Help with Sunburns

Give him a Tea bath. Regular bath and throw in suntea tea bags, use the bags as wash clothes so soothing.

My redhead is only 5 so Mama still sunscreens him up-even his hair. Maybe sunscreening him up next time yourself will help him remember that if he doesn't do it, Mommy will-rather embarrassing at his age. Our 13 YO redhead wears a shirt around water & only screens his face.
The only things I've tried are the after-sun gel (the lidocaine stuff) which I'm not sure you can use on blisters, good ole aloe (which you can use on most anything) & vinegar (soak brown paper bag strips in it & apply where the burn is-again, probably painful for blisters).
Maybe an Aveeno (or knockoff brand) oatmeal bath will help-it helps skin irritations.
They sell sunscreen on carabeeners (the little clips you can attach to a belt). They've got the cute pink Coppertone, but I've also seen blue bottles too. Or buy the Bullfrog spray that has the sunscreen stick (size of chapstick tube) as a free bonus. Remind him that if he doesn't want this to happen again, he needs to sunscreen often.
Hope he feels better! Sunburns are no fun for me & I know they're so much worse for my kids! I let my lil redhead burn once-the rest of the fam living w/us at the time has dark skin & I forgot about his sensitive skin-& I felt awful! Your son is big enough to screen himself but I'm sure watching him hurt is killing you too!

echo here get an aloe vera plant that is already large in size so you can cut pieces off of it and rub that on the burn. its the best thing you can do. if you don't like the idea you can do an aloe gel for sunburns but I really do like the plant best.

Hi P.-

I just wanted to offer a thought more for the future. I got a burn like this as a teenager and you are really going to have to watch his back and shoulders in the future. Once burned like this, they are going to be that much more susceptible to issues. Hopefully he learned his issue, but he may want to keep a t-shirt in mind for the future. It's been like 15 years since I got the burn and I still have a triangle on my back that reacts to sun differently (more freckles & splotchiness.) My dermatologist also keeps a special watch to make sure nothing bad develops. Best of luck & all the best!

Dear P.,

There are a lot of responses here . . I am a redhead, and have found that lavender oil is great, as well, but, the old tried and true cool water cloths resting on the burns will really help to take the heat away. Cool water is one of the best things to use. If you can keep applying damp cloths to the burns until most of the heat comes out- the burns will heal. I do not recommend popping the blisters. Also, luke-warm to slightly cool baths with baking soda in the tub can help relieve some pain, as well. These are non-invasive and common items that most of us have in the house that work well. Best of luck to you and I hope your son is feeling better, soon.

There is no quick remedy for a burn like that. The best cream we have found is Gold Bond Medicated cream. It says "anti-itch cream" on it, but if you read the label more closely, it's for sunburns, bites, etc. When people in our family got badly burned, that was the only thing that helped. I would check before putting it on areas that are weeping, though - not sure that's a good idea. You should probably check with a doctor about it.
I hope your son takes this lesson to heart!...

Since your son has the puss filled blisters, I recommend a doctor's visit. They can prescribe a cream to help and also make sure they aren't infected.

For the area that is just sensitive, I recommend use solarcaine spray and lots of aloe vera or cocoa butter lotion. Good luck & I hope he feels better soon. Maybe he learned a lesson by getting this bad of a burn...

Make it a GREAT day!

S.

400 IU Vitamin E capsules bring quick relief. Wash your hands and use a sterile needle to puncture the capsules. Squeeze the capsule contents on your fingers and gently apply to the affected area. Reapply as needed. Cover the area until the vitamin E is absorbed in the skin. I have a redhead child and they sunburn so easily!

OUCH - sorry to hear this. Lavender Oil. Put a few drops in a handful of lotion and carefully rub it on the sunburn. THe sooner the better. The more natural/pure the oil the better. Hope he gets better soon.

Vinegar is a natural remedy that works well. It smells awful, but if you rub vinegar gently on a sunburn, it will take the sting out. Good luck.

Hi P.,
Aloe Vera right off the plant would probably be your best bet. We have also used the Aloe Vera gel from the store. Hope things look up for your young man quickly. L.

I don't know about how it heals, but Vitamin E Cream is good for sunburn, and unlike the aloe gels or blue relief gels, it doesn't have to come off... the cream soaks right into the skin and it good for it. My little sister is an easy-burn redhead too, so we had lots of expereince with sunburn remedies in our house growing up. =)

when I was in jr. high, I fell asleep in the sun and horribly burned my face. My mom cracked open a vitamin E capsul and put the salve on all my blisters 2X a day and I excaped without scarring. My face was super sensitive to sun for several summers after that though, so maybe be ready for that. Good luck...haven't had to tackle that with my own kids yet.

