Can using sunscreen AFTER you're burned help relieve the pain?
Part 3 of my 4,544 part series “Stuff I’ve heard growing up in the South and my quest to find out what y’all think of it”:
I FOOLISHLY got burned today and someone suggested that I apply sunscreen because the ingredients in it actually soothe your burn better than aloe and “pull out the heat” because of the UV protection stuff.
Of course, as a highly-educated (read:good brain meat) and beautiful (read: hot rack) educator, I scoffed and told them to go back to their swap meet. But then I got to thinking…maybe they know something I don’t…who am I to disagree… I’m the one too stupid to put it on before I went out in this hellacious Grapes of Wrath heat.
Have you all ever heard this and/or tried it?
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9 Answers
Sunscreen is not recommended for a sunburn. You need moisturizers. Aloe is a good idea.
Yes, yes I know that, I’m applying aloe like a fool…I’m just wondering if anyone has heard this advice before? The only basis I can think of is that some sunscreen is moisturizing and they mistook that as something else in the sunscreen?
I’ve never heard that advice before.
Use the aloe based products. I use one that includes lidocaine for the pain relief.
Thanks, guys. I’ve read up on aloe and it is more amazing than I knew!
Aloe works wonders.
My stepfather had an accident while working on one of his motorcycles that left him with some serious burns on his arms. We also had a huge Aloe plant; “leaves” two inches wide and almost two feet long. Every hour or two, he’d rip another hunk off and rub it all over his arms. It releived teh pain, and his arms healed up nicely and quickly.
Personally, I use 100% Aloe. No additives, none of this “contains aloe” crap, jsut the pure stuff. And lidocaine is nearly useless to me (most local anesthetic is) , so I skip that too.
Awesome, @jerv ! I remember being so amazed when my mom broke a piece of aloe off for me as a young kid. I think that’s when my “green” interests started!
The application of sunscreen after getting burned is a modern case of “closing the barn door after the horse is gone.”
First you must get out of the sun
Next you must care for your damaged skin as best you can
Third you must protect your skin while it starts to heal
When your skin is less raw, apply spf 50 or higher sunscreen on all your exposed skin
before going back pout in the sun.
Nope, i’ve never heard of this either. I use also gel. Maybe you can alternate between aloe gel and a really good moisturizer like almond or coconut oil or something.
I know this is waaaay late. But the big thing with using sun screen after a burn is that it prevents the burn from becoming more irritated by the sun. I would say put it on if you have a sunburn and are going to have to be back out in the sun!
As far as immediate relief and of the gels with aloe and or lidocaine seem to do the best as far as I have experienced/
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