Sunburn peeling skin can be extremely painful and itchy, not to mention it is also unaesthetic. The skin should regenerate, but there are a few things to speed this process up and avoid possible skin infections.
Cold Shower or Bath
The first thing you need to do to calm the skin is to take a cold or lukewarm shower or bath, which will have a cooling effect. Don’t take a warm shower, as it can cause more itchiness. When drying the skin, make sure to pat it dry and don’t rub the towel, as this can be particularly painful, even if it may remove some peeling skin.
Use Moisturizer
After taking a shower, use a rich moisturizer. Opt for a lotion, not a cream, as the lotion is lighter and will be easily absorbed by the skin. You can get a lotion that is designed for peeling skin. The lotion may contain aloe vera, chamomile or other soothing agents.
Get Plenty of Water
Getting your body hydrated from the inside is also important when dealing with peeling skin. The liquids should hydrate the skin and keep it health.
Normally, you need between 1.5 and 2 liters of liquids per day, but you should try to increase your water intake by at least 250 ml. Avoid drinks such as coffee, tea that contains caffeine or alcoholic beverages, as these are diuretics that can dry your skin.
Ice Itchy Skin
When your skin itches, this is a sign it starts to heal, but you should avoid scratching it. Instead, place an ice cube, which will numb the area and soothe the skin. Alternate 30 minutes of ice with 30 minutes without ice, to make sure you won’t damage the skin. Alternatively, you may wrap the ice in a towel and apply this on the skin.
Know What to Avoid
Don’t take hot or warm showers, as these can intensify the pain. Don’t try to remove the peeling skin, as you may remove healthy skin also and you may end up with wounds and even scars. Skin infections may also occur. Get a pair of scissors and remove only the pieces of skin that hang off. Make sure to apply some over the counter antibiotic cream after cutting the dead skin off to prevent infections. Neopsorin is a cream that may be used. Don’t scratch the skin, even if it is extremely itchy.
Prevent Peeling Skin
You can always prevent peeling skin due to sunburn by learning how to use sunscreen and sunbathe so that your skin will get gradually tanned. Get a sunscreen with a SPF of 15 or over and apply it when outdoors. Reapply the solution every 2 or 3 hours and after bathing. If you are not tanned, you should make sure to get only a few minutes of sun per day at first and increase this time by 5 minutes every day, until you are completely tanned.
