Can sweating also cause sunburn? 5 preventions and 3 treatments to help you solve the problem of sunburn

The scorching sun and high temperatures are a great test for human skin, and sunburn is easy to occur. What are the causes of sunburn? How to prevent and deal with it? Let's learn about it together.

In addition to sun exposure, sweating can also make sunburn worse.

Sunburn is mainly caused by skin damage caused by exposure to outdoor ultraviolet rays (mainly medium-wave ultraviolet rays). In contrast, long-wave ultraviolet rays cause much less photodamage to the skin, because long-wave ultraviolet rays require an irradiation dose 1,000 times higher than medium-wave ultraviolet rays to cause the same degree of damage to the skin.

When exposed to the sun, sweating will increase the damage of ultraviolet rays to the skin. Sweating increases the hydration of the stratum corneum, making it easier for the stratum corneum to absorb shorter wavelength ultraviolet rays, and leads to a decrease in the reflection and scattering of ultraviolet rays, increasing the skin's sensitivity to ultraviolet rays, thereby reducing the amount of ultraviolet radiation required for sunburn.

In addition, taking or eating drugs or foods that are prone to photosensitivity reactions can significantly increase the risk of sunburn. Drugs that are prone to photosensitivity reactions include doxycycline, sulfonamides, griseofulvin, amiodarone, tetracycline antibiotics, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Some people are prone to sunburn symptoms after contact with certain plants, vegetables, and fruits, such as celery, coriander, limes, lemons, dill, and fig tree juice.

Many people lack knowledge about sunburn, which leads to an increase in sunburn. When people are exposed to large doses of sunlight during outdoor sports such as swimming and training in summer, they tend to pay attention to it and take sun protection measures in advance. However, in some special environments, such as snow, white sand, water and other environments with high UV reflection, it is easy to overlook the importance of sun protection. 48% of skiers have been sunburned while skiing, and 68% of skiers have no awareness of sun protection while skiing. Therefore, when people are in special environments, they should pay more attention to sun protection measures to prevent the occurrence of sunburn.

To prevent sunburn, you should take these measures

1. Avoid prolonged sun exposure and stay in the shade when doing outdoor activities. If there is no shade, avoid outdoor activities between 11:00 and 15:00. Infants under 6 months old should stay in the shade as much as possible and avoid direct sunlight.

2. When you need to do outdoor sports training for a long time, use a wide-brimmed hat and a long-sleeved shirt to protect and cover your body. The higher the yarn density, the darker the color or the sunscreen coating, the stronger its UV absorption ability and the better the sunscreen effect. The brim length of the hat should be greater than 7.5 cm to have a better sunscreen effect.

3. Using sunscreen is the most common form of sun protection, and you can choose the appropriate sunscreen according to your skin type. The sun protection effect is better when topical sunscreen is combined with physical sunscreen such as clothing and hats. Waterproof sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or above and sunscreen lipstick with an SPF of 30 or above should be selected, and covered on the face, neck, shoulders and other parts prone to sunburn. Sunscreen should be applied 30 minutes before sun exposure and reapplied every 2 hours or after sweating and swimming. Sunscreen containing vitamin A, oxybenzone, fragrances, parabens and other preservatives should be avoided for children to prevent irritant dermatitis.

4. When your skin starts to feel burning or stinging, you should immediately avoid the sun and go back indoors or to a cool place.

5. People who are taking photosensitizing drugs or suffer from photosensitivity such as connective tissue diseases should follow the doctor's advice to avoid sun exposure.

How to treat sunburn?

1. Local treatment

After sunburn, cold wet compresses (such as normal saline, boric acid solution, and 2.5% indomethacin solution) or local cold compresses, cold gels, etc. should be applied as soon as possible. If skin blisters are formed, