Burnt To a Crisp? Read On…

Now that a lot of us hold weekly office jobs, it makes perfect sense that we want to soak up as much sun as possible on the weekends. However, too many girls make the mistake of not wearing sunscreen while sitting in the sun to compensate for their pale bodies…and end up looking like a lobster instead. Not only is a red face less attractive than a pale one (and much easier to fix with a little bit of bronzer), but burning your skin opens you up to the dangers of melanoma and skin cancer.

By Erica

About 60,000 people each year are diagnosed with some form of skin cancer, and we want to help you learn how to treat your red and itchy skin to avoid this! Well, that and show you some really easy ways to look cute despite being a different color than most members of the human race:

Keep skin hydrated: If your first shower after the beach left you with tears in your eyes because the water stung so bad, you need to keep your skin hydrated with lotion. The most soothing gels and lotions have aloe vera in them, and this will help soothe your skin and prevent itchiness (and therefore scratching and scarring). You can also use hydrocortisone if your burns are really bad.

Drink liquids with vitamins: Water helps to keep your skin hydrated, but is also really important to keep you hydrated after a long day in the sun. To get the most bang for your buck, be sure to drink things with vitamins C and E in them, as they are crucial in repairing damaged skin cells and ensuring that your body is healthy once your sunburn clears up.

Exfoliate: GENTLY buff away the dead skin. Don’t do this too roughly, as it will irritate your body, but just enough to make sure that the skin cells underneath are not trapped. And you’re not flaking off on your couch/bed/friends for the next two weeks.

See a doctor: This is only if you experience blisters, fever, faintness, dizziness, difficulty breathing, or nausea. This could be indicative of sun poisoning. Also, be sure to see a dermatologist regularly to get scanned for potentially harmful freckles and moles. The more often you do this (yearly?) the better your chances of catching anything serious early on.

Ugly tan lines: The next time you’re out in the sun, wear a wife beater over your top. You will not burn this way, and it still allows your arms to get some color while the lines on your shoulders even out. If you’re going out at night and want to disguise that burn line, think halter tops; they cover the same lines that will have burned in most bikini tops, and, let’s face it, they’re sexy as hell.

Make-up: Rub some foundation into your normal moisturizer (my choice is CoverGirl TruBlend). When you mix the two and apply moisturizer as you normally would, it hides any uneven skin tones and makes you look tan despite your UV mishaps. Spread it down your neck and across the tops of your shoulders so that you won’t look uneven, and carry a compact with you to pat down your skin if your make-up starts to run during the night.

WEAR SUNSCREEN EVERY DAY: This is the one that everyone complains about, but it’s the easiest thing to do. Pick up some moisturizer with SPF in it (I love Oil of Olay SPF 15 – It’s about $8.00 at any drugstore and works better than most of the high-end stuff). You can get burned even on a cloudy day, so make sure to apply this every morning so that you don’t have to think about your sun protection for the rest of the day. Furthermore, keep a sunscreen face stick (SPF 30 or 45) in your bag so that if you have to make an impromptu beach or pool run, you have something with you. These things weigh less than a cell phone and you can throw it in a pocket easily.

Remember, ladies: even wearing your sunglasses at night won’t cover up a bright red and peely face. So SPF it up, wear cover-ups, carry around shades, and remember that you can always get sunburned, so always be prepared!