5 steps to soothing a sunburn

Unprotected skin can burn in just 15 minutes on intense sun days. (flickr/ Kelly Sue DeConnick)

We’ve all done it on a long weekend. We’ve gotten distracted by the fun, the friends and the refreshment, and we’ve forgotten to re-apply our sunscreen. Or, we’ve just forgotten it altogether.

And boy, do we pay the price, with skin so hot and sore it hurts just to sit.

As we’ve all heard by now, getting a sunburn isn’t just painful, it’s also dangerous. The more sunburns we’ve have had and the more severe they’ve been, the greater our risk of skin cancer -- no matter our age. In fact, the U.S. Skin Cancer Foundation says our risk for the deadliest form of skin cancer -- melanoma -- doubles after just five sunburns.

So what exactly is a sunburn? Simply put, it’s a pretty severe reaction caused by invisible ultraviolet light damaging the DNA in our skin cells.

The damage causes skin cells to start killing themselves -- a process called apoptosis. Our bodies sense this cellular destruction and flood the skin with blood to help with healing. All that blood is what causes the intense redness of a sunburn.

While there’s no way to reverse a sunburn, there are a few ways to relieve the discomfort:

1) Cool the skin

The first step in soothing a sunburn is to take a cool bath or shower, says the Canadian Dermatology Association. Alternately, you can apply cool compresses to the skin, but don’t use ice packs, since that can be painful and damage the skin further.

While it won’t speed up skin healing, cool showers will help relieve the pain. Just be sure to skip the soap, since it strips away oil and will further dry the skin.

2) Moisturize

The American Academy of Dermatology advises patting yourself dry after a shower, leaving some water on the skin, then applying a moisturizer to help trap moisture.

There are lots of gels and creams that promise to soothe sunburns, but dermatologists say there is no evidence any of them help speed skin healing. Still, if you find aloe vera gels or creams with menthol soothing, go ahead and use them.

But remember to avoid creams with petroleum as they can block pores and trap heat against the skin, says the AAD.

3) Hydrate

The CDA says sunburns can hinder how well the body cools itself, so it's important to keep hydrated from the inside as well. A sunburn draws fluid to the skin’s surface and away from the rest of the body, so be sure to guzzle lots of water while you recover.

4) Pain relief

The CDA also recommends taking a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), such as ibuprofen, naproxen or aspirin at the first sign of sunburn, to help relieve pain and reduce inflammation.

An over-the-counter cortisone cream can also be used for a few days to help calm redness and swelling. But the AAD recommends avoiding creams with the anesthetics benzocaine or lidocaine, as theses can irritate sunburned skin.

5) Watch for complications

A first-degree sunburn will usually cause swelling and skin peeling but doesn’t usually require medical attention.

A second-degree goes deeper into the skin, causing actual blisters. Seek medical help if you develop blistering over a large portion of the body, advises the ADA. The same goes if you develop chills and fever, light-headedness, nausea or vomiting, as you may also be suffering from heat stroke.