health
summerskinprotection
BY DR. ELIZABETH MARTIN
How to avoid and treat sunburn
While warmer weather means more outdoor activities, it also means carefully protecting your skin
from the sun. Without the proper protection of sunscreen and clothing, sunburn can cause longterm damage, as well as considerable pain and discomfort.
“Whether you’re at the beach, going for a jog, or playing a round of
golf, it’s important to protect your skin from the sun’s harmful rays,”
says board-certified dermatologist Elizabeth S. Martin, MD, FAAD.
“Although sunburn may seem like a temporary condition, it leaves
behind long-lasting damage to the skin that increases a person’s risk for
getting skin cancer.”
To help prevent sunburn and decrease the risk of skin cancer, Dr.
Martin recommends the following tips:
1. Seek shade when appropriate. The sun’s rays are strongest
between 10 a.m.–2 p.m. If your shadow appears to be shorter than
you are, seek shade.
2. Wear protective clothing. Wear a long-sleeved shirt, pants, a
wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses wherever possible.
3. Generously apply a broad-spectrum, water-resistant
sunscreen.
The sunscreen should have a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 30 or
more, and it should be applied to all exposed skin areas. “Broad spectrum” provides protection from both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B
(UVB) rays. For maximum protection, reapply sunscreen approximately
every two hours, even on cloudy days, and after swimming or sweating.
“Sunburn is better prevented than treated, but if you do get a
sunburn, it’s important to begin treating it as soon as you notice it,”
said Dr. Martin.
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DECISIVE LATINO
To help heal and soothe sunburned skin, Dr. Martin recommends
the following tips:
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.
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. Tightlywoven fabrics work best. When you hold the fabric up to a bright
light, you shouldn’t see any light coming through.dD