How to beat the heat

Most people have been sunburned at some time in their life and have no wish to repeat the experience.

But New Zealanders love living and playing outdoors in summer.

And if you find your skin going that familiar vibrant pink when you come indoors, there are some things you can do to ease the pain.

Sunburn will dehydrate your skin.

It is important to rehydrate to restore balance and soothe delicate tissue.

When your skin is exposed for too long to ultraviolet radiation from the sun, your skin cells overheat, lose moisture and contract. The contraction causes pain.

* Drink lots of water to rehydrate.

* Aloe vera gel may soothe the skin, and calamine lotion will help with itching.

* Always pat the area - rubbing will inflame the burn.

* Apply cold cloths to the burned areas for 10 to 15 minutes at a time.

* Take a cool bath or shower - some people add baking soda or oatmeal to bath water.

* Do not use a lot of soaps or products when washing, as this may aggravate skin.

* To relieve pain, take pain medicines.

* When it becomes comfortable to do so, apply a moisturising cream to the burned area to keep it moist and supple. Although it will not prevent peeling, moisturising will help prevent new skin from drying out.

Further reading
nzherald.co.nz/health