that have been recently shaved. Vinegar will "burn" if applied to these areas.