SunBurn

[BlueSugar]

I've got one ... and I need to take the itch and burn and hotness away, its giving me a head ache. I tried tylenol and all, and after suntan/burn cream and lots of lotion with aloe in it ...

got it yesterday, and I haven't been able to make myself any more comfortable.


do i wait it out now?

I haven't gotten one of these in yeaaaaars

 

[Tigerguy001]

this is going to sound a little odd but it will help
Try spraying on some vinegar mixed with a little water
when i was younger my mom used that when i got burned realy bad from being in the sun too much from what i remember her mom used it too . smell wont be great right away but it will help take the burning away

 

[midwestyankee]

this is going to sound a little odd but it will help
Try spraying on some vinegar mixed with a little water
when i was younger my mom used that when i got burned realy bad from being in the sun too much from what i remember her mom used it too . smell wont be great right away but it will help take the burning away

It works.

You'll smell like a salad, but your sunburn won't hurt very much either.

 

[SnoopDog]

Sun burns are an invention made by Satan himself. I really hate them. I'm one of those light skin types that only have two distinct conditions: a.) white as an albino
b.) sunburned like a barbeque burger

It can be really annyoing and unfortunately I don't have any good tips against it. The only thing that really works for me is some pharmacy-product, i.e. some expensive ointment that cools and relaxes the bruned skin.

The best help against sun burn is prevention though. I HATE sun blocker lotion, it smells, it's annyoing to put on, it won't give you a tan. But it helps and is needed.
So...

Snoopy

 

[Vixandra]

I'm a big fan of Solarcain (however its spelled)
Tis a green goo in a clear, square bottle. Slimy feeling but its cooling and makes sunbaked skin feel so much better.
Or pure aloe vera works pretty good for me too.
Make sure you're drinking lots of fluids too- that much skin cooking can dehydrate you.

 

[ahooohgah]

Ouch!

I can attest to the wonder of vinegar as well. It helps the pain, and also helps you to peel less in a few days. No idea why it works, but it sure does. I don't know if cider vinegar is better than white, or not, but it's what I always use.

 

[marge_w]

I just have to be out in the sun for 5 minutes to end up a distinct shade of lobster, I've found that rubbing Greek yoghurt into the affected areas works, especially if it's just come from the fridge

 

[crazybbwgirl]

Sunscreen people!!!! But if you forget - noxema - feels better for a little while anyway.

 

[SXCRgirl]

Aloe Vera gel always makes me feel better.

SnoopDog, have you tried the spray kind? It doesn't feel as heavy as the lotions.

 

[Weird Harold]

I'm a big fan of Solarcain (however its spelled)
Tis a green goo in a clear, square bottle. Slimy feeling but its cooling and makes sunbaked skin feel so much better.

Solarcaine Aloe Gel (the green goo) is good, but for a severe, painful sunburn, the Spray version of Solarcaine is best because it's not necessary to touch the burn to apply it.

There are several other procducts with local anesthetics (Bezocaine, Lidocaine, Novocaine, and their relatives) that are good for blocking thepain and reducing the heat of sunburn. The heat is mostly a side effect of the pain and blocking the pain usually makes both the pain and the heat bearable.

For a severe sunburn, I've found that Neosporin Pain Relief Ointment is very useful as it promotes healing, prevents infection, and reduces peelling.

OraJel teething ointment works well as an sunburn relief product becaue it's a stronger dosage of anesthetic, but it's pretty greasy.

Vinegar, Noxema, Aloe and similar remedies are good for minimizing peeling, but you really need a local anesthetic to get immediate relief from the pain -- fortunately, there are a lot of over-the-counter products that contain topical anesthetcs to choose from.

 

[sheath]

I actually like a little bit of a sunburn...it makes me feel as though I've been doing some honest exercise out in the summer sun.

I never get really bad burns, but when I get a little sunburn the best thing I've found is "Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera After Sun Lotion". It's cheap...maybe three bucks? And it works wonders.

I agree with the Noxema trick, too...it works, but you have to keep reapplying.

And drink LOTS of water. Whatever keeps you hydrated inside and out is going to make the pain less.



I'm sorry there isn't a magic cure. I wish there were!

S.

 

[sheath]

I just realized something...

You have a sunburn that hasn't gotten better in over a day, you are trying all sorts of lotions and nothing works for the pain or the heat, and it's now giving you a headache.

You know...that sounds like a good reason to swing by the ER and just ask a nurse, "should I worry about this or not?"

I've had a very severe sunburn, almost a decade ago...and I didn't realize how severe it was until the next day. Having a medical 'yay or nay' opinion will help.

S.

 

[Owlz]

I'm one of those evil people blessed with Mediterranean, olive-colored skin. For decades, the family joke was 'He can get a tan sitting by a lamp for five minutes.' At one point, some people would call me 'Jungle Bunny.' Seriously, I would tan so dark, you could have questioned the fact that I'm Caucasian.

Those days are long gone, though, and it sucks. I sympatize with you, BlueSugar. Sunburn sucks, so I've had to use sunscreen for years now.

I miss my younger days.

Owlz

P. S. sheath makes an excellent point about going to the E. R..

 

[xeros_girl]

Try Motrin or advil instead of Tylenol. Ibuprfin is an anti inflamatory and should help with any swelling that might happen also it helps with the headache.


Am I the only one who gets puffy when sunburned?

 

[Owlz]

LUV the kitty pic, xeros_girl!

Now, back to the thread.

 

[SweetErika]

I'm feeling for you! Aspirin is supposed to be the best for sunburn (I just read something about a study on it recently). I get horrible headaches when I'm out in the sun, even without a burn, and Sheath's right, it could be a sign of heat exhaustion. You should be ok if you re-hydrate and a cool shower always helps me in addition to the aloe, cortisone cream and aspirin. When you can't take a shower, put a cold, damp washcloth or towel on the burn and around your neck. Get well soon!