Hi P., I see a lot of great ideas here. What we use is Banana Boat Aloe After Sun Lotion. This won't be good on blisters, but the "normal" sunburn are it works great. Use at least twice per day until relief is felt. WeE have super sensitive skin and after spending a gang load of money on "aloe products" this one we have used for several years now. Good luck!

Master's Miracle Gel!!!! It's one of those "cures everything" products (and I don't subscribe to that AT ALL), but it REALLY REALLY REALLY works on burns!!!! I'd take it over the silver cream (which is what doctors have) any day. It doesn't get stuck in the blisters like some products, but it may dry gauze onto the skin (just re-moisten and it comes right off when it's time to change the dressing). It soothes the burn very well, and decreases the time to heal by half (in my own experience, nothing scientific).

I have used it on 1st and 2nd degree burns - It's AMAZING!!!! I personally haven't used it on 3rd degree burns, but I have "heard stories" that would make me personally look at using it. Look online and see if you can find some close to you at a health store or alternative medicine doc.

Hi P.,

I too am a red head... when I was 16 I got a 2nd degree sunburn and skin poisioning. My skin was blistered,pussy, and my back looked like fish scales. I remember two things my mom did: 1) put wet (cooled) tea bags on me, and 2) rubbed my skin with Aloe (from the actual plant.) When my red headed son (also 10) got sunburned, I used the Aloe they sell in the store..and it helped to cool his burn. Good luck! Unfortunately my son did not learn his lesson the first time, lol!!

Find the Ocean Potion ICE aloe gel with lidocaine. It really helps take the pain out of it. The only other thing I can think to do is look up how to treat second degree burns and treat it like that. Good luck!

Hi P.,

We recently traveled tthe beach and I missed with the sunscreen on my leg. This wouldn't be the first time! Only this times, things were different. I used lavender essential oil on the burn, it took the sting out right away and healed the burn very quickly. My cousin had recommened this remedy, so I purchase a quality oil from her and I was amazed at the results. Tea Tree oil will help with the blisters.
Not all oils are made the same, I have learned, it's important to know where the oils come from and that they conatin no fillers. I buy all of my oils from ForeverGreen. Here's the link if you are interested. http://www.###-###-####.myforevergreen.org/ I would recommend getting MESSAGE oil as well to blend with the lavender. I hope that helps and feel free to give me a call if you have any questions.###-###-####
L.

If your sons skin is so bad that there is pus, you may want to bring him in to his Dr, or at least call. This could be a very serious burn and may need medical treatment or some form of a medical oitment. I would also reccomend calling to see what kind of at home treatment would be appropriate for him and his skin.

I just expanded my career to skincare (Im still getting trained)and I know that there are TONS of home remedies. I know that aloe, lavender, and oatmeal are good natural remedies to help draw the heat out of the skin and soothe as well (look for remedies with either of those three)I personally dont know of one, but try googling or lookking on allure.com. I have in the past used Aveda's hydrating mask, this is pricy however it is very cooling to the skin and the lavender will help with the soothing, plus its a perfect mask for Colorado because it radiates and infuses the skin with hydration!

Solarcaine is AWESOME for really bad burns like this. It has lidocaine thats a topical anelgesic. Give him some ibuprofen if it really starts to hurt and make sure to not let the pussy blisters get infected! On the milder burned areas vinegar works AWESOME and is very cooling, I'd say more than aloe. You can also chill it before you apply it on. I just use a washrag, but I imagine the brown paper bag strips that someone else suggested really hold onto the vinegar longer and keep it on the burn, as when you apply it with a rag it evaporates pretty quickly. POor guy! I hope it gets better soon AND that next time he remembers to listen to his mama!

I would bring him to the dr. And have dr explain about skin, burns, and skin cancer. So that he will start helping you out on taking care of himself.

I don't know if you can use Aloe Vera on blisters. I do know that lotions will make it worse.

Hang in there, remind him that only he can take care of his body and he only gets one.
Rochelle

I agree that calling your son's physician is a good first step. Depending on the severity of the burn the recommended treatment could be different. If the burn still hurts him, you can take water and vinegar (I think 3 parts water one part vinegar), put a washcloth in it and gently dab the liquid on the burns. He may smell like a pickle for a little bit, but it helps take the sting out.

Both Lavender and Peppermint oils do a great job relieving the pain of sunburn and helping it to heal. You only need to put on a few drops at a time. Go to a Whole Foods or Vitamin Cottage to get it right away, or order it from Young Living oils to get excellent quality. Reapply it several times a day. I've seen it work wonders on nasty burns!

the regular ole aloe vera plant. They also have a burn gel that works pretty well too.

You have a ton of really good responces. One more thing try is Silvadine cream. I cann't remember if its OTC or Rx, but it works great. Not only soothing but it also helps with healing. You can ask the Pharmacist. I hospitals use it on some burns depending on severity. If it is an Rx you might want to call your Dr to see if you can get an Rx. The blistering and peeling is considered a second degree burn. Ouch. and good luck