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If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you or someone you know is currently suffering from a painful sunburn.
First things first: To prevent further sunburn and skin damage, medical experts recommend using sunscreen daily, but especially during the summer months when you’re more likely to spend extended periods of time in direct sun.
“Sunscreens reduce your skin’s exposure to UV rays,” dermatologist Lindsey Zubritsky tells USA TODAY. However, they are not always applied correctly or are not applied often enough, which can lead to sunburn.
According to the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, excessive UV exposure is responsible for more than 90% of all skin cancers. One severe sunburn before adulthood doubles the risk of developing skin cancer later in life, and more than five sunburns can double the risk of developing melanoma. Melanoma is a less common but more deadly form of skin cancer.
Studies have shown that approximately 9,500 people in the United States are diagnosed with skin cancer every day. Experts estimate that one in five Americans will be diagnosed with skin cancer at some point in their lives, according to the American Academy of Dermatology Association.
“The most important thing you can do if you get sunburned is to prevent further damage,” says Zubritsky. “That means avoiding further sun exposure and helping to repair your damaged skin barrier.”
Here’s what medical experts have to say about post-sunburn treatment.
How to get rid of sunburn quickly
According to Zubritsky, “Although sunburn takes time to heal, you can speed up the healing process with a gentle, moisturizing and repairing treatment.”
Can ice help with sunburn?
This approach is best implemented with cool baths, moisturizers with aloe and ibuprofen to relieve pain, redness and discomfort, Zubritsky says.
Ice is a commonly used remedy, but experts say it can do more harm than good if applied directly to broken skin. And some people turn to products containing benzocaine, a local anesthetic, but Zubritsky cautions against trying that on a sunburn. “This can further irritate the skin or trigger an allergic reaction,” she says – the last thing you want to gamble with when you’re looking for relief for already irritated and sore skin.
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