*Edit: If you start vomiting or have any other signs of heat exhaustion such as a high temp or weak pulse, go to the ER...my headaches are from sun poisoning when I was little, but you don't want to risk your life over a couple hundred bucks.

 

[BlueSugar]

ugh, I was hoping to avoid the ER.
The hospital up here sucks, and if they're going to give me some cream that i can get over the counter and tell me to take advil then nail me for $70 they can go fuck themselves.

It happened yesterday, it bugged me and annoyed the piss out of me all day, minor headache, I have a problem with drinking liquids .. I just don't, or drink little, I only drink really- when I'm eating and thats gone down as well bc of the heat... I've been forcing myself to drink juices and water but having to pee every 10 minutes is annoying .. but necessary.

I bought the green stuff today, I have another cream as well.
I'm going to wait it out till about lunch tomorrow, and if not, I'll take the rest of the day and drive myself to see the quacks.

:ff in search to find vinegar::
is it just the acid I need? Bc I think I only have balasmic...


thanks everyone!!

 

[DirkPryde]

sun BURN

the absolute best thing you can do is treat it like any other kind of burn. You need to dissapate the heat.

Creams and lotions might feel nice but they insulate the skin and the heat remains, doing more damage.

Ice water and a hand towel, or soak in a cool to cold bath, it gets the heat out of the skin and therefore prevents damage to the other layers of skin.

 

[browncow]

I am in Marching band, I dont feel them anymore. It cant be good for me, but i get burns extremely bad looking but they dont bother me.

It goes back to this one time I got a burn I felt for 1 1/2 weeks. I was out in the middle of summer, 101 degrees forgot sun block and was out for 6 hours. I was burnt from my collar bone to a little above my belly button in a diamond shape. That killed for a long time. That was many years ago, still cant feel a burn since then (I can feel though) I think it just made everything else seem like nothing.

 

[Arden]

Screw the creams and ointments. Head directly to a nursery or friend's house where there's a real aloe plant, take a whole leaf (or buy the plant). Gently rub the wet part of the plant over your skin as often as needed.

Hmmm... that sounds wicked.

I got a horrible sunburn in FL last March. The aloe gels and creams that you can buy at the store don't even begin to compare to the real thing. I bought some, it did little to ease the pain. The next day I noticed some aloe plants in the garden where we were staying at. I nabbed a leaf, used it, and kept it in a baggie in the fridge for later use. God, what a difference.

Someone asked earlier "Am I the only one that gets puffy when sunburned?" I never had before, but did that time, especially my eyes... and I was only in the sun about 2 hours total. I felt like a monster lol... even an ice pack wouldn't get rid of it the first day. Advil didn't help much either. Back to normal the next day though.

Good luck...

 

[SnoopDog]

Aloe Vera gel always makes me feel better.

SnoopDog, have you tried the spray kind? It doesn't feel as heavy as the lotions.

Actually I haven't. Maybe I should ? Well at last summer has arrived here in germany. It's been up to 30 degrees Celsius in the last two days. The first real hot days over here. Too bad that it's gonna get cooler again. But the first visit in the local swimming pools will come, I'm sure.

Snoopy

 

[boston_bbw]

I'm with Dirk Pryde on this one. All the lotions and potions feel good but holds the temp in.. skin needs to breath and can't with gels and creams. I have always heard milk.. just dip a soft washcloth in it and apply.. not sure of the ryme or reason but definately was taught no lotions and ointments in nursing school.

 

[BlueSugar]

i got some aloe plant this morning, it was nice, but still just a pacifer.

went to see the town quack bc hes just as "good" as the hospital a few towns over.

He perscribed me silverdine cream, which works amazingly on real 2nd degree burns, I lathered my back up with a friend of mine. Its still warm, stiff and uncomfortable... but it'll heal the skin really well. I'm putting aloe and vasaline brand creamy aloe goodness on the rest of the not so bad but pink of my skin. Its just the neck line of a tank top on my back that is making me cry.

I "slept" last night by switching off 3 washcloths that i soaked in water and stuck in a ziplock bag and placed in the fridge. As the dull throb woke me up as the cloth got dry/warm ... I would switch it. Happened every 1.5 hrs or so.

Ugh. I miss being a kid and being resiliant to this sort of thing. I wish the rest of my back luck in gaining the tan that this piece of skin is going to fade to lol.

thanks again for all the help everyone. Hopefully after two or three slathering layers of the sliberdine cream, it'll be fine and I wont have to go to the hospital.

The headache faded w/ all the water and advil from yesterday into today. And I'm not too hungry bc of the heat, but I'm not woozy (never really was) just tired.

I wish I could take a nap! hehe

 

[Cathleen]

I was reading this thread last night and never heard of the vinegar - cool idea. But dang I should have mentioned the silverdine - my brother got 2nd and 3rd degree burns years back from a car radiator blowing up in his face - and man did that stuff work wonders for him. Of course the percocet didn't hurt either but the silverdine was terrific.

I do keep an aloe plant growing here at home - just slice it open and spread that one cuts, scrapes etc. I too put the remainder in the refrig - it feels even better cold on a sunburn! Its sticky but dries quickly - you can get them at the garden center and they are hard to kill!!

I hope you feel better quickly Blue - and I've been remiss in thanking you for the terrific library you did for the How To forum - I appreciate it and have used it many times! Great job.



p.s. keep drinking the water to replenish your skin!

 

[Uni Angel]

asprin- but not how u think

COMPLETELY DISSOLVE asprin in as little warm water as is needed- then cool the water- apply this to the skin- it helps