From the first warm days of spring until the beginning of autumn frosts, it is pleasant to dress as lightly as possible and show off a beautiful figure. Many people spend weekends and holidays on the beach, taking their children with them, believing that sunbathing is good for health. It has been established that exposure to the sun strengthens the immune system, promotes the production of vitamin D, and improves the condition of bone tissue. A soft golden or dark chocolate tan is associated with travel and adventure, vacations on the sea coast and tropical islands.
But strong exposure to ultraviolet rays does not provide health benefits. Tanning is a protective reaction of the skin , leading to a change in its color. In its lower layers, the coloring pigment melanin is produced to protect against ultraviolet radiation. When exposed to direct sunlight for a long time, skin photoaging accelerates, wrinkles form faster, and the risk of developing tumors increases. Another danger of sun exposure is sunburned skin . The price to pay for carelessness will be pain, peeling, and general deterioration in well-being.
What to do if your skin is sunburned
You can get sunburned not only on the beach, but also while walking around the city, working in your garden, etc. The sun gradually heats the skin and head, and a person does not feel discomfort for a long time, but notices redness, feels a burning sensation, tightness when the skin is already severely burned. Minor burns can be treated at home, but if blisters develop, you should see a doctor.
At the first signs of burning or overheating, you need to go indoors or into the shade. If this is not possible, cover open areas of the body with clothing, a towel, or thick fabric. Replenish the lack of fluid in the body. Drink clean, cool water or warm, but not hot tea. To reduce discomfort, apply after sun cream or other emollient to the skin unless there are blisters or open wounds. If the damage is minor, your skin to recover from a sunburn .
Bandage removal procedure
The instructions for the burn wound patch contain general recommendations on the frequency of dressings. Considering that in each case the damage is individual, it is advisable to obtain the advice of a doctor. For minor superficial damage, dressings are usually done once every 2 days, unless there is excessive wetting and slipping. Serious injuries are treated twice a day, with the exception of the use of special dressings, the action of which is prolonged. They are changed once a day or as the doctor says. After a few days, a specialist will assess the condition of the wound, and if healing is going well, dressings are done less frequently - once every 3 days.
Dressings should be removed carefully. The average healing time for moderate burns is 2 weeks. If the wound does not heal by this time, the condition worsens and you need to urgently visit a doctor and treat the burn in a hospital.
Signs of skin burning in the sun
To prevent deep burns while in the sun , you need to periodically check for signs of burning. The first symptom is redness of the skin . Pain and other unpleasant sensations may not be felt. They appear later.
It is necessary to determine the degree of damage to the skin. If there is redness, mild pain, but no blisters, you need to provide first aid and the redness will go away in a few days. The skin may begin to peel. This is not dangerous, but the risk of repeated, more severe burns increases when exposed to the sun.
If blisters appear, you need to consult a doctor and treat with anti-burn ointments, drugs that relieve inflammation and prevent infection. Treatment is carried out under the supervision of a doctor. Patients often develop fever, swelling, headaches, weakness, and palpitations.
First aid
If you have sunburn , you need to get dressed and go into the shade or indoors. A cool (but not cold) shower or compress on the affected parts of the body will help relieve unpleasant symptoms. Cool and cleanse the skin. To quickly restore damaged epidermis, prevent the appearance of blisters and peeling, apply anti-burn ointment with panthenol to it.
If blisters appear, the skin should be cooled, washed with clean water without soap and ointment applied, and then consult a doctor. He will prescribe treatment that will avoid infection of the wounds that appear after the blisters rupture.
If a significant surface of the body is burned, the person has a fever, dizziness, increased heart rate, nausea, vomiting, you need to give an antipyretic, anti-inflammatory drug and quickly take him to a medical facility or call an ambulance. Sunburn can cause problems with the cardiovascular system.
Folk remedies
First aid for burns caused by ultraviolet radiation should be provided as quickly as possible. But the home medicine cabinet does not always have the necessary medications. They can be replaced with folk remedies. To improve your general condition in the absence of antipyretics, if the temperature has risen slightly, you can drink cool black or green tea with lemon or mineral water. You can apply a cool compress to your forehead.
To cool and soothe burned skin, you can make a gauze compress from cool green tea, a decoction of parsley, chamomile, calendula, and oak bark. If your face turns red after a trip to the beach or a walk on a sunny day, you can apply a fresh cabbage leaf, chopped parsley to the burned areas, and smear them with honey. look good the next day . To reduce the risk of infection of the burned areas and moisturize them, you can wipe the skin with aloe leaves.
