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Forgetting to put sunscreen on during peak hours of the day can lead to hours, or even days worth of redness, swelling and pain due to a sunburn. Unfortunately for those of us prone to sunburns there are no quick cures, but there are ways you can minimize your pain and discomfort.

After you've gotten out of the sun, the first step is to rehydrate your body and skin. Sitting in a cool bath or applying cold compresses to the burned areas on your body will help cool the burn and drinking water will help rehydrate you. Avoid adding perfumed soaps or salts to the bath as this will irritate the burn and very well cause more pain. When you dry off, be sure not to rub your skin with a towel. You can sit and air dry to keep irritation to a minimum or lightly dab with a smooth fabric.

After each bath, apply non-scented aloe. You may be confronted with many choices when you purchase your aloe, but you can never go wrong with 100% aloe with nothing added. This will help moisturize your skin and also keep it hydrated. For better results, keep your aloe in your refrigerator. Again, this will help ease your burn by keeping it cool.

To keep your pain at bay, choose a pain medicine such as Tylenol or aspirin. Avoid items that are or contain lidocaine or benzocaine. Instead of numbing the pain as they should do, they can cause skin sensitivities which can irritate the skin, inhibit healing and cause you more pain. If you are swollen, still in severe pain or have blisters the following day, be sure to call your doctor for assistance. They may be able to prescribe you a stronger pain medicine or even oral steroids to help decrease the swelling.

After your sunburn is finally gone remember not to leave your house without appropriate clothing. Wear light jackets or t-shirts over bathing suits, use a hat on sunny days and protect your eyes by using sunglasses. Be sure to use sunscreen with an SPF of over 15 that blocks both UVA and UVB rays. Apply sunscreen every two to three hours to keep yourself adequately protected throughout the day. Don't be one of those who are diagnosed with skin cancer every year due to over exposure to the sun. Protect yourself and your life.

Learn more about this author, Marie J Kelley.
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