Prolonged sun exposure can cause burns of varying degrees to the skin, causing redness, burning and a lot of discomfort. However, there are some natural ways to help burns heal faster, reducing pain and increasing comfort.
Generally, sunburns can be treated at home by following these tips, but if there is a lot of discomfort, it is recommended to go to the health center to start a more appropriate treatment, which may include the use of antibiotic, analgesic or anti-inflammatory ointments, for example.
Check out 5 simple tips that help treat any burn faster and more naturally:
1. Cool the skin well
The first tip is perhaps the most important in the entire process of caring for a sunburn and consists of cooling the skin well. To do this, you must take a shower with cold water, letting the water run on the affected area for 5 to 10 minutes, to ensure that all layers of the skin cool down and stop burning.
2. Apply cold chamomile compresses
After the burn has cooled, it is normal for discomfort to persist, especially if it is very hot. Therefore, one way to relieve discomfort and keep the burn cool is to apply cold compresses, which can be made with chamomile tea. Chamomile has calming and healing properties that help repair the skin. However, any type of cold compress will go a long way toward combating the discomfort.
To make cold chamomile compresses, you must make chamomile tea, leave it in the refrigerator until it freezes and then dip gauze, a piece of cotton or a clean cloth in the tea. Finally, remove excess liquid and apply the gauze to the burned skin, leaving it to act for several minutes, several times a day. Discover other home remedy options for sunburn.
3. Avoid hygiene products
Hygiene products, such as soap and soap, can harm the skin, causing it to dry out and, therefore, in the case of a sunburn, the best option is to take a shower with just water, at least in the affected area, and without rubbing the skin. When drying, it is also not recommended to use a towel on the burn site, leaving it to dry in the open air.
4. Moisturize your skin
Another very important tip is to hydrate your skin well every day, right after showering and several times a day, applying a good moisturizing cream to combat dryness of the affected skin. Moisturizing and soothing creams based on medicinal plants, such as aloe vera, can also be used, as this will further soothe the skin, reducing discomfort.
To hydrate your skin from the inside out, it is also recommended to drink at least 1 liter of water per day.
5. Consume healing foods
Some foods such as milk, yogurt, eggs, tuna or broccoli have healing properties that help to care for the skin and reduce inflammation from the burn, promoting faster recovery. On the contrary, foods rich in sugar or with many additives can harm recovery.
Therefore, eating a diet rich in healing foods and low in processed foods, for example, is another excellent way to nourish the body and help burns heal. See a more complete list of healing foods.
First aid for burns
Nurse Manuel Reis shows in the following video everything you can do in case of a skin burn:
