After Sun Care.

 

It doesn't matter how well you take care of yourself.  There is going to be that one time you forget to put on or reapply your sunscreen, or you miss a spot, or you can't use your umbrella because of wind and you end up with a burn.  It might be a light burn or one that causes you to blister and peel but it is a burn none the less. 

So today, we are looking at after care should you end up with a sun burn or just care for after being out in the sun.  After care is important because even after the sunburn disappears, the long term damage can lead to dryness, fine lines, hyperpigmentation, and wrinkles.

If you do end up with a sun burn, take a nice cool shower or bath to help lower the skin temperature.  Do not use hot water because that could make the burn a bit worse. Apply cold compresses to areas that are inflamed to help reduce swelling.  In addition, drink plenty of liquid to help hydrate your body while applying a moisturizing gel containing aloe or hyualoronic acid to help sooth the skin.  Aloe vera has ingredients that cool and sooth skin and can either be in a gel or spray form.  

Avoid ingredients that contain fragrance, alcohol, or exfoliating ingredients as they can make the situation worse. If your skin becomes inflamed, red, or hurts, take something like Ibuprofen to help reduce the symptoms.  Furthermore, if you go back out into the sun, cover the burned areas with loose, breathable clothing to protect the skin from further exposure and don't forget the broad spectrum SPF on the skin underneath for additional protection. 

When we suffer from sunburn, we only think about skin but not always about our scalp or hair. Every time we expose our hair to the sun, it can become dryer and suffer damage from UV rays, heat, and chlorination from pool water. I suspect many people wear sunscreen but do not protect their hair properly.  

Begin by rinsing your hair in cool water to get rid of chlorine, saltwater, or sweat.  Then wash your hair with either a moisturizing shampoo or a gentle shampoo designed to use on sun damaged hair. You want to restore the moisture in your hair while nursing it.

Rather than using a normal conditioner, use a deep conditioning treatment or hair mask to replenish moisture and repair any damage caused by the sun.  You want to leave the product on for 10 to 15 minutes for the best results. After rinsing the conditioner or mask off, towel dry your hair before applying a leave in conditioner to provide additional moisture to your hair.

Limit the use of heat tools such as blow dryers, styling tools, etc to give your hair a break, so you don't further damage your hair. Take time to check the ends of your hair.  If you see split ends, get them trimmed to minimize damage. In addition, keep an eye on your scalp to see if it got burned.  If it did, apply product to it before you wash your hair.  Think about wearing a hat the when you go out so you can reduce your hair's exposure to UV rays.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.