How do you treat a sunburn?

[Magpie]

My son got himself his first-ever sunburn at a waterpark today. Which is apparently what happens when you allow teenagers out by themselves.

I got him to put a (non-greasy) moisturizer all over himself, which is our traditional treatment for sunburns. It's always seemed to work in the past (my husband shaves his head, so his scalp occasionally gets burned).

But a poster in another thread said she's heard that moisturizer wasn't so good for sunburns. So now I'm curious...

What do YOU do, when you or your children get sunburned? How do you treat it?

 

[3prettyprincesses]

Oh poor thing! I had a horrible sunburn in college, I swear the skin looked purple!

Anyhow, lots and lots of water to drink. Take ibuprofen and apply aloe vera gel liberally. A cool shower helps some but for me, once I got out it felt like the skin was tighter and more painful. Good luck to your son!

 

[JohnsonsLoveDisney]

We use that an aloe based gel stuff. haha. hard to describe it. Its usually with the sunscreen at the store, and is green and goopy. But it works. Just smooth it on and let it dry before putting on a shirt and should be good to go. Found a link http://www.amazon.com/Banana-Boat-Relief-16-Ounce-Bottles/dp/B001G7PLC8

 

[snarlingcoyote]

It depends on how bad it is. Most sunburns I just wait them out; give them two days and I brown, if they start looking a little peaked, I use mosturizer, but mainly I make sure I stay extremely well hydrated following a mild burn. Bad burns we treat with aloe vera, lidocaine and mosturizer.

 

[Diegosmom]

make sure the aloe is 100% aloe...you shouldnt be putting anything on it with alcohol, which surprisingly a lot of lotions have alcohol which can dry out the skin...

But aloe is the way to go

 

[JessicaR]

My Grandpa covered me in vinegar when I was 16 and burnt myself SO bad. It worked - very well. In a spray bottle. No oil just vinegar.

Take a cool shower - pay dry - apply vinegar. It worked.

Poor kid - hope he feels better. Oh and Ibuprofen helps too.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

Take ibuprofen and apply aloe vera gel liberally. A cool shower helps some

This.

Hope he feels better.

 

[gillep]

I always just drink plenty of water and apply moisturizer frequently -- hydration is key don't use anything with alcohol or any other ingredient that my dry out the skin

 

[Maridw]

If it is all over, have him soak in a cool tub of water. If it is localized to specific areas, use cool towels and keep changing them out. As one gets warm, put another cool one on until the heat is COMPLETELY gone. It might take a while, but it is the best thing for a sunburn.

As long as there is heat coming from it, it will continue to "cook". Once you have it completely cooled down, then put a creme with aloe vera in it on it. Make sure you do not use anything with lidocaine or alcohol in it. This will dry it out and make it feel worse. Keep the creme on it for a couple days.

The main thing is to get the heat completely out of the burn. Until you do that, no matter what you do, it will not feel good.

 

[SAHDad]

Drink lots of water, use moisturizer, cool baths (and you pretty much have to pat dry or air dry if it bad enough). Wear loose fitting clothing, and stay out of the sun as much as possible while healing.

I avoid the aloe vera stuff like the plague - but that's because I am allergic to it, so putting it on a sunburn a really bad idea.

 

[sookie]

We use over the counter SOLARCAINE.... it numbs the sting and pain. We also use ibprofen because it is an anti-inflammatory .

 

[minkydog]

My Grandpa covered me in vinegar when I was 16 and burnt myself SO bad. It worked - very well. In a spray bottle. No oil just vinegar.

Take a cool shower - pay dry - apply vinegar. It worked.

Poor kid - hope he feels better. Oh and Ibuprofen helps too.

My mom used to put us in a cool bath with vinegar in it and it really seemed to help.

I've very fair so I've had my share of sunburns. I usually put aloe vera on it, some cool compresses(not ice packs, too damaging to the skin), and take an NSAID round the clock.

 

[Kat77]

My Grandpa covered me in vinegar when I was 16 and burnt myself SO bad. It worked - very well. In a spray bottle. No oil just vinegar.

Take a cool shower - pat dry - apply vinegar. It worked.

Poor kid - hope he feels better. Oh and Ibuprofen helps too.

Vinegar works great!!!

A loooong cold bath, fan dry, spray down with vinegar, fan dry. Wait a half hour or so then you can apply banana boat aloe if you have any. I put it in the fridge. Repeat in AM. It might even keep him from peeling.

Echoing the advice to drink lots of water (or tea) and pain meds!

 

[Magpie]

Thank you, everyone! This is very helpful information.

His burn isn't too bad. It's red, but not a scary-red, and he claims it doesn't hurt much. We're hoping it's a lesson to him, and next time he'll wear a t-shirt even if ALL the other boys aren't. (Apparently it's not manly to swim in a t-shirt.)

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Ice cream, preferably from Dairy Queen.



Wait, here you go

(Trusting Magpie will appreciate the joke here!)

 

[golfgal]

I agree, cool bath, vinegar and ibuprofen. The bath will also get the remaining chlorine off him.

 

[shortbun]

No moisturizers at first. Reason: you don't put grease on a fire to put it out. Compresses of cold apple cider vinegar, ibuprofen. NO hot showers or even warm-room temp only and quick as they dry the skin out. Aloe from a plant or 100% aloe-no dye. Immediate cold compresses-all cold stuff to take as much heat out as possible.

 

[tikilyn]

I've never done this but my neighbor does it all the time and swears it works. She rubs vicks vapor rub on her kids sunburns and within hours they say it doesn't hurt anymore.

 

[XYSRUS]

Aloe with lidocaine product...ibuprofen and cool compresses....the idea is to remove the heat and reduce the swelling.

 

[HsvTeacher]

I was also going to suggest vinegar. I got burned last summer and when a friend recommended vinegar, I thought she was crazy. I was desperate for relief, so I tried it. It worked so well!