Sunburn Treatment

Whereas sun-rays are very important for keeping the skin healthy, sunburn is extremely harmful to the skin. As you already know, sun is a big bowl of fire from which many kinds of rays emanate. We can see the rays of light but we cannot see infra-red and ultra-violet rays, which are also present. Infrared rays are hot and bring warmth to the body. Ultra-violet rays provide vitamin 'D' to the body, that is essential for our health. But the skin gets burnt due to excess of ultraviolet rays. Melanins, underneath the skin, prevent the skin from getting burnt, that is why the blondes or dark complexioned people get less sun-bums than the fair complexioned people. This is because the darker the skin, more the quantity of melanins in the body. Fair complexioned people are adversely affected by the sunrays. The ill-effects of sun-rays are maximum on children between six to eight years of age, on women between twenty-five to thirty years of age and on men between thirty to thirty-five years of age. Ultra-violet rays destroy the melanins in the body and the skin gets darkened. The minute rays cut the skin.and crack it. It results in drying of the skin. As a result, the skin swells and rashes appear on it. Then fresh melanin comes out and the skin gets blackened.

Sunburn reacts on the body in the same way as does the burning by steam or very hot oil. It results in skin getting dried; the blood vessels get swollen; and cells are damaged. Ordinary sunburn can be cured within three or four days but a strong sunburn creates rashes and the skin peels off in layers. Obviously, new cells are born and a new skin does appear again but it is much more dry and thick as compared to the original one. New skin is often of brownish color, it cracks and wrinkles easily and such wrinkles are hard to cure.

Home remedies for sunburn

You may benefit from a cold water bath if you are suffering from sunburn, but do not use soap. It is specially advisable to take a shower­bath. Coconut oil, cold cream or antiseptic cream should be applied on the dried skin. Lactocalamine is also beneficial. If it is a mild sun-bum wash it with cold water and apply any antiseptic or other cream. Remember to protect the skin from sun until the sun-burnt skin gets cured. If rashes appear, consult a specialist. The degree of tolerance of sun depends upon the nature of the skin. Direct hot sun-rays may be more harmful in the month of June when the sun gets nearest to the earth. Sun-rays are dangerously hot between 12 noon and 2 o' clock in the afternoon. Drink as much lemon-water as you can during this period of the day for a cooling effect.