Even though we all know it: sunscreen is the alpha and omega when staying in the sun. However, sometimes more severe, sometimes less severe sunburns occur. STYLEBOOK asked the experts how sunburn occurs, how to prevent it, and what you can do if your skin is already sunburned.
Sunbathing is good for you: the warm rays stimulate our body’s production of vitamin D, ensure relaxation and simply put you in a good mood. However, the latter quickly disappears if the result of a nice day in the sun is burnt skin. And this can happen very quickly, depending on your skin type. While a slight redness is already bad for your health but usually heals quickly, a severe sunburn can take about a week to complete.
But how come? STYLE BOOK Dr. asked Timm Golüke. The Munich dermatologist explains: “A sunburn is an acute burn. This is caused by excessive exposure to UV rays. In response, the damaged top layer of skin gradually peels off, as if burned on a hot frying pan.
This way you will quickly get rid of sunburn
While the body can handle this healing process on its own, there’s no harm in helping it. Cooling plays a particularly important role here: “The affected area should be cooled sharply, because cooling always improves an acute inflammation. Popular home remedies such as quark, which also have a cooling effect, or refreshing after-sun products, for example with menthol, are also used. Golüke creams with hydrocortisone. These relieve pain and redness and, in addition to burns, can also be useful for insect bites. This often helps the body, but what if you have a bad sunburn?
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If you have a bad sunburn, go to the dermatologist!
“If the sunburn is severe, you should see a dermatologist. He may then prescribe stronger cortisone creams or sometimes antibiotic creams if there is a superinfection.” This may be the case if the bacterial inflammation continues to get worse, explains the dermatologist. But you can help not only from the outside, but also from the inside. “Anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin or ibuprofen can also be helpful for severe sunburn.”
The specialist divides sunburn, like any burn, into different degrees. Degree 1 indicates reddened skin, while degrees 2 and 3 speak of more severe burns. “It is at these degrees that blisters can form and the skin can then peel off.”
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You can easily prevent serious sunburn
However, we must not do without full sunbathing. However, we should remember what we already know: always use sunscreen! “Always use a sun protection factor of 50 and apply it 20 minutes before sunbathing.”
In addition to insufficient or no sun protection, there is another point to consider: “Beware of crowds! We always use too little sunscreen!” The rule of thumb can be: three tablespoons of sunscreen for the body, two teaspoons for the face and neck. The dermatologist also recommends avoiding the sun between 11am and 4pm, while still wearing a hat and using a water- and sweat-resistant product for sunscreen. In any case, you should top up on sunscreen regularly, especially after swimming or bathing.
Also interesting: How do I properly protect my tattoo from the sun?
Every sunburn greatly increases the risk of skin cancer
The dermatologist has another warning for all those who don’t believe in sunscreen or simply don’t feel like applying it: «The more frequently you burn, the more clearly the risk of skin cancer increases. So please never go out in the sun without sunscreen!
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