Caring for sunburned, dark skin

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Everyone can experience a darkening sunburn if they are exposed to too much sun without protection with sunscreen or clothing that covers up. To help heal and soothe sunburned skin, it's important to begin care as soon as you notice it. At the same time, it is necessary to follow the advice of a dermatologist to help take care of sunburned skin, reduce discomfort.

1. What is sunburn?

Sunburn is an inflammatory response of the skin to ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure to the outermost layer of cells of the skin. At the heart of all cells is melanin, a type of pigment cell that gives skin color and protects against the sun's rays. The amount of melanin produced is determined by genetics, which is why some people get sunburnt while others only get tanned when outdoors. These are all signs of cell damage in the skin, where the skin becomes red, swollen, and painful. Sunburn is a more severe form of sunburn, with symptoms ranging from mild burns to blistering.
After a sunburn, the skin may begin to peel. This is a sign that the body is trying to get rid of damaged cells. However, never try to peel the skin on its own, but let this layer of cells fall off naturally.
Also, even without burns, sun exposure increases the risk of skin cancer. Accordingly, both tanned or dark skinned people, the sun can still cause cell damage leading to cancer.

2. Risk of sunburn to the body

Repeated sunburn increases the risk of developing the disease. For Caucasians, especially those with a genetic predisposition to less melanin, sunburn plays a clear role in the development of melanoma. Research shows that skin-damaging UV rays can also alter tumor suppressor genes, leaving injured cells less likely to repair before progressing to cancer.
Therefore, people who work or play sports outdoors are at risk of frequent sunburn, which leads to skin cancer. What's more, having a long sunburn in the past also doubles your risk of developing melanoma in the future.
Skin is damaged over time starting with the first sunburn, and the more sunburned skin, the higher the risk of skin cancer. Further UV damage can still occur even without an obvious burn.

3. How to take care of sunburned skin?

For Adults Quick Cooldown - If you're near a cold pool or beach, take a quick dip in the water to cool your skin. Then continue to cool the skin burn with cold compresses, you can use ice to apply cold but do not place the ice directly on the sunburn. If a re-applying device is not available, a cool shower can also be maintained, but not for too long as it can dry out the skin; At the same time, it is also necessary to avoid strong soaps because they can irritate the skin more.
Moisturize the skin - While the skin is still damp, use a gentle moisturizer (but do not use ointments as this can trap heat and make the burn worse). Reapply to moisturize the area that is burned or will progress to peeling over the next few days.
Reduce inflammation - If the location allows, people experiencing dark sunburn can take more non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, naproxen or aspirin, when there are first signs of sunburn. to reduce discomfort and inflammation until the burn gets better. Additionally, an over-the-counter 1% cortisone skin cream can also be used as directed for a few days to help calm redness and swelling. In addition, using aloe vera on sunburned skin can also soothe minor burns and is generally considered safe, available at home. At the same time, continue to apply cool compresses to reduce discomfort, wear loose, soft, breathable clothing to avoid further skin irritation, and stay out of the sun completely until the sunburned area has healed.
Drink plenty of water – Since sunburned skin tends to draw body fluids to the surface of the skin to increase heat loss, the rest of the body is susceptible to dehydration. It's important to rehydrate by drinking extra fluids, including water, juices, cool drinks or sports drinks that replenish electrolytes immediately and while the skin heals. .

Examination - Medical help should be sought if a tanned area of ​​skin becomes severely blistered over a large part of the body. At the same time, the patient also has a fever, feeling chills or dizziness, confusion. Never scratch or break the blisters, this can lead to a skin infection. Signs of infection include red streaks or pus discharge.
For children Children's skin heals faster than adult skin. However, young children's skin is also less able to protect itself from damage, including sun damage.
Therefore, when a child's skin is sunburned, parents or caregivers need to quickly follow these instructions:
Bathe the whole child in cool water to reduce the temperature of the skin. Do not apply alcohol or alcohol to the baby's skin because it can be too cold. For a baby under 1 year old, sunburn should be treated as an emergency. Call your doctor immediately. For children 1 year of age and older, call your doctor if severe pain, blistering, lethargy, coma, or a fever above 38.3 ○ C occurs. Sunburn can dehydrate the skin. Children need to drink more milk for babies who are still exclusively breastfed, filtered water or juice, eat liquid foods to replace fluids in the body. Contact your doctor right away if your child is not urinating as often as this is an emergency. Apply a gentle moisturizer to soothe skin Do not use any medical cream such as hydrocortisone or benzocaine on a child's skin unless directed by your pediatrician. Keep your child out of the sun completely until the sunburn heals. In summary, sunburn damages the skin in many ways, which can initially be a short-term pain, redness and discomfort; When the sunburn goes away, long-term damage remains, including the risk of cancer. Because sunburn and darkening of the skin is completely preventable, people need to pay attention to ways to protect the skin, especially using sunscreen and measures to cover the skin, when going outdoors to prevent sunburn. Maintain skin health as well as youthful appearance, slow down the skin aging process.

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