How to Get Rid of a Sunburn: Ultimate Home Remedies

This article discusses how to treat sunburn naturally as well as home remedy and treatment of sunburn and blistered sunburn.

What is Sunburn?

By now, I assume you know what Sunburn is, well if you don’t, let’s start from there. You must probably have seen someone staying outside working or trying to get a tan, and at the end of the day their skin are all red, looking kind of burned all over. Now I assume you’ve gotten the picture of what sunburn looks like.

It is known as a radiation burn which affects the human living tissue (for example, the skin). Over exposure to what we know as UV (Ultraviolet) radiation which is mostly from the sun is the major cause of sunburn. In other words, sunburn happens as a result of the skin’s response to inflammation caused by ultraviolet (UV) rays. I believe by now, you’re getting a clearer picture of what sunburn means. Let’s move on.(1)

The response of the skin to this extreme UV damage is the cause of sunburn, and change of skin color as well as tan is nothing but a result of contact with sun UV rays. UV damage to the skin can be caused by any form of sunburn, and does not necessarily mean it is caused by severe sunburn. And if not treated properly and avoided, sunburn can further lead to skin cancer, which today is confirmed as the most common form of cancer in the world.(2)

Symptoms of Sunburn

Sunburn has some symptoms that shows the kind of ailment you’ve got. The signs and symptoms of sunburn include the following:

·         Headache, fever, nausea and fatigue (for severe sunburn)
·         Itching (Pruitus)
·         Pinkness or redness of skin
·         Skin feels warm or hot to touch
·         Small fluid-filled blisters
·         Chills
·         Fainting (Syncope)
·         Swelling (Edema)
·         Peeling Skin
·         Tenderness and Pain

Commonly, sunburn kick starts with erythema(3) (an initial redness of skin), this is then followed by different degrees of pain, mostly influenced by the duration of time under sunlight as well as the concentration of exposure to sunlight.

There are disparities in the symptoms of sunburn – minor sunburn on average causes skin tenderness and redness in areas that are affected, while severe sunburn can lead to blisters, which may further require hospital care.

When exposed to direct sunlight, sunburn can occur within 15 – 20 minutes and can also occur within seconds of exposure to a non-shielded welding arc or some other strong sources of ultraviolet light, with the harms showing around 30 minutes to few hours, and sometimes, it takes 2 to 6 hours before it becomes so obvious. The pain is at its peak around 6 to 48 hours after exposure to UV rays.

 Causes of Sunburn

Sunburn is primarily caused by sun’s UV rays, burning through the skin. Here, we are going to list and discuss briefly the causes of sunburn. The causes of sunburn include the following:

·         UV Radiation

·         UV Intensity

·         Age

·         Tanning

·         Gene

·         Ozone Depletion

UV Radiation

This is the primary cause of sunburn and it is caused by the sun or some artificial sources (such as welding arcs, germicidal irradiation, tanning lamps etc.). The UVB light causes a direct damage to the DNA.

Your skin type determines how easy the sun can penetrate the body. By and large, light skinned people have higher risk of sunburn than others.

The Fitzpatrick’s Skin phototypes is the best narrative for skin phototypes. The Fitzpatrick’s skin phototypes are(4):

·         Type I: Pale white skin – does not tan and burns easily

·         Type II: White skin – tans with difficulty and burns easily

·         Type III: White skin – tans easily but may burn

·         Type IV: Light brown/olive skin – tans easily and hardly burns

·         Type V: Brown skin – tans easily and usually does not burn

·         Type VI: Black skin – becomes darker with UV radiation and very unlikely to burn

UV Intensity

The location and given time determines to a great extent the impact of sun UV rays on the skin. The factors include the following:

·         The time of the day

·         Altitude

·         Latitude (proximity to equator

·         Cloud cover

·         Season of the year

·         Proximity to reflective surface (such as water, ice, sand, snow, concrete, mirror, glass etc.)

Age

One’s age is also a factor to be considered when talking about the causes and effects of sunburn on the skin. According to research, adults older than sixty as well as children younger than six are more affected by sunburn than other age.5

Tanning

So many people in the Western world today love having a tanned body, which has given a immense rise to exposure to UV radiation from direct sunlight. It doesn’t stop there; some even go as far as using tanning lamps. Many health institutions (such as World Health Organization) have recommended against having a natural suntan as well as artificial suntans.(6)

Gene

One genetic condition that raises one’s vulnerability to sunburn, which can also cause skin cancer, is Xeroderma pigmentosum. Inadequacies in the DNA repair mechanism causes this genetic condition, as this mechanism lacks the power to repair the DNA that has been damaged by UV radiation.

Ozone Depletion

The harshness of sunlight in the last and present decade is no doubt different from what it used to be, largely due to damage of the atmosphere’s ozone layer by 4%, which has in turn raised sunburn in some areas by 4%.

Home Remedies for Sunburn

Sunburn like many other health conditions can be treated at home and healed without having necessarily seeing a health practitioner. With some tips on how to treat yourself, you can overcome sunburn, and this home treatment of sunburn includes the following:

Taking Cool bath or showers regularly

As we know, sunburn causes a whole lot of pains; hence we need a relief that takes away the pain. It is very important you take baths or shower from time to time as this cools off the body temperature.

Warm oatmeal bath

Another home remedy for sunburn or sunburn or blistered sunburn is soaking in a warm oatmeal bath for around 20 to 30 minutes.(7) Believe me, this works magic. How does it work? The war oatmeal bath for sunburn relieves the inflammation and also boosts your recovery. Pour 1 cup (90g) of colloidal oatmeal into a warm bath.

Moisturizers

Moisturizer is another perfect home solution that can be used on the skin after the redness must have subsided or the open blisters must have gone. The moisturizer over the course of time prevents the skin from peeling; it as well prevents it from any form of irritation.

Ice

Never doubt the power of ice – it is capable of reliving the pain and stopping further damage. How do you apply this? Take an ice pack or any frozen item and wrap in a soft wash cloth or towel; and use it for the application. Don’t ever place the ice directly on the skin as this can lead to other damages such as frostbite.(8)

Hydration

Drink extra water, as this keeps your body hydrated. Taking more water will help reduce the pain caused by sunburn as water keeps your body cool against hotness and itchiness caused by sunburn.

Aloe Vera

Undoubtedly, this is one of the most efficient natural treatments of sunburn. The gel inside the aloe vera’s cactus helps speed up healing, eases discomforts and moisturizes the skin. You can apply the sap directly on the skin or get an aloe vera gel at any local drug store. Do you know that ALOE VERA heals burns 9 days faster?

Applying a tea-soaked Cloth

Boil water and dip 5 to 7 bags of green tea or black tea in that boiling water for 1- to 15 minutes. Remove the tea bags and allow the tea to cool off, after which you can soak a clean towel in the tea. Remove it and wring out a little. Then place the towel on the sunburn for around 30 minutes. Preserve the tea, as you will repeat dipping the towel and reapplying for the rest of the day. Do you know that TEA has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds that can heal sunburn?(9)

Coconut Oil

You can apply coconut oil on skin after 1 to 2 days after the sunburn has healed. The oil from the coconut prevents the skin from drying, which relieves itchiness and swelling of skin caused by inflammation. Sunburn is capable of causing premature ageing of skin, the coconut oil however; help reduce wrinkling of the skin.(10)

Honey

The use of honey for treatment of sunburn or damaged skin is not new; this has been an ancient practice. Honey works well at accelerating healing, minimizing pain and reducing infection than most antibiotic creams we know. Do you know that HONEY has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties?

Do not pop blisters

For sunburn that transformed into blisters, always keep in mind that they will pop on their own. Don’t try to pop them yourself as this increases the chance of infection as well as the risk of damage on the skin’s lower and flexible layers.

How to Prevent Sunburn

·         Avoid sun exposure

·         Try as much as possible to stay under shade

·         Wear suitable clothes under sunlight

·         Protect head and eyes with accessories

·         Avoid base tan

·         Use a sunscreen when going outdoors

·         Use a full-spectrum sunscreen

·         Select a sunscreen with appropriate SPF

·         Ensure you take not of your sunscreen expiration date

·         Apply and reapply sunscreen regularly, generously  and adequately

Tips on Sunburn Prevention

·         Avoid Reading on phone while under sunlight

·         Avoid alcoholic beverages

·         Avoid skin exfoliation

·         The sun is usually at its peak between 10 am and 4 pm



Images from: pixabay.com


Sources and References

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1. Wikipedia, “Sunburn”
2. Bioelements, “Skin Sunburn”
3. American Academy of Dermatology, “Treating Sunburn”
4. Wikipedia, “Sunburn”
5. Wikipedia, “Sunburn”
6. NCBI
7. Wikihow, “How to Treat Sunburn with Natural Remedies”
8. Parents, “10 Natural Remedies for Sunburns”
9. Wikihow, “How to Treat Sunburn with Natural Remedies”
10. NDTV Food, “4 Most Effective Home Remedies for Sunburn”

Disclaimer

This article is only a general information and discussion about the topic. Information and other content gotten herein should not be taken as medical advice, and the information and discussion should not be substituted for professional and medical advice. Always seek the guidance of your doctor and other qualified health professionals regarding your health and medical conditions.

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