Summer Vacation Slip Ups: How to Treat a Sunburn

Summer break. It’s time to leave the daily grind behind and (hopefully) take some time to relax, enjoy yourself with friends and escape work or school for a little while. It’s natural for people to flock toward places that offer warm weather and sea breezes, but they may find themselves unprepared for the intense ultraviolet (UV) rays that accompany that dreamy landscape. Sun protection accidents happen, even to those who are usually vigilant about avoiding sun damage. But when you don’t take the proper steps to protect yourself, it’s possible you’ll develop a sunburn: especially if you’re near sand or water, both of which reflect the sun’s rays back at you, intensifying your UV exposure.

Prevention Is the Best Medicine

Before hitting the beach, everyone should be sure to pack not only sunscreen — The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends using broad-spectrum products with an SPF of 30 or higher when spending extended time outdoors — but also a hat, sunglasses and clothing to cover up with. Adequate sun protection is especially important for kids and young adults, since sun damage is cumulative.
“Childhood sunburns significantly increase the risk of skin cancer later in life,” “However, if you’ve already suffered a few sunburns, you can lessen your chances of skin cancer by avoiding future burns on skin cells that are already vulnerable.”
Preventing sunburns altogether is by far the best way to avoid a very annoying and painful skin condition that also increases your skin cancer risk.

Bringing Burns to the Doctor

Though anti-inflammatory medicines, moisturizing and hydration will gradually take care of most minor burns, sometimes the damage is serious enough to merit a trip to the doctor.