What are the best ways to treat sunburn?
Unfortunately, sunburn causes cellular damage. This is why we stress prevention so heavily. If you are experiencing the discomfort that comes with a sunburn, you can use a cool compress to alleviate the heat that you often feel with a sunburn. For pain, ibuprofen can also help.
Topicals, like aloe vera and moisturizer, may also provide some relief, but these treatments won’t change the trajectory of the sunburn or make it better any faster, and none of them will mitigate the damage done by the exposure.
We know the long-term effects of sun damage can be skin cancer. What can you tell us about short-term impacts?
Most people will experience some discomfort from the burn. It’s unusual for someone to need medical attention after a sunburn – those are extremely severe cases and often end up in a burn unit for treatment. But again, that’s very unusual.
Long term, cumulative damage can be worrisome. The more sunburns that you have, the more likely you are to end up with skin cancer at some point.
Are there other health concerns that come with sunburns?
If there’s blistering, that’s a sign of a severe sunburn, and you don’t want to pop those blisters. You want to leave them alone as much as you can because anytime you have breaks or openings in the skin, there’s a chance of infection. When you pop a blister, you introduce opportunity for infection to occur, and we don’t want anything like that happening.
As a nurse practitioner, you often conduct skin cancer screenings. What should people watch out for and when should they seek a medical expert?
Regardless of sunburn history, we recommend all people watch for signs of skin cancers. One thing to look out for is what we call the ABCs of melanoma:
A: “Asymmetry” – skin lesions where half of the spot looks different from the other.
B: “Borders” – a lesion may have an odd or poorly defined border.
C: “Color” – the lesion has varying colors, which may range from shades of tan or brown to black, white, red, or blue.
D: “Diameter” – if a lesion is bigger than 6mm, it could be a sign of melanoma, although it may be smaller than that.
E: “Evolution” – the lesion itself is changing in size, shape, or color.
People should also be aware of non-melanoma skin cancers, which are common. Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinomas may present as tender or non-healing lesions. If something seems off, it’s best to have it checked by a medical professional.
There’s been a rise in misinformation around sunscreen and its effectiveness. What should people know about the importance of protecting their skin?
Some of the most concerning misinformation I’ve heard includes using non-sunscreen substances like coconut oil as sunscreen or essential oils to “treat” skin cancers.
Some people are concerned about exposure to the chemicals in sunscreens, if this is a concern to you, I recommend using a mineral sunscreen rather than a chemical one.
Wearing sunscreen is very important. We have abundant evidence that sun damage increases risk of skin cancer. In some cases, skin cancers may be deadly. I recommend wearing at least SPF 30 daily, though SPF 50 is even better. Make sure you reapply your sunscreen, especially if you are in the water, sweating, or out for a long period of time.
