HELP!SUNBURN IS NO JOKE!

[Incharge]

HELP! I am on fire! I got a terrible burn on Castaway Cay yesterday. I have never experienced this before. I had on sun-block, but it rubbed off when I was on the float. Never felt a thing coming. What is good to soothe this fire? Thanks. ps..Had a very good time

 

[BeanoC]

Refrigerated Aloe seems to be the bet thing I have come across. Put in on generously, several times a day. It is soothing and moisturizing, and will help minimize peeling.

Hot baths are hard to stand when you're already burned, but they will draw some of the heat out...
take a bath and then apply the aloe. You'll be good to go in a few days.


'Beano'

 

[Incharge]

Thanks BeanoC... I will run(or crawl) to the store and get some aloe now.

 

[Verandah Man]

OUCH!!! I can feel the heat in NJ.

 

[Incharge]

Very Funny Mister I think I DID send the temperature up at least 10 degrees here in VA. That's what I get for not thinking I would burn.

 

[gassmandy]

Like BeanoC said--I ALWAYS take a hot, steamy shower--it takes away a lot of that stinging feel--just moisturize a lot after if you don't want to peel.

 

[starwood]

A cool bath in epsom salts always took some of my sting away.

I found that the sun in CC seems to be a lot stronger than other places. I usually don't burn but there I have to be very careful.

 

[Verandah Man]

Just found this info online, for our

HOT MOMMA!!!


FIRST AID:
Apply cool baths or cool compresses for 10 to 15 minutes several times a day. ,Baking soda in the water may help relieve the pain (small children may become easily chilled, so keep the water tepid).
Apply a soothing lotion to the skin.
Your physician may prescribe a steroid cream to treat severe sunburn.
An over-the-counter pain medication such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, for example) may be helpful (Note: aspirin should not be given to children).

 

[shoes99]

We came back from CC early because it was cloudy. DH fell asleep on the deck chair on deck 9. He forgot to put on more sunscreen. Boy did he burn. We went to the Swan for 2 nights post cruise. After spending $15 on after sun products, we went to the supermarket and bought a big bottle of vinegar. He soaked towels in vinegar and applied compresses. It worked. It pulls the heat right out.
Don't trust the sun on a cloudy day. It can me very bad. I wouldn't use it on blistered skin, but it worked for DH.

 

[jiminy579]

You can add 1 cup of white vinegar to your bath....works GREAT, or purchase Solarcaine Aloe Extra Burn Relief Spray. Both work well, but you have to decide whether or not you want to smell like a salad or a medicine cabinet. Hopefully you can spend tomorrow at home!!

 

[Grumpy's Mom]

Incharge, being of the red hair, fair skinned variety myself, and having lived in Orlando for 5 months many years ago and having gotten the sunburn of my life then, and being married to a physician ---

Aspirin - I am assuming you are an adult -- cool baths, (you can add vinegar, also) and lotion are suggested by the medical community. (Do NOT use an oil-based lotion, as it will form a film, and actually hold the heat in, and not allow your skin to breath, slough off, and replace with a new layer of cells) I have found that Hydrocortisone cream is the best, fastest acting topical pain reliever - you can buy 1% over the counter, but will have to get a prescription for 2.5%. If you can't tolerate aspirin, you can take up to 800 mg of Ibuprofen, along with 1000 mg of Tylenol ES at the same time.

Thank you for the warning. I would have remembered to take sunscreen, but would not have recalled (my 48 yo memory is not as good as it used to be) how different the sun is in tropical parts of the world- you have saved me from one miserable time!!

If you develop blisters, you should at least call the nurse at your primary care doc's office to get further advice. If the blisters are larger than 2 inches - don't pop them, get to the doctor.

Also, really, really important to stay as fully hydrated as you can over the next day or two!

Glad you had fun!!

 

[Tesabat]

I've probably tried everything...I've never tanned in my entire life, and have reconciled myself to the "ruddy" look....if your freckles grow together enough and your skin gets a reddish-tan...you are "ruddy"...and that's about all the tan I'll ever have!

The key to reducing the pain in a sunburn is to reduce the swelling and reduce futher irritants.

It's probably too late, but studies have shown, if you take ibuprofen shortly after a sunburn, it reduces the swelling and minimizes the pain AND the redness. As long as you have no allergies to those types of products (Advil, etc.), I'd try it. Tylenol will reduce pain, but NOT swelling.

Cool compresses work well because they keep the skin hydrated. In addition, make sure you drink a LOT of fluids...that also helps keep the skin moist.

Aloe - aloe cream is soothing but if you can find aloe gel - it's better...but it "tightens" if you apply if over too large of an area. So, I've found taking 100% aloe gel and applying it with a little bit of Lubriderm, or another type of moisturizer that "holds in moisture", allows the 100% aloe to work...without that "tight skin" factor.

Hydrocortisone cream can work well too - but in my experience that's better for "patches"...like when you have a patch of skin that you missed with the sunblock - this has happened to me a couple of times.

My mother swore by vinegar. It works, because it's an astringent. If you don't mind smelling like a pickle, a double combo of vinegar and ibuprofen works great.

Here's a link I found -

Sunburn

I've already decided if I can't find shade on CC - I'll visit and then be back on the ship, coz for me an umbrella isn't "nice" - it's "necessary". I usually travel with my own umbrella, and we've decided that we might just lug it along, just incase!

 

[jlp651]

Take Tylenol for the pain

Dont use anything with alcohal in it...it will make your skin tight

Drink LOTS of water...

 

[PMelhorn]

A hot bath will hold the heat in. Get in the shower and sll you are taking slowly add more amd more cold water until you are taking a cold shower. Or work on getting into a cold bath. Cold will draw out the heat. Heat will keep on cooking you. An example of this in relation to food. When you blanch(cook for 4-5 minutes) an food item then you submerge it into ice water to stop the cooking process.
You need to stop the cooking process. In the medical field we put cold instead of hot.
Good luck and I hope you fell better soon.

 

[Mjasp]

I had the same problem as you. I was fine the whole Western cruise, but CC did me in. I was sitting on a chair at the foot of the water and reapplied sunscreen all day. Didn't realize the water was taling it right off my legs and OUCH. I was barely able to move my legs. I bought (on the ship) Solarcaine's Aloe extra Burn relief, has Lidocaine in it. That was the only thing that worked. See if you could find it in your local stores.
Good Luck
Joanna

 

[Incharge]

Thanks to everyone for all of these good suggestions. What got to me is that I never thought I would burn like this. I am a fair complexioned black woman, who was always under the impression that black skin does not burn easily. Boy, was I wrong. Now that I think of it, I just was never one who liked to lay out in the sun, so I never gave myself the opportunity to burn until now. Well, you live and learn.

 

[WeRHappy]

LOL Tesabat.... I was just 'wondering' if that 'tight-skin' look with the aloe would work on cellulite as well

I sure could use that before this cruise!!!

 

[dzneprincess]

LOL Since so many seem to burn at CC maybe that is why it is the last day? So we wont be miserable for the rest of the cruise?

 

[Mjasp]

LOL and I thought it was to awe you to get you to rebook.

 

[dzneprincess]

NO, they dont want my money,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,do they???????????????????