Treating Sunburn

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It’s that time of year again — the weather starts to warm up and more time is spent outdoors. You may notice the redness of your skin and think to yourself, “I wasn’t outside for very long!” However, it’s the time of year when you have to start worrying more about sunburns.

Sunburns are the most common type of burn that occurs outside the home. It is caused when your skin is exposed to ultraviolet radiation, or UV rays, for a period of time that is long enough to overcome the skin’s natural abilities to protect itself. Most of the time, sunburns are just minor reactions on the surface of the skin that can be treated the same way you would treat any other type of burn. However, if you experience fever, confusion, upset stomach, weakness or convulsions, seek medical help.

The goals of sunburn treatment are to relieve the pain, protect the skin, and provide an environment that will allow the skin to heal. The first thing you need to do when you notice your skin turning red is to get out of the sun. Cool compresses or a cool bath can help to alleviate some of the pain.

Over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen, aspirin or acetaminophen are helpful, especially if taken within 24 hours of the overexposure to sun. They will relieve the pain of the sunburn and will also decrease some of the immediate inflammation.

Skin protectants can be used to help protect the burned area from clothing or other causes of friction and they also help hydrate the skin. Examples of the skin protectants are allantoin, cocoa butter, petrolatum and white petrolatum (Vaseline). These are all FDA approved for the temporary protection of a minor sunburn.

Products marketed specifically for sunburn, such as Solarcaine (lidocaine) and Dermoplast (benzocaine) are useful agents. These agents temporarily numb the skin and alleviate the pain. There are some drawbacks to these products, though. They only work for short periods of time, should not be applied more than three to four times per day and should not be applied to broken skin. There is also the possibility of allergic reactions with these products, so only use them on small areas of skin.

Products containing aloe vera gel are also often used for treatment of minor sunburns. There is some controversy on whether they really work to help the skin heal, though, and the FDA has insufficient evidence to rate aloe as effective. However, it is a safe option and does seem to have a soothing effect on the burn, especially if the aloe gel is refrigerated before use.

Even with all the available treatments for sunburn, the best option is to avoid getting a sunburn. Try to stay out of the sun in the middle of the day, 10 a.m. to

3 p.m., when the sun’s rays are the strongest. Wear protective clothing and sunglasses that have protection from the UV radiation, and always wear sunscreen. It is usually recommended to use sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. The SPF number on the sunscreen tells you how long you should be able to stay in the sun without getting burned. If you normally burn in 10 minutes and were using SPF 15, you should be able to stay in the sun 15 times longer without getting a sunburn, or 150 minutes. Sunscreens with higher levels of sun protection factor, or SPF, will allow you to be protected from sunburns for longer period of time. Sunscreen works best when applied 15 to 30 minutes before going in the sun, and be sure to reapply it frequently, at least every two hours. If you are in the sun often you should be using several bottles of sunscreen a week.

For more information, you may contact your health care provider or pharmacist, or call Idaho Drug Information at (208) 282-4689.

Jessica Ozburn is a fourth-year student at the Idaho State University College of Pharmacy. She will graduate in 2009. Kevin Cleveland is a clinical assistant professor with the college.

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