What to do? Sunburned!

[dogmama]

I did a stupid thing yesterday. I forgot to put on sunscreen and sat outside by the volley ball courts to watch my fiance play and promptly found out I was sunburned 3 hours later. I have a farmer''s tan on my arms and my knee caps are red. Ugh.

My wedding is 3 months away but I''m worried that this will stay. My tan lines tend to stay for months!! (As in I had tan lines from July that I still saw in JANUARY!)

Any tips on reducing the redness or how to even it out? My dress is strapless with a low back.

HELP!

 

[JerseyGrl81]

I wouldn''t worry too much about that- I am sure your skin will even out on its own! But here are some tips to help the healing process. Moisturize and use aloe now. Then after your skin has healed continue to moisturize everyday and exfoliate twice a week. And if that doesn''t work- there are always tanning salons with beds and sprays tans that can help. Good luck!

 

[Mediterranean]

Jerseygirl gave good advice!

A couple of other soothing tricks that will get the red out visually, too:

Buy some bottles of Phillips Milk of Magnesium. You know, the stuff for upset stomach? Pour it over yourself in the shower, leave it on for a minute or two and rinse with cool water.

Don''t take hot showers. In fact, take the coolest showers you can stand to take. This will also help the red go away (and keep the damaged skin from developing broken capillaries).

You may also want to take anti-inflammatory tablets. An over-the-counter formula like Benadryl will provide some relief, and keep the skin''s level of red down (this will help with how you perceive the difference in pigmentation)

And, (obviously) don''t go outside without suncreen on. It''s tempting to try and "even out" the pigmentation, but it will be more damaging. Use a barrier sunscreen (Titanium Dioxide/ Zinc Oxide -- things like Vanicream or Neutrogena Pure & Free Baby sunscreen) Read the labels and skip sunscreens with Avobenzone, Homosalate, Octinoxate, Octisalate, Oxybenzone, Mexoryl, Parsol 1789 --those things are all chemical sunscreens and could be irritating. Not to mention, the barrier sunscreens work the instant you put them on, and the chemical ones have to sink into the skin for 15 minutes before they begin to work.

AFTER you are 100% healed from the sunburn, if you still perceive a noticeable difference in pigmentation, you can buy a 2% hydroquinone cream or solution and apply it to the overly-dark areas. DO NOT use it for more than 12 weeks, and DO NOT use it while you''re still healing. If you DO use it, make sure you never leave the house without sunscreen on the area with the hydroquinone cream over it.

I think it should be fine, you have enough time to work on your skin before the wedding!

 

[mrscushion]

Worst comes to worst, you can always get an airbrush spray tan where they tan you manually and therefore can focus on anything that needs evening out.

I''m sorry about your burn, though! Ouch!

 

[dogmama]

Thanks guys! Mediterranean especially! I had no idea about the other stuff in the sunblock. I will look for the Neutrogena Pure and Free sunblock. I have super sensitive skin, so this might be the trick!

 

[emeraldlover1]

Wow, that stinks! Well...if I were you, I would see a dermatologist and ask for a perscription for Biafine. Its a wound healing emultion that they typicall use in wound care clinics and for radiation burns. It used to be avialable over the counter but the company that bought it decided to make it perscription only. Oh, and typically its about the same price maybe cheaper than aquaphor. It is so worth it. I use it on every burn or cut I get. And yes...sunburn is appropriate use.

Just so you know...I got a burn like that two years ago in March when I was in LA thinking that the sun wasnt that strong. I had the marks for two seasons. When your body gets older it doesn''t heal as fast and burn marks from the sun often take a long time to go away. That and if you do get color in the area sometimes it just gets darker in the area that was burned.

 

[dogmama]

Date: 4/26/2009 3:24:18 PM
Author: emeraldlover1
Wow, that stinks! Well...if I were you, I would see a dermatologist and ask for a perscription for Biafine. Its a wound healing emultion that they typicall use in wound care clinics and for radiation burns. It used to be avialable over the counter but the company that bought it decided to make it perscription only. Oh, and typically its about the same price maybe cheaper than aquaphor. It is so worth it. I use it on every burn or cut I get. And yes...sunburn is appropriate use.


