Sunburn

There are two common degrees of sunburn. First-degree burn is that which causes just redness of the skin. It heals spontaneously over a few days, usually with desquamation, that is, the peeling of the upper layer of the epidermis, which is shed after the damage is repaired. It’s painful, and the best treatments are topical and internal cortisones, which can calm the stinging and redness quite fast.

Aspirin, taken as quickly as possible after you’re burned, is a great help. Some experts think aspirin is good to take even before you incur the burn, because it’s been discovered that aspirin inhibits an inflammation-causing compound called prostaglandin, which seems to cause the redness.

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Redness results from damage to the tiny skin capillaries, which swell up massively when the sun irritates them. I’ve seen sunburn so severe that the capillaries have even leaked out tiny dots of blood below the skin.

Second-degree sunburn consists of blisters. It can be a true medical emergency if a large enough area is affected. It’s very important to treat this as soon as possible because fluid loss can occur. This can cause weakness and even shock if severe enough.

Treatment includes steroids, both topically and internally, as well as cool soaks, antibiotics, and sometimes even tetanus re-immunization. Every second-degree blistering sunburn should be seen and treated by a doctor.

Some drugs cause the skin to be extremely sensitive to sun exposure. For instance, medicines such as the thiazide diuretics (“water pills”), which are quite commonly used to control high blood pressure and the leg swelling that can result from bad leg circulation and heart failure can cause a violent stinging redness burr and itchy skin rash.

The next most frequent cause of photodermatitis is soap. Harsh antibacterial soaps can and do quite often cause reaction to the sun. That’s because they contain an antibiotic substance that reacts with the sunlight.

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Of course, there are many other causes of this sun-stinging reaction, and your dermatologist will undoubtedly take a detailed history to determine the exact cause.

Sunburn Treatment And Information