How to treat a child ’s sunburn

Even when we do our best to prevent sunburn, it sometimes happen. It’s easy to miss a spot when applying sunscreen (especially if you’ve got a squirmy kid). Sometimes we can’t keep up with reapplying when kids are active or in and out of the water. Sometimes we get caught off guard by a really sunny day — and sometimes we just forget to bring sunscreen on an outing. Here’s what you should do if your child gets sunburned. Get them out of the sun. This sounds obvious, but it’s worth stating. If your child is getting sunburned, either find or make some shade, or go indoors. Staying out in the sun is likely to make things worse (and a sunburn may be a sign of too much time in the sun), which can put kids at risk of heat exhaustion or even heat stroke. Use cool water. A cool bath or shower can soothe sunburn, as can a cool, damp towel or cloth (which may be your best bet on the way home from the beach). Do it throughout the day if it helps. Use products that contain aloe vera. This is widely available in lotions and gels (you can scoop your own gel out of aloe vera leaves), and can be very soothing to sunburned skin. Don’t use anything that contains petroleum, as it can trap heat inside the skin. And while it may be tempting to use products that contain benzocaine or lidocaine, as they are marketed to help pain from cuts and scratches, don’t — they can irritate sunburns. Make sure your child stays hydrated. Burned skin doesn’t keep fluid inside as well, so anyo...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Children's Health Parenting Skin and Hair Care Source Type: blogs