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Sunburn - Causes And Home Remedies To Get Relief From Sunburn

Getting sunburned is a lot like doing your taxes. No one ever thinks about it until it's too late - and by then your skin is nearly the color of a ripe tomato and feels like it's on fire.

Sunburns are more than just painful. Research has shown that getting even one sunburn in your life can significantly increase your risk for cancer. In addition, long-term sun exposure causes the skin to lose its elasticity, making it look rougher and more wrinkled later on.

What is Sunburn ?

Sunburn is from over exposure to the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun. While the symptoms are usually temporary (such as red skin that is painful to the touch), the skin damage is often permanent and can have serious long-term health effects, including skin cancer.

Common Causes of Sunburn

Sunburn results when the amount of exposure to the sun or other ultraviolet light source exceeds the ability of the body's protective pigment, melanin, to protect the skin. Sunburn in a very light-skinned person may occur in less than 15 minutes of midday sun exposure, while a dark-skinned person may tolerate the same exposure for hours. Swelling of the skin, especially in the legs, is common. Toxins are released with sunburn, and fever is not uncommon. Skin peeling usually begins between three and eight days after exposure.

Symptoms of Sunburn

Sunburn skin shows the following symptoms :-

• Dry skin.
• Severe sunburn may produce swelling and blisters.
• Burning sensation.
• Your skin got bright red.
• Painful and reddened skin.
• Severe sunburns may cause a person to go into shock, which is characterized by fainting, low blood pressure, and severe weakness.

Sunburn treatment - Home remedies to get relief from sunburn

Sunburn should be treated for the healing of current sunburn pain, skin damage and potential skin cancer as well as to prevent further sunburn. Here are the several home remedies :-

• Give your skin a drink :- One of the most effective healing secrets for sunburn is also one of the simplest: Take a cool shower or bath. Flooding your hot, burning skin with cool water will quickly turn down the temperature, stopping the burn before it does more damage.
• Add some vinegar :- Another way to soothe a sunburn is to add a cup of white vinegar to bath water. Vinegar baths are very soothing and will help relieve pain in a hurry. If you don't have vinegar on hand, add a cup of baking soda to the water, or even a dozen or so drops of 'essential oils,' like chamomile or lavender (dharu).
• Use a moisturizer :- Spending time in the sun quickly robs the skin of its protective moisture, which is why sunburns are so painful. After bathing or showering, do your skin a favor and rub in a generous amount of moisturizer. This will help replace the moisture that the sun's burning rays took out.
• Put aloe to work :- Another way to moisturize the skin and ease sunburn is to rub on a coating of gel from an aloe vera leaf. Studies have shown that aloe vera is very effective for helping burns heal more quickly. You can buy aloe vera lotions, but many doctors believe that the natural gel from the plant works best. You can also buy pure gel from your local pharmacy. Helps to get rid sunburn.
• Try a milk compress :- Many people with sunburn have gotten quick relief by soaking a towel in milk and applying it to the burn for about half an hour. Milk contains a lot of natural fats, which will help soothe the burn. Just be sure to rinse your skin thoroughly when you're done to remove the milk. Helps to relief form sunburn.

Prevention tips for sunburn

• Apply a sunscreen before you go outdoors. Choose a sunscreen that has a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or above, with a broad spectrum of protection against both UV-A and UV-B rays.
• Wear sunglasses with UV light protection.
• Do not further expose burned or peel skin areas to the sun for at least one to two weeks.
• Wear long pants, a shirt with long sleeves and a hat with a wide brim.

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