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Posts Tagged ‘Sunburn Treatment’

Sunburn Treatment. By Our Student Pharmacist, Dennis Zhang.

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Summer is here, and it is expected to be hotter than average. When you play golf or mow your lawn, the sun is shining on you often reddening and blistering your skin. Sometimes people forget to apply sunscreen on certain parts of their body (back of neck, feet, or upper arm) and suffer from sunburns for the next week.
How does sunburn happen?
When the skin is exposed to sun, the melanin in skin cells reacts with ultraviolet (UV) light, which can cause damage to the skin. When the amount of UV light absorbed exceeds the protection that melanin can provide, the excess UV rays can damage skin, eyes, and the immune system. It can also increase the risk of skin cancer. Sunburn is the red, painful skin that hurts when touched. It happens when the skin is exposed to sunlight (UV light) for too long. Some symptoms of sunburn include:
  • Pinkness or redness of skin
  • Skin that feels warm or hot to touch
  • Swelling
  • Tenderness and pain
  • Small fluid-filled blisters
  • Fatigue, headache, or fever
Aloe Vera
While applying sunscreens can greatly reduce the chance of sunburn, it is important to know how to treat the burn in case you accidentally get one.
First, let’s look at the degrees of burn and determine when you should seek medical attention:
  • Mild sunburns are usually the ones with intact skin. They can be red, painful, and include swelling and blistering. Over-the-counter medicines can help with the symptoms and reduce discomfort. Skin protectants can prevent skin from rupturing. Mild sunburns are usually self-limiting and heal within seven days without scarring.
  • More severe sunburns include blistering skin that ruptures. You might also experience fever, dizziness, nausea, or headache. If this happens, seek medical advice.
What are some self-care options for mild sunburn?
  1. Cool water
    1. As soon as you notice an area of skin that starts hurting in the sun, go indoors and place that area under running tap water (not ice water). Cool water during the first four hours of sunburn can lessen the pain. You can use cold compacts or tap water several times a day and enjoy the cold sensation, but it does not help with the burn anymore after four hours.
  2. Clean the sunburnt area
    1. Cleaning the skin can help prevent further infection. Use soapy water and drip on the burns. Do not rub the skin, because it is fragile and breaking the skin can cause further damage.
  3. Dressing
    1. Appropriate covering on the wound can protect the skin from scratching or unintentional frictions. Choose non-stick gauzes that contain petrolatum or saline.
  4. OTC burn products
    1. Protectants: Help maintain skin integrity and prevent dryness. However, they are usually ointments and can be messy and uncomfortable to use. They can be used as needed with or without coverings.
      1. Examples: Petrolatum 30-100%; Zinc Oxide 1-25%
    2. Pain relief: There are two classes of pain relief medications for sunburn. Oral pain medications such as ibuprofen (Advil) or naproxen (Aleve) are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that can reduce the pain and the swelling. Another option is topical pain medications. Those products work by blocking the nerve that sends the pain signal to the brain. Make sure that the skin is intact before applying the medication. Broken skin absorbs more drug into the body, which can cause irritation and significant side effects.
      1. Examples: Benzocaine 5-20%; lidocaine 0.5-4%.
    3. Topical corticosteroids: These work by reducing the inflammation, thus decreasing pain and tenderness. Avoid overuse of topical corticosteroids because overuse can lead to other skin conditions. Some experts are against the use of topical corticosteroids for sunburn because of a lack of evidence for their use.
      1. Example: Hydrocortisone 1% cream (with or without aloe vera)
    4. Antihistamines: These are generally used to relieve the itch when the skin is healing below the sunburnt layer. Taking diphenhydramine (Benadryl) at night helps with sleep and reduces scratches overnight.
    5. Aloe Vera: there isn’t enough evidence on aloe vera for sunburn. Aloe vera has some anti-inflammatory properties and can increase blood flow to the area, promoting healing. The sunburn products themselves are emollients that moisturize the damaged skin.
Sunburn Melanin
Feel free to stop by the pharmacy or give us a call with any questions you may have about sunburn medications!