What is Sunburn? How Should You Manage Sunburn?

Sunburn does not have a rapid fix, unfortunately. After you’ve been sunburned, the damage is done; nevertheless, it may take 12 to 24 hours to identify the full extent and severity of your sunburn, and many days or more for the skin to begin to heal.

What is sunburn?

UV (ultraviolet) radiation on the skin causes sunburn. For about a week, the skin becomes red, uncomfortable, hot, sensitive, and occasionally itchy.

The skin will begin to flake and peel after a few days, and it will usually recover entirely within seven days.

While sunburn is usually mild and temporary, it is important to avoid it since it might increase your risk of developing serious health problems later in life, such as skin cancer.

When you’re out in the sun, it’s easy to underestimate your exposure because redness doesn’t normally emerge for several hours. Breezes and getting wet (such as going in and out of the water) might chill your skin and make you forget you’re burning.

What causes sunburn?

The skin produces more melanin, a pigment, to protect itself from UV radiation. The skin changes colour as a result of it. When your skin’s melanin can’t manage the amount of radiation, you get a sunburn.

The sun and a solarium can both emit UV rays (tanning bed). Swimming or playing in the snow can also cause sunburn. It’s caused by sunshine reflecting off of snow, ice, or water, blistering the skin.

You are most vulnerable to sunburn if you have fair skin. Sunburn can happen to everyone, especially those with dark skin.

What Are the Symptoms of  Sunburn?

Your skin will become red and sting as a result of a sunburn. If the burn is severe, swelling and sunburn blisters may result. You may still have a fever, chills, nausea, headaches, and weakness, as if you were sick with the flu.

As your body strives to rid itself of sun-damaged cells, your skin will flake and itch after a few days.

Treating Sunburn

Meanwhile, the most efficient sunburn cure merely alleviates your discomfort:

Maintain your cool. Apply cold compresses to the afflicted skin, such as a cloth wet with chilly water. Alternatively, take a relaxing bath.

Maintain a wet environment. To treat the troubled area, apply aloe vera gel or a moisturising moisturiser. Avoid products that include alcohol, as they might make your skin even drier. Medications for sunburn relief that contain anaesthetics, such as benzocaine, should be avoided. There is only a sliver of evidence that these products work. In rare cases, they may even irritate the skin. Benzocaine has been linked to a rare but hazardous and sometimes fatal condition in which the amount of oxygen in the blood is reduced. Because this age group has been the most affected, benzocaine should not be used in children under the age of two without the supervision of a health care professional. If you’re an adult, never take more benzocaine than is prescribed, and consult a dermatologist in Dubai.

Leave blisters alone. If blisters appear, do not break them. It merely slows down the healing process and raises the danger of infection. Cover blisters lightly with gauze if necessary.

Take a pain reliever that is available over-the-counter. Take anti-inflammatory medicine, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, as directed on the label until the redness and pain diminish. Do not give aspirin to youngsters or teens. It can produce Reye’s syndrome, an uncommon but possibly lethal condition.

Gently exfoliate peeling skin. The damaged region may begin to peel within a few days. It is merely your body’s mechanism of getting rid of the damaged top layer of skin. Continue to apply hydrating moisturizer as your skin peels.

Seeking medical attention

If your sunburn is minor, it will most likely cure on its own without the need for medical care. However, if your burn is a second degree or worse, you should see a Best Dermatologist in Dubai.

If the following things happen to you, you should consult a doctor:

• Your sunburn blisters or swells;
• You get a fever, chills, or feel abnormally hot;
• You have nausea or vomiting;
• You are dehydrated;
• You feel dizzy, nauseous, or exhausted;
• You have a headache; and
• You experience muscular cramps.

Should handle Sunburn on a newborn, toddler, or kid very seriously since these burns place youngsters at a higher risk of formulating skin cancer later in life. If your kid suffers sunburn, especially severe symptoms, you must seek medical attention.

Conclusion

If a person spends too much time in the sun, sunburn can occur. It has the capability of causing skin burns. Sunburn is more common in people with lighter skin, but it can happen to anyone with any skin type. Home cures can usually relieve pain, but if a person develops a fever, faints, or loses consciousness, they should seek medical attention right away. Sunburn can be avoided by limiting time spent in the sun and using preventative measures including sunscreen, staying in the shade, and wearing body-covering clothing.