With a lot of us making trips to the Coast and beaches, upcountry and generally sunny places we risk getting sunburns. However, what exactly is Sunburn? This describes burning of the skin due to prolonged exposure to the Sun’s UV rays. It is usually characterized by red, sometimes swollen and painful skin.
Sunburns vary from mild to severe. There is a myth that Dark skin people do not get sunburned. However Dark Skin people CAN and DO get sunburns. Dark skin people generally experience sunburn less frequently because melanin does in fact provide sun protection of up to an SPF13. And sometimes identifying sunburn in dark skin people can be a bit difficult.
In lighter skin people and Caucasians sunburn is quite obvious and is characterized by redness, swelling, blistering of the skin and peeling of the skin. In darker skin type the redness is less noticeable.
Other signs include:
- Increased warmth to the area
- Itchiness
- Pain and tenderness
- Tightness to the skin
- Sensitivity to touch
- Rash and tiny bumps
- Blistering (In severe cases)
- Peeling of the skin after a couple of days
How to Manage Sunburns
- Avoid further damage by avoiding exposure to sun
- Cool the skin with cooling sprays like Nivea sun moisturizing after sun cooling spray with aloe vera 200ml or Avene thermal spring water spray. DO NOT use ice.
Avene Thermal Spring Water 50ml
Nivea Sun Moisturizing After Sun Lotion
- Do not scrub the skin to get rid of the dead skin. This only aggravates the skin and makes it more sensitive
- Drink plenty of water and fluids to rehydrate
- Soothe the skin using aloe vera gel and creams containing it like Nivea Sun After Sun Nourishing Balm
- Use Over-The-Counter Topical steroids like Aveeno Hydrocortisone Cream
Nivea Sun After Sun Nourishing Balm
Aveeno Hydrocortisone Cream
You can also choose to use a broad spectrum sunscreen when going out into the sun like Cerave Hydrating Sunscreen, which you can find here. If symptoms persist or in case of severe sunburn kindly visit a dermatologist.
