Emily Got Some Sun; Tips For A Sunburn

I know it's cruel to laugh, but Emily came in with the funniest looking sunburn I've ever seen today. It got me to thinking... maybe it's time for that annual reminder about staying safe in the sun.

My grandfather, Harry, died from melanoma in the early 70s. Of course, nowadays we know much more about the sun (and the damage it causes) then we did then.

I go to see my dermatologist once a year and she usually plucks a weird looking spot from my body. Fortunately, nothing to worry about yet.

I do often think about my careless days of youth, when I would spend hours shirtless at the pool with no sunscreen. Then you would spend weeks peeling that nasty looking dead skin from your sunburned areas. Gross, right?

The FDA has a few tips for avoiding sunburns. They include limiting time in the sun and wearing appropriate clothing to protect yourself. Make sure you wear sunscreen (with the appropriate SPF) and reapply it often. You should also wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from dangerous UV rays.

If you do find yourself burned, the American Academy of Dermatology Association has six things you can do for relief if you find yourself spending too much time in the sun:

1. Take frequent cool baths or showers to help relieve the pain. As soon as you get out of the bathtub or shower, gently pat yourself dry, but leave a little water on your skin. Then, apply a moisturizer to help trap the water in your skin. This can help ease the dryness.
2. Use a moisturizer that contains aloe vera or soy to help soothe sunburned skin. If a particular area feels especially uncomfortable, you may want to apply a hydrocortisone cream that you can buy without a prescription. Do not treat sunburn with “-caine” products (such as benzocaine), as these may irritate the skin or cause an allergic reaction.
3. Consider taking aspirin or ibuprofen to help reduce any swelling, redness and discomfort.
4. Drink extra water. A sunburn draws fluid to the skin’s surface and away from the rest of the body. Drinking extra water when you are sunburned helps prevent dehydration.
5. If your skin blisters, allow the blisters to heal. Blistering skin means you have a second-degree sunburn. You should not pop the blisters, as blisters form to help your skin heal and protect you from infection.
6. Take extra care to protect sunburned skin while it heals. Wear clothing that covers your skin when outdoors. Tightly-woven fabrics work best. When you hold the fabric up to a bright light, you shouldn’t see any light coming through.

As for Emily, she found herself performing with her band, The Struggle, outdoors this weekend and got more sun on one side of her body than the other... take a look!

Ouch! If you want to find all the tips for a sunburn, here's a link to the AAD website.

Stay cool this summer and be careful in the sun!

~Chris Farber