Majorly Sunburned... Anything I Can Do?

[AnnShh]

Ugh.. so yesterday I was at a horseshow and was out in the sun literally ALL day. Got to the barn at 6am to finish braiding and then got to the show at 7:30am. Left the show at 5pm. I was wearing a t-shirt all day (wasn't able to ride this time but I went to help a friend). You just don't think about sunscreen when you are half asleep at 6am.... and then we were running around all day that I didn't get a chance to ask anyone for some (my friend didn't bring any).

My face and arms are majorly sunburned. I've been putting aloe gell all over but is there anything else I can do? Prom is in 2 weeks and even if it turns to a tan, I'll look ridiculous!

 

[pinkdaisy]

Sounds weird, but one of my friends said she put vinegar on a really bad sunburn and it worked really well..

And as for the prom thing...I'm not sure what to suggest. Wait and see if it fades to a tan, and if it does use a bronzing powder or one of those instant bronzing sheet things on the rest of you thats white so *hopefully* it will all be one uniform colour

 

[Jenn]

Sorry, I live in Washington and don't know what a sunburn is! Ok, we do see the sun occasionally... Vitamin E might be helpful as well, cut open one end and put it on. But aloe is great and should really help. You'll want to to make sure to wear sunblock on the burn when you're in the sun or you'll worsen the burn. Good luck, and please send some of that sun my way!!!

 

[tunes]

Yup - apple cider vinegar. Don't rub it in, pour it onto a paper towel or a towel over the sunburned area. Remember though, if you have any open cuts, it's going to sting like a.............well, like one of those women.

 

[AnnShh]

Yup - apple cider vinegar. Don't rub it in, pour it onto a paper towel or a towel over the sunburned area. Remember though, if you have any open cuts, it's going to sting like a.............well, like one of those women.

Do they cell apple cider vinegar at the store or do I have to mix something to make it? I'm willing to try anything at this point!!

 

[addictedtochins]

It's at any store in the condiments (mayo etc) area.

 

[tskoffina]

Ah, the wonders of the sun. I get really badly burned all the time here. Solarcaine spray works the best. It numbs it, and helps sooth it. http://www.solarcaine.com/. You should be able to get it at any chain pharmacy, not sure of the smaller ones. If you can't find it ask the pharmasist. You don't neccissarily need the sunburn one, they all help, but the sunburn one has aloe, which helps it heal.

 

[InkedupTara]

Oh yea, take Advil/Ibuprofen, it is an anti infammatory and will help! Drink lots of fluids, and you can get clear aloe and put it on as well. I love Aloe and with as white as I am, I always use it after the sun, I burn just thinking about going outside lol.

Good luck. I am no help with the prom part however.

 

[tunes]

The vinegar will take the red out, and if you don't rub, it will also help you not blister. Can't help you with the tanning part before prom though. That's all going to depend on your individual pigment. Sorry!

 

[beanjelly]

Yup, I agree with the vinegar. I've had some really horrible burns, and the vinegar always helps. I usually cool it a little in the fridge, and wipe down/hold a washcloth on the affected areas.

I had a really bad reaction to solarcaine once when I tried it--it made my burn hurt/itch SO BAD I was in tears. No clue why.

 

[Sugarmama]

Aloe vera gel is a wonderful help--it soothes the skin, and helps to hydrate it. If you use it regularly at the beginning of a sunburn, it can help the skin not to peel as badly also.

 

[AnnShh]

Thanks guys- I'll continue to apply aloe and will go get the apple cider vinegar tomorrow!

I'm very white.... and usually my sunburn turns to tan- but whenever I've been sunburned it's been while I've been wearing a tank top/spaghetti strap shirt.... so the sunburn was pretty uniform and although it hurt like heck it looked better than what I have now! Red arms half way up my upper arm and then WHITE.

 

[Chinniechantel]

Wow, I never knew vinegar helps, great to know! Did you see the pic of Kim Kardashian and her horrible sunburn- it is pretty funny!

 

[Snoepgoed123]

to look less ridiculous at prom you could always wear a wrap, that way you could cover the less tanned part of your arms but still look really cute

 

[Jenn]

I had never heard of the apple cider vinegar remedy either. I'll have to try that next time I get sunburned! You learn something new everyday.

 

[mapache315]

Forget aloe, it's pretty much a myth for sunburns (reallly bad sunburns that is).

Drink a ton of water, and cover yourself in vinegar. There's also this paste that you can make out of ground up aspirin, I would look that up and try it on a small part of your skin. I was told that you shouldn't do it when I was in the middle of trying it because aspirin is an acid and will burn you more, but couldn't get it off of this one part of my body and it took the burn right off.

You can also take aspirin orally, but that's more of an "I just got a sunburn 2 hours ago" kind of cure, but it's worth a shot. (just one or two, don't go nuts).

 

[InkedupTara]

Here is a good link. Aloe does help, just depends on the severity of the burn. Aloe is always good for the skin.
http://www.health911.com/remedies/rem_sunb.htm

These are "folk" remedies, but most of them will all help ease the pain.

 

[mapache315]

Here is a good link. Aloe does help, just depends on the severity of the burn. Aloe is always good for the skin.

My issue with aloe is that it is overmarketed, and a lot of the commerical gels add things to it which detract/even make it worse, and therefore not as "healing" as pure aloe that you just slice from a houseplant. ETA: Some of the "creams" or "gels" that say "aloe vera" on them are actually so thick that they can hold in the heat and make it worse.

Also, it's not really an anti inflammatory which is something that you want when you have a sunburn. People read that aloe helps keep the skin hydrated, but don't think about drinking more water to keep their bodies properly hydrated.


Personally, I think that chamomile tea works better for burns (cooled). I have used aloe many times for burns, and have started using other things (esp vinegar and taking aspirin) and have found that they work many times better than aloe does. It just isn't a cure-all, and a lot of the people who swear by it aren't the ones who get seriously sun burned.



Shannon, I would start using a moisturizer that has SPF in it. That way even if you are half asleep and on auto-pilot, you will put it on as part of your "morning routine". I put on an Aveeno one every morning and have never gotten burned on my face while using it.

 

[3CsMommy]

For future reference, the little orange and red flowers you see along pastures and fence lines called "jewelweed" or touch me not works similarly to pure aloe extract. I've used it for mosquito bites and such for as long as I can remember, so it's probably better than nothing the next time you get stuck outside without first aid supplies. Link: http://www.altnature.com/jewelweed.htm Just watch out as you pick it; it tends to grow right in with poison ivy, oak and sumac.

 

[kendra]

Never heard about the vinegar idea thats cool!

Fresh Aloe helps if there are any aloe plants nearby, a friend of mine would actually just use the leaves on sunburns and also allergy rashes- seemed to help quite a bit