Sunburns and Sun Poisoning...Advice, please!

[LadyFyre]

So, I'm quite fair-skinned, and when I got to Hawaii for this summer, I went to the beach and promptly got a horrid sunburn that was in fact (or so I was told) Sun Poisoning, complete with blisters all across my back and shoulders and fainting spells (not pretty...)
Anyhow, now I've gone and gotten another stupid sunburn. I went kyaking for 5 hours, and it's mostly just a bad sunburn, but the areas where this burn and the last burn overlap are beginning to get bumpy like when I had sun poisoning...

The point of this thread, you ask? Well, I want to know if anyone has any great tips beyond putting on tons of aloe vera.

Please help - it hurts!

 

[scylis]

it's always nice if someone puts it on for you.

 

[A.Wittlechubby]

Try lying out in the sun again tomorrow with no sunscreen on for 5 hours and see if that helps...

~i~

 

[scylis]

great advice, mullet boy. pure genious.

 

[LadyFyre]

Try lying out in the sun again tomorrow with no sunscreen on for 5 hours and see if that helps...

~i~

Yeah, I'm stupid... I'll do that. Check with me tomorrow night and I'll tell you if it worked!

scylis... do you really think I can reach the middle of my own back when it hurts this bad to move my shoulders? I don't think so! of course I have help

 

[scylis]

well, you could just empty the bottle over the top of your back and let it run down, i suppose.

 

[Weird Harold]

Anyhow, now I've gone and gotten another stupid sunburn. I went kyaking for 5 hours, and it's mostly just a bad sunburn, but the areas where this burn and the last burn overlap are beginning to get bumpy like when I had sun poisoning...

The point of this thread, you ask? Well, I want to know if anyone has any great tips beyond putting on tons of aloe vera

Solarcaine(tm) -- it comes in spray, lotion, or Aloe Gel formulae and will kill the pain witha topical anesthetic.

Other products that contain topical anesthetics:

Neosporin PainRelief (tm)

Orajel (tm) -- or other teething pain relief products.

Lanocaine spray -- This one may require a prescription -- I don't normally see it out among the other first-aid supplies -- as a pharmacist.

More important than treating the effects of this sunburn is learning how NOT to get sunburned in the first place!

Wear long sleeves and a wide brimmed hat.

When dressing to beat the sun isn't practical, use sunblock -- use it BEFORE you go into the sun and keep it replenished.

 

[LadyFyre]

Re: Re: Sunburns and Sun Poisoning...Advice, please!

Solarcaine(tm) -- it comes in spray, lotion, or Aloe Gel formulae and will kill the pain witha topical anesthetic.

Solarcane uses Lidocaine to kill the pain, which (oddly enough)doesn't work on me. It's an allergy thing.

Lanocaine spray -- This one may require a prescription -- I don't normally see it out among the other first-aid supplies -- as a pharmacist.
[/b]

have this one, it works pretty good, but doesn't last.

More important than treating the effects of this sunburn is learning how NOT to get sunburned in the first place!

Wear long sleeves and a wide brimmed hat.

When dressing to beat the sun isn't practical, use sunblock -- use it BEFORE you go into the sun and keep it replenished. [/B]

I did use sunscreen before I went into the sun! The hawaiian sun is just way insanely good at burning me.

Thanks for the advice, I haven't tried some of those, i'll have to look into it.

 

[Weird Harold]

Re: Re: Re: Sunburns and Sun Poisoning...Advice, please!

have this one (lanocainne), it works pretty good, but doesn't last.

Check out Orajel -- "benzocaine 10%" is the active ingredient and the waterproof (saliva proof) base will keep it in place and working better than a spray application would

I did use sunscreen before I went into the sun! The hawaiian sun is just way insanely good at burning me.

Probably the most common mistake people make with using sunblock is to not keep it replenished. Sunblock sweats away; gets rubbed off; washed away by swimming; and has a dozen other ways of getting out of work. You should reapply sunblock about every one or two hours to insure you're covered.

As easily as you apparently burn, you should probably be using the highest SPF you can find. I get along fine with an SPF 12, but it sounds like you need SPF 100 -- or higher if you can find it.

 

[Tap-Out]

Re: Re: Re: Sunburns and Sun Poisoning...Advice, please!

I did use sunscreen before I went into the sun! The hawaiian sun is just way insanely good at burning me.

I am so insanely jealous that you got to go to Hawaii and I didn't. Oh well.

Try always having cold washcloths on your really burnt parts. I find constant moisture helps a lot.

 

[Ladybird]

As an Aussie.. I'm an old hat at this.

Keep the sunburnt area cool... lots of cold showers are good. It will prevent the skin from burning any deeper, and also take some of the pain away.

Remember, what you have is a burn, no different than if hot water had been spilt on you... so treat it the same way.

Avoid oils on your skin, they will only make things worse.

Old rememdies include dabbing the skin with vinegar.. it's supposed to take the sting out of the burn, and also dabbing with cold tea... to help cool the burn.

And until your skin is completely healed, wear a sunscreen every time you go outside, even under your clothes. Remember the sun can penetrate most clothes and burn you.

I hope this helps hon, I know from personal experience just how much it can hurt.

 

[The Harley Guy]

As strange as it sounds

Vinegar works. Put vinegar on a washcloth and proceed to wipe the affected areas with it.

If you can put with the smell, it will take the sting out. Pure Aloe Vera works also.

 

[Weird Harold]

All good advice