Sunburn Aftercare From Someone Who's Been-There-Done-That Many Times
Aug 08 '00
When I was young I spent 80% of my day out doors each summer. I rarely wore more than a swim suit; that's just how it was for us at that time. Sunscreen was "too expensive" (stepmother) and well, to be honest it wasn't toted to be "all that much" at that point in time. Everyone worshiped the sun and spent as much time getting tan during the summer months as possible. At my house we even had a television so we could watch the soaps while tanning!
Now, it's a completely different story. Sunscreen is in make up and in everyone's beach bag across the nation. There are times where sunscreen is not enough, or in some cases (mine) it doesn't work if you are in the sun for more than 25 minutes.
Last summer, when I was in a high risk pregnancy, I suffered one of the worst sunburns of my entire life (being a fair skinned Irish lass, I've suffered more than my share). When I got to urgent care there was not a whole lot they could do for me.
My doctor told me that several cases ahead of me were sunburns of varying degrees of severity, and only one was worse than me -- the kid just before me who was burned badly on his face and due to attend prom in 3 days, poor guy!
As I was pregnant, and suffer from a thyroid disease, what was available to me at the time was not a whole lot! The others were given a pain reliever and some topical cream.
I was not allowed those things. What I was prescribed is something I have told anyone I've come across with a burn and something I will remember forever!
To relieve the pain I soaked cloth diapers (I used the Gerber prefolds) in straight vinegar, and placed them over the burned area. I put an old plastic table cloth on the couch, covered that with a sheet, and laid sans clothing on the sheet. My husband (lucky guy that he is <evil grin>) got to cover my body with the pleasant (NOT!) smelling soaked cloth diapers. He then sat down, turned on the movie, and before the first half hour was done my pain was gone!
Can you believe that? A liquid that cost about $1.99 a bottle and stunk to high heaven and back took away a pain that was so severe that it brings tears to my eyes to even think of it now.
The vinegar soaked diapers can be used as often as needed. I bought the gallon sized jug because the pain was quite intense.
Along with the pain of my sunburn that time came quite a bit of swelling. What the doc told me to do for that really stumped me. He told me to use cortisone cream on it.
My husband went to the drugstore and picked up the Walgreen's brand of cortisone cream for me. He just happened to go in when it was a buy one get one free sale. I didn't even use up all of it, as you don't need to put a lot on the burned areas. I applied the cortisone cream after the vinegar treatments to avoid some of the pain of the application.
Sunburn is an awful thing. It is a painful thing, and can create some long term effects. Sunburn is something that should be avoided at all costs.
However, sunburn does happen to the best of us, sometimes despite all efforts we take to avoid it. What I have shared with you here in this essay is what my doctor prescribed for me, using all over-the-counter products. Even though they are safe products and can be purchased by anyone with a few dollars in their hands please do not use these remedies without consulting your trusted health care provider. What works for some may not work for others.
Lukewarm, room temperature baths with baking soda also helped to ease my discomfort. I recommend avoiding the ever popular poufs used so frequently in bathrooms across the nation. They do not feel very good on sunburned skin.
If you are suffering from a sunburn I feel your pain, and I hope things feel better for you. The sunburn I spoke of in this review was my second most severe sunburn ever. The first was a result of my first, and last, visit to a tanning bed. Trust me you haven't experienced pain or discomfort until you have burned your breasts and buttocks to the color of an original pringals can. And you haven't experienced peeling until you have had your breasts peel from the nipple out. Please use extreme caution in tanning beds and in the sun.
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Epinions.com ID:
IrishMa4
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Member: Bobbie Jean Knealing
Location: Kenyon, Minnesota
Reviews written: 232
Trusted by: 342 members
About Me:
Avon Independent Sales Rep http://www.youravon.com/bknealing
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