How to deal with scars after chickenpox in children
Salon procedures are not recommended for the delicate skin of a child, but cosmetics and folk recipes can cope with small pockmarks and scars.
But not all pharmacy products are indicated for children; some creams have age restrictions. Among those that are definitely suitable for children in especially serious cases:
- Medgel. Softens the skin, smoothes out pockmarks;
- Zeraderm Ultra. Will help with old pockmarks for more than a month;
- Kelo-cat resolves compactions, stimulates the formation of healthy tissue;
- Dermatix. Evens out tone and moisturizes the skin.
The course of any of these ointments is selected individually, on average it is about 2 months. Applications are made in a thin layer at night and in the morning.
Effective against small young scars:
- Contractubex;
- Bepatenol;
- Dexpatenol;
- Dermatix;
- Rescuer;
- My Sunshine;
- Children's cream for bruises and abrasions.
If you do not neglect the consequences of the disease and take timely measures, your child’s skin will be healthy and clean in just a few months.
What not to do if you have sunburn
Complications from sunburn often occur due to improper treatment. So that they pass without consequences:
- do not apply ice to burned areas, do not take a cold shower - a sharp temperature change will accelerate the development of the inflammatory process;
- do not puncture blisters with a needle or other sharp objects - this increases the risk of infection;
- do not wipe the skin with alcohol-containing solutions - it needs to be moisturized, and alcohol dries it out, which will increase peeling;
- do not lubricate burned areas with olive, sunflower or other vegetable oils - they form a greasy film, which interferes with normal air exchange and natural cooling;
- if blisters appear, there are wounds, acne - do not apply fermented milk products;
- Do not use hard washcloths or peelings to speed up exfoliation, as you may injure the skin.
At this time, you need to soften it, moisturize it and protect it from ultraviolet radiation with sunscreen or thick clothing, do not use scrubs, hard washcloths, do not visit the sauna or take hot baths.
Effect of antiseptic patch against burns
The classic adhesive plaster is not suitable for burns; its purpose is to protect the skin from minor cuts, calluses and other non-dangerous injuries. There are specialized products for 1st-2nd degree burns. Their difference from the classic ones is the presence of a breathable base, since air access is necessary for the healing of burned skin.
When using a patch for burn wounds, a moist environment is created on the injured area, which helps the epidermis to recover. Special impregnation turns into a gel upon contact with exudate. If a standard adhesive plaster slows down healing, then a burn plaster maximizes regeneration. Additionally - reducing itching, cooling, pain relief, protection against bacteria, prevention of blisters. Regardless of the manufacturer, such products are hypoallergenic and suitable for the most sensitive skin. Easy to apply and remove.
Using a patch to heal burns provides a cleansing, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effect, accelerates the healing of minor injuries, and reduces the risk of the formation of unsightly scars and cicatrices.
How to choose a cosmetic product that protects against ultraviolet radiation
Sun cream can have different levels of protection. It is designated SPF with various coefficients. For a walk around the city on a clear spring day, a cream with SPF 2-5 is enough. If you are going to be outside for several hours (picnic, working in your garden), you need a product with SPF 5-10. For those who have white skin prone to freckles, it is better to use sunscreen cosmetics that provide intense protection (SPF 20-30). When going on holiday to a region with a hotter climate, take SPF 50 cream with you. If you want to swim, use a waterproof product. Sunscreen be applied 20 minutes before leaving the house.
To look good on hot days and prevent the appearance of early wrinkles, choose products containing vitamins and antioxidants. They protect not only from ultraviolet rays, but also take care of the skin.
What to do to prevent age spots from appearing
Prevention scheme:
Antioxidant preparations
Why we shouldn’t forget about the effects of free radicals: pigment cells also react to their excess by increasing melanin production.
Causes of excess free radicals:
- age over 30-35 years
- solar radiation
- bad ecology
- dietary violations, etc.
Residents of megacities and hot sunny regions experience a special load of free radicals, and therefore their own antioxidant defense system is depleted ahead of time and cannot cope.
Lightening agents
Starting in early spring, the use of agents that normalize and balance the work of melanocytes. These are non-aggressive lightening agents that do not thin the skin or increase sensitivity.
Example: DermaQuest SkinBright lightening line is designed specifically to work with pigmentation of any severity. Combined formulations and the absence of aggressive and dangerous ingredients make therapy not only effective, but also comfortable.
