Sunburn - Protecting yourself from it
What is sunburn? It is when the skin is burned because of extended exposure to UV (ultraviolet) radiation. Most of the time, this happens from the sun. However, you can also get sunburn from other exposure of UV rays which can occur from tanning beds as well.
Sunburn is most certainly not safe for you. It can be dangerous to your life and is one of the leading causes of cancer. You can prevent yourself from getting this by using sunblock, wearing clothing and even hats. You can limit your exposure to the sun, especially by staying out of it during its strongest points during the day. The only cure for sunburn is to wait out the healing process. You can ease the pain by using aloe creams, but they don’t make it go away entirely. If you have a blistering sunburn, it is best not to use anything that may cause it to become infected. You may want to take some ibuprofen to help relieve the pain as well. You may also want to try to lay a cool, wet cloth over the affected area to help cool it down quickly. Although temporary, it will ease the pain at least for a little while.
You may not realize that you have sunburn right away. Most of the time, your skin won’t turn red until two to six hours after the exposure. The pain usually kicks in about six to forty eight hours afterwards and the burn continues to develop for about one to three days afterwards. You will also find that your skin will begin to peel after a sunburn, and this usually happens about three to eight days after the burn. Sunburn can be minor to severe. Minor usually cause nothing more than a slight redness to the skin and tenderness to the area. In more serious cases, blistering can occur which is very painful and not safe.
Here is some helpful information besides what you’ve read on this site already at home. The best way to prevent sunburn from occurring is to wear sunscreen and wear it properly. Let it absorb your skin. Your sunscreen should have an SPF of at least 15 if not higher. Apply it a half hour before going out into the sun and reapply it every two hours after. If at all possible, avoid being out in the sun between the times of 10:00am and 3:00pm as this is when the sun’s rays are strongest. If you are not wearing sunscreen, try to wear hats or even use an umbrella when you’re out in the sun.