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Dr. Orrange received her BA in Biology at the University of California, San Diego, and a Masters Degree in Health Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health. She received her MD from the USC Keck School of…
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10 Facts About Sunburns You Probably Don't Know
Prevention of sunburn may be obvious but you will still see lobster red people on vacation. Here are some things you may not know about sunburn:
Seek help from your doctor if you have severe sunburn with skin blistering.
What has helped you?
Dr O.
1) Sunburn is the gift that keeps on giving because unlike other types of skin burns, sunburn is not immediately apparent and redness develops between three and five hours after being out in the sun.
2) Redness peaks approximately 12 to 24 hours after sun exposure and fades over 72 hours.
3) People with fair skin and light-colored hair have less melanin and are at higher risk of sunburn compared with people with darker-colored skin.
4) Some people can develop sunburn after less than 15 minutes of sun exposure.
5) People in regions that are closest to the equator and high altitudes (mountainous areas) are at higher risk for developing sunburn.
6) Certain medications make the skin more sensitive to burning: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen, motrin), quinolone and tetracycline antibiotics (Cipro, Levaquin, and tetracycline), and hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) among others.
7) No treatment has been shown to help resolve the sunburn quicker, but some may help relieve skin discomfort.
8) Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen may relieve the pain. These medications are especially helpful if you take them as soon as you notice pain; the benefit of NSAIDs decreases after 24 hours.
9) Steroid creams (hydrocortisone, triamcinolone, etc.) have been studied and are not effective for treating sunburn or pain from sunburn.
10) Cool compresses, aloe-based lotions, and lotions or sprays with a local anesthetic (numbing medication like Solarcaine and Dermaplast) have not been shown in studies to be helpful but aren’t harmful so may be worth a try.
Seek help from your doctor if you have severe sunburn with skin blistering.
What has helped you?
Dr O.
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the aloe gels tho, i had one one year a few back and i didnt put on sunblock the whole time. i used that as lotion and sunblock both and i got pretty dark. it was an aloe gel, i forget where or who it was from. but that summer surprised me cuz i usually burn as fast as i said, and i didnt get one burn that year.
also, which is the best sunblock would you say? i would think the 65 things, but one year at camp one of the people said that anything over 35 was the same resalt as 35. so idk.