So me and my friends (including my new boyfriend ) went to the river over the weekend to go tubing. I have very fair skin and thought I was prepared by applying sunblock, twice on my back. But for some dumb reason I didn't think about my legs... And I had decided I looked thinner when laying on my stomach, so I laid on my stomach for like 3 out of the 4 hours we were there(I wanted my boyfriend to see how cute I could be in a bathing suite, lol) . I got home and realized how bad my sunburn was. It is RED. And mostly on my legs (some on my back, but it doesn't hurt much) and it is in the gap behind my knee. So walking, sitting, bending, and sleeping are all impossible. It is currently almost 4am and I was hoping to find some help to get rid of the pain. I have to work today and wish to have some relief before then. So ANY advice is really appreciated. I have used Sooth a Caine (which was awesome) and taken a bath in vinegar... Any better ideas?
These are what work for me. Sea Breeze, Aloe Vera (keep it cold in the fridge), take some aspirin, and take cool showers.
My face and shoulders burned bad over the summer and I have olive skin and normally tan. My nose blistered as well as my shoulders. Oh and my forehead is two different colors from peeling. Yep, if you look close enough you can see a definate like down my forehead. Real attractive.
Good luck. I hope that one of those will help a little.
No better ideas, just don't do it again. But you already knew that, right? ;-)
I'm 39 and fair, and used to get sunburnt when I was younger. None since I was about 25, I've been a lot more careful since then.
But 4 years ago I had a malignant melanoma removed, and chemo. All good now, but they say that what you do early in life sets up the cell damage for later on. For goodness sake, please be careful.
And make sure you drink LOTS of water - sunburn is very dehydrating, apart from the lying in the sun all day aspect.
While SeaBreeze or some other skin toner might FEEL good, don't use it. The alcahol content will dry out the skin, that has already been damaged by the sun!!!
If you want something that has that mentholated tingly feel to it, use the aloe vera gels that they sell that have the menthol in them, or even use Noxema skin cream (in the tub) on it. Both will have much more moisturizing properties to them.
I agree with others Advil and pure Aloe Vera (not the junk blend).
I learned my lesson in Hawaii! LOL I burned to a crisp (not as bad as my hubby though). I used SPF 50... but didn't apply it as often as I should have.
Advil knocks out the pain and the Aloe is so soothing
Sorry to hear about your burn. Hope you feel better soon.
Also - ALOE will help prevent it from peeling - and maybe turn into a tan??
Take any otc pain med that has IBUPROFIN in it. It's an anti-inflamatory and will be better than asprin etc.
Try a cold bath and some chamomile tea or whatever to help you get some sleep.
There is this stuff called Ocean Potion Burn Relief Ice...wow, soooo cooling. Go to the pharmacy and look for burn meds that cool the skin. The problem is, they never last more than a little bit.
Pop in a good movie and veg out to take your mind off things.
Aloe Vera (buy the 100% stuff) and a pain reliever. Advil, aspirin, or aleve are probably best since NSAIDS all have anti-inflammatory properties. Tylenol does not.
I hear you! I'm VERY fair skinned and burn like it's going out of style. Aloe Vera is my bestfriend while I'm in Jamaica! I burn so bad there, 20 mins out in the sun and I have blisters. Brutal. Even with 60 spf sunblock, I get burned.
Hi! South Floridian here! Oh boy can I empathize! I'm so pale I'm naturally red toned. People think I'm Irish for it, but I'm not. (I wish, I love their culture and folklore!)
When I first moved down here I was in love with it and went swimming every day nearly (Now if only I had kept up such exercise habits!). I burn at the drop of the hat, and one day I burned so bad I had to be hospitalized. Darn nearly my whole neck and shoulders were a giant blister. Oh, was it a nightmare! I couldn't lay down or wear a shirt or anything for a week! Now I avoid the sun like a vampire. I still can get a bit red even if I'm wearing 50 spf. And yes, I annually see a dermatologist to make sure my skin is safe.
Like others said, pure refrigerated aloe vera and advil are awesome.
I have to echo the aloe vera and the ibuprofen and the water. Last summer I burned myself so bad that I blistered severely and had to go to the ER, and they prescribed the ibuprofen as an inflammatory thing and plenty of water. I have heard about using yogurt, but I haven't tried it myself.
I have to echo the aloe vera and the ibuprofen and the water
Add me to that list. Staying hydrated is VERY important, so don't skimp on the water. Cool baths are good, but bathing too often can dehydrate your skin, so go easy on that one. If you do want to sit in a cool bath, make sure you moisturize with aloe as soon as you get out.
Don't use greasy or heavy moisturizers - they actually hold in the heat and can make a burn worse. The Aloe with lidocaine or is the best possible thing you can use.
Sorry you're dealing with this. I've burned badly in the past (and dealt with the skin cancer as a result) and I know how horribly painful it is.
Sunburnt! In A LOT of pain, what can I do??
) went to the river over the weekend to go tubing. I have very fair skin and thought I was prepared by applying sunblock, twice on my back. But for some dumb reason I didn't think about my legs... And I had decided I looked thinner when laying on my stomach, so I laid on my stomach for like 3 out of the 4 hours we were there(I wanted my boyfriend to see how cute I could be in a bathing suite, lol) . I got home and realized how bad my sunburn was. It is RED. And mostly on my legs (some on my back, but it doesn't hurt much) and it is in the gap behind my knee. So walking, sitting, bending, and sleeping are all impossible. It is currently almost 4am and I was hoping to find some help to get rid of the pain. I have to work today and wish to have some relief before then. So ANY advice is really appreciated. I have used Sooth a Caine (which was awesome) and taken a bath in vinegar... Any better ideas?