DermaQuest SkinBright serum and cream are a combination that enhances each other’s effectiveness. Advantages:
- rich composition of safe brightening ingredients
- do not require additional skin care products
- moisturize, nourish, have an antioxidant effect
- prevention of age-related changes
Contains:
- Stem cells of Lily Snow White
- Melanostatin-5 (brightening peptide)
- Chromebright
- Bakuchiol A (Vitimon A simulator without the irritating effects of retinoids)
- Hexylresorcinol – 4 times more active than hydroquinone in lightening effect
- Emblica – plant extract
- Kojic acid dipalmitate
- Bearberry, licorice root and white mulberry extract
- Arbutin
- SkinBright preparations do not contain Hydroquinone!
They do not have an irritating effect, have a moisturizing and nourishing effect, making them a complete treatment used morning and evening for the entire face.
There is no need for local application and the purchase of additional care products!
How to choose after-sun cosmetics
To ensure that your skin quickly recovers after sunbathing and looks -sun cream or milk . It contains hydrants that replenish water reserves in cells, soothing and softening ingredients that prevent flaking. To quickly heal minor burns, you can use cosmetics rather than medications. It is convenient to use cosmetics produced in the form of sprays. By pressing the sprayer several times, you will apply the product evenly.
Sprays or creams are available that need to be rubbed in with light massage movements for the face and body. It is better to purchase two products from the same brand: one for the face, where the skin is more delicate and requires care, the other for the body. Use them every time you go out in the sun to restore moisture balance and prevent photoaging.
After-sun cosmetics are available for different skin types. For oily skin, a lighter texture is needed, for dry skin - a high content of hyaluronic acid, for sensitive skin - extracts of aloe and other medicinal plants.
Why does pigmentation remain after burns?
Burn marks remain after severe damage to the integrity of the skin and underlying tissues. The greatest danger is from injuries caused by:
- chemicals;
- hot objects;
- electric shock;
- boiling oil;
- hot gas.
Pigment spots from chemical burns do not go away for years, and scar changes in the injured areas remain for life. Cosmetic defects occur due to exposure of the cells of the epidermis and dermis to chemically aggressive liquids or high temperatures.
Causes of post-burn spots include:
- Coagulation (folding) of proteins. During a burn, the local skin temperature rises to 50-60°C or more. Already at temperatures above 42°C, protein in cells begins to break down. When the epidermis is restored, either too many (hyperpigmentation) or too few (hypopigmentation) melanocytes are formed in the injured areas. Therefore, spots of white, red or brown shades remain at the site of injury.
- Scar changes. With burns of 3A and 3B degrees, connective tissue forms in the injured areas. Scar tissue grows unevenly. Therefore, pale pink spots appear in the burned areas in the form of depressions (atrophic scars) or swellings (hypertrophic scars).
Scars remain even with superficial burns in case of infectious inflammation of the injured skin.
Factors that provoke spots after burns include:
- improper treatment of fresh wounds;
- abuse of sunbathing;
- taking antibiotics or birth control pills when visiting a solarium.
Irrational treatment often causes hyperpigmentation or scars on the body. If burns are not treated with antiseptics and antimicrobial agents, this will lead to bacterial and purulent inflammation. Complications in 30% of cases are dark spots or pronounced scars on the body.
Preventing sunburn
look beautiful and avoid burns , you need to dose your exposure to the sun. The best time for sunbathing is before 10-11 am and after 16-17 o'clock. Try not to go out in the sun between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. To protect your face and body from direct sunlight, wear wide-brimmed hats, a cap with a visor, or other headwear. Don't forget about eye protection - sunglasses will help preserve your vision and slow down the formation of wrinkles in the corners of your eyes.
On hot days, dress in loose, light-colored clothing made from natural fabrics. It reflects ultraviolet rays well and does not interfere with air exchange. If you have delicate, fair skin that is prone to sunburn, be sure to cover your shoulders and back, choose dresses, shirts, and T-shirts with long sleeves.
Drink more clean water and tea, but give up sweet carbonated drinks and coffee. They have a diuretic effect and accelerate moisture loss. And the body needs it to secrete sweat and naturally cool the skin.
Regularly apply sunscreen to exposed areas of your body, even if you only need to walk outside briefly on a sunny day. On the beach, renew it every 2 hours and after swimming.
Is it possible to pierce a burn blister?
The blisters formed from a burn are cavity elements that form inside the epidermis. They are filled with serous exudate - a liquid that is inflammatory in nature. Therefore, unfortunately, the bubble will not go away on its own and will not be “absorbed” back into the skin.
On the contrary, inflammation within it will slow down the healing process. And a burn blister can burst at the most inopportune moment, when you have nothing on hand to treat and disinfect the burn site. But the doctor must open the bladder and treat the burn area in a dressing room or operating room.