Just so you know...I got a burn like that two years ago in March when I was in LA thinking that the sun wasnt that strong. I had the marks for two seasons. When your body gets older it doesn''t heal as fast and burn marks from the sun often take a long time to go away. That and if you do get color in the area sometimes it just gets darker in the area that was burned.

2 seasons Emeraldlover1?

That sounds like me. Tanning or burning it just STAYS. Ugh. I''ll ask my derm. I''ve never heard of Biafine, but I will request it. I''m seeing her in about 2 weeks, so if it doesn''t get better by then, it''ll be the right time to go in anyways!

Thanks so much!

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Wait until the burn fades and then exfoliate regularly. Then, if you still have lines closer to the date, use some bronzer to blend them into the rest of your skin...or just go tanning without your top!

 

[vintagelover229]

Date: 4/26/2009 3:02:45 PM
Author: mscushion
Worst comes to worst, you can always get an airbrush spray tan where they tan you manually and therefore can focus on anything that needs evening out.

I''m sorry about your burn, though! Ouch!

Ditto the airbrush tan! I''m going that route because I got sunburned last month and now I have funny tan lines! I burn REALLY easy and I''m VERY white...and I''d like a little tan w/o going in a tanning bed.

 

[White Orchid]

Oh honey you''re going to be fine! I got a major sunburn only a week before my wedding and it mostly faded in time.

Thankfully the moisturizer I was wearing that day had SPF in it and saved my face, or it could''ve been a real disaster!

 

[emeraldlover1]

Date: 4/26/2009 3:39:10 PM
Author: lilythespitfire

Date: 4/26/2009 3:24:18 PM
Author: emeraldlover1
Wow, that stinks! Well...if I were you, I would see a dermatologist and ask for a perscription for Biafine. Its a wound healing emultion that they typicall use in wound care clinics and for radiation burns. It used to be avialable over the counter but the company that bought it decided to make it perscription only. Oh, and typically its about the same price maybe cheaper than aquaphor. It is so worth it. I use it on every burn or cut I get. And yes...sunburn is appropriate use.


Just so you know...I got a burn like that two years ago in March when I was in LA thinking that the sun wasnt that strong. I had the marks for two seasons. When your body gets older it doesn''t heal as fast and burn marks from the sun often take a long time to go away. That and if you do get color in the area sometimes it just gets darker in the area that was burned.

2 seasons Emeraldlover1?

That sounds like me. Tanning or burning it just STAYS. Ugh. I''ll ask my derm. I''ve never heard of Biafine, but I will request it. I''m seeing her in about 2 weeks, so if it doesn''t get better by then, it''ll be the right time to go in anyways!

Thanks so much!

Honestly, I would call the derm if you can. Reason...Biafine enhances your skins healing process and helps sooth the skin as well. If you wait it won''t heal as fast. Otherwise, definatley ask about it.

 

[modernsparkler]

First off, ditto to the moisturizer. Use it 5x/day if you can and you can actually prevent peeling. Then, I would suggest exfoliating and trying to use a spray tan to make it even if it is still there around the wedding. Good luck. I am thinking good thoughts for you!

 

[honey22]

Moisturising won''t prevent peeling that is destined to happen. If the skin is damaged to a point, you get will get irreversible cell death and therefore peeling. It will however, be cooling for the skin and help to reduce inflammation.

After the burn has healed, the exfoliate lots to encourage new growth and don''t forget to keep your fingers crossed!

 

[Izzy03]

After you burn heals, and you the exfoliate/moisturize thing, start tanning NUDE in the tanning bed very gradually! I started about two months before my wedding so I could make sure the color had time to wear off if I did over-do it! I went about once to twice a week, and 10 days before the wedding, I had the perfect color. I didn't want to look "tan-tan" in my photos!

So get those lines filled in now (after your burn subsides of course), that way your tan can soften and you won't look like you lived in a tanning bed for you photos!