Do you ever have sunburn in your life? me too. And its really hurt.
If you have sunburn, you should avoid direct sunlight by covering up the affected areas of skin and staying in the shade until the sunburn has healed.
Protecting your skin from the sun with sunscreen is better than treating it. Read information about sun protection for eyes and skin including more advice about sunscreen and how to apply it.
Most cases of sunburn can be treated at home. Advice for treating sunburn is outlined below.
Water
Cool the skin by sponging it with lukewarm water or by having a cool shower or bath. Applying a cold compress, such as a cold flannel, to the affected area will also cool your skin.
Drinking plenty of fluids will help you to cool down and will replace water that is lost through sweating. It will also help to prevent dehydration (when the normal water content in your body is reduced, causing thirst and light-headedness).
Avoid drinking alcohol because it will dehydrate you even more.
Moisturiser
For mild sunburn, apply a moisturising lotion or aftersun cream, available at pharmacies. Aftersun cream will cool your skin and moisturise it, helping to relieve the feeling of tightness.
Moisturisers that contain aloe vera will also help to soothe your skin. Calamine lotion can relieve any itching or soreness.
Hydrocortisone cream
Sunburn may also be treated by applying 1% hydrocortisone cream to the affected area. This type of cream contains a corticosteroid and is rubbed directly onto the sunburned area of skin to reduce pain and inflammation (swelling).
Hydrocortisone cream should not be used on children who are under two years old.
Do not apply it to certain parts of the body, including:
- the face
- genitals
- broken or infected skin
Seek advice from your pharmacist before you start using hydrocortisone cream to treat sunburn.
Painkillers
Painkillers can help to relieve the pain and reduce the inflammation that is caused by sunburn.
Paracetamol can be used to treat pain and control fever. Ibuprofen is a type of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug(NSAID), which can relieve pain, reduce inflammation and lower a high temperature.
Aspirin should not be given to children who are under 16 years old.
Severe sunburn
Severe cases of sunburn may require special burn cream and burn dressings. Ask your pharmacist for advice. You may need to have your burns dressed by a nurse at your GP surgery.
Very severe sunburn cases may require treatment at your localaccident and emergency (A&E) department.
Seeking medical help
If a baby or small child has been sunburned, or if blisters or a fever develop, seek medical advice from your GP
A sunburn is a burn to living tissue, such as skin, which is produced by overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, commonly from the sun's rays. Usually, normal symptoms in humans and other animals consist of red or reddish skin that is hot to the touch, general fatigue, and mild dizziness. An excess of UV radiation can be life-threatening in extreme cases. Exposure of the skin to lesser amounts of UV radiation will often produce a suntan.
Excessive UV radiation is the leading cause of primarily non-malignant skin tumors.[1][2] Sunscreen is widely agreed to prevent sunburn, although some scientists argue that it may not effectively protect against malignant melanoma, which either is caused by a different part of the ultraviolet spectrum or is not caused by sun exposure at all.[3][4] Clothing, including hats, is considered the preferred skin protection method. Moderate sun tanning without burning can also prevent subsequent sunburn, as it increases the amount of melanin, a skin photoprotectant pigment that is the skin's natural defense against overexposure. Importantly, both sunburn and the increase in melanin production are triggered by direct DNA damage. When the skin cells' DNA is damaged by UV radiation, type I cell-death is triggered and the skin is replaced.[5] Malignant melanoma may occur as a result of indirect DNA damage if the damage is not properly repaired. Proper repair occurs in the majority of DNA damage. The only cure for sunburn is slow healing, although some skin creams can help with the symptoms.
Sunburn is caused by UV radiation, either from the sun or from artificial sources, such as welding arcs, the lamps used in sunbeds, and ultraviolet germicidal irradiation. It is a reaction of the body to the direct DNA damage, which can result from the excitation of DNA by UV-B light. This damage is mainly the formation of a thymine dimer. The damage is recognized by the body, which then triggers several defense mechanisms, including DNA repair to revert the damage and increased melanin production to prevent future damage. Melanin transforms UV-photons quickly into harmless amounts of heat without generating free radicals, and is therefore an excellent photoprotectant against direct and indirect DNA damage.
The pain may be caused by overproduction of a protein called CXCL5, which activates nerve fibres[6].
Experiments with mice found that protection against sunburn by chemical sunscreens does not necessarily provide protection against other damaging effects of UV radiation such as enhanced melanoma growth.[7]
Ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation causes dangerous sunburns and increases the risk of two types of skin cancer: basal-cell carcinomaand squamous cell carcinoma.[1][2]
Some exposure to sunlight is not only harmless but positively necessary to health. Humans need vitamin D; most is synthesised in the body by exposure of the skin to sunlight, with some from the diet. People with darker skins need more sunlight to maintain vitamin D levels. The widespread concern about over-exposure to the sun causing cancer has led some people to go too far in avoiding exposure and using sunscreen; this can lead to vitamin D deficiency and the condition of rickets due to this deficiency, particularly in children, and particularly in climates with less sunshine. Cases of rickets are, indeed, on the increase. Twenty to thirty minutes of unimpeded exposure to the sun two to three times a week are recommended. [8]
The statement sunburn causes skin cancer is accurate when it refers to either basal-cell carcinoma, the mildest form of cancer, or squamous cell carcinoma. But the statement is false when it comes to malignant melanoma (see picture: UVR sunburn melanoma)[citation needed]. The statistical correlation between sunburn and melanoma is due to a common cause — UV radiation. However, they are generated via two different mechanisms: Direct DNA damage is ascribed by many medical doctors to a change in behaviour of the sunscreen user due to a false sense of security afforded by the sunscreen. Other researchers blame insufficient correction for confounding factors: light-skinned individuals versus indirect DNA damage.[clarification needed]
Topically applied sunscreen blocks UV rays as long as it does not penetrate into the skin. This prevents sunburn, suntanning, and skin cancer. If the sunscreen filter is absorbed into the skin, it prevents sunburn, but increases the amount of free radicals, which in turn increases the risk for malignant melanoma. The harmful effect of photo-excited sunscreen filters on living tissue has been shown in many photo-biological studies.[9][10][11][12] Whether sunscreen prevents or promotes the development of melanoma depends on the relative importance of the protective effect from the topical sunscreen versus the harmful effects of the absorbedsunscreen.
The use of sunscreen is known to prevent the direct DNA damage that causes sunburn and the two most common forms of skin cancer, basal-cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.[13] However, if sunscreen penetrates into the skin, it promotes indirect DNA damage, which causes the most lethal form of skin cancer, malignant melanoma.[14] This form of skin cancer is rare, but it causes 75% of all skin cancer-related deaths. Increased risk of malignant melanoma in sunscreen users has been the subject of many epidemiological studies.
One of the most effective ways to prevent sunburn is to reduce the amount of UV radiation reaching the skin. The strength of sunlight is published in many locations as a UV index. The World Health Organization recommends to limit time in the midday sun (between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.), to watch the UV index, to seek shade, to wear protective clothing and a wide-brim hat, and to use sunscreen.[28]Sunlight is generally strongest when the sun is close to the highest point in the sky. Due to time zones and daylight saving time, this is not necessarily at 12 p.m., but often one to two hours later.
Commercial preparations are available that block UV light, known as sunscreens or sunblocks. They have a sunburn protection factor (SPF) rating, based on the sunblock's ability to suppress sunburn: The higher the SPF rating the lower the amount of direct DNA damage.
A sunscreen rated as SPF 10 blocks 90% of the sunburn-causing UVB radiation; an SPF20-rated sunscreen blocks 95%[citation needed]. Modern sunscreens contain filters for UVA radiation as well as UVB. The stated protection factors are correct only if 2 μl of sunscreen is applied per square cm of exposed skin. This translates into about 28 ml (1 oz) to cover the whole body of an adult male, which is much more than many people use in practice. Although UVA radiation does not cause sunburn, it does contribute to skin aging and an increased risk of skin cancer. Many sunscreens provide broad-spectrum protection, meaning that they protect against both UVA and UVB radiation.
Research has shown that the best protection is achieved by application 15 to 30 minutes before exposure, followed by one reapplication 15 to 30 minutes after exposure begins. Further reapplication is necessary only after activities such as swimming, sweating, and rubbing.[29] This varies based on the indications and protection shown on the label — from as little as 80 minutes in water to a few hours, depending on the product selected.
When one is exposed to any artificial source of occupational UV, special protective clothing (for example, welding helmets/shields) should be worn.
There is also evidence that common foods may have some protective ability against sunburn if taken for a period before the exposure.[30] Beta-carotene and lycopene, chemicals found in tomatoes and other fruit, have been found to increase the skin's ability to resist the effects of UV light. In a 2007 study, after about 10–12 weeks of eating tomato-derived products, a decrease in sensitivity toward UV was observed in volunteers. Ketchup and tomato puree are both high in lycopene.[31] Dark chocolate rich inflavonoids has also been found to have a similar effect if eaten for long periods before exposure.
The most important aspects of sunburn care are to avoid exposure to the sun while healing and to take precautions to prevent future burns. The best treatment for most sunburns is time. Most sunburns heal completely within a few weeks. Home treatments that help manage the discomfort or facilitate the healing process include using cool and wet cloths on the sunburned areas, taking frequent cold showers or baths, and applying soothing lotions that contain aloe vera[dubious ] to the sunburn areas. Topical steroids (such as 1% hydrocortisone cream) may also help with sunburn pain and swelling. The peeling that comes after some sunburn is inevitable. However, there are lotions that may relieve the itching. Acetaminophen (such as Tylenol), Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as Ibuprofen or Naproxen), and Aspirin have all shown to reduce the pain of sunburns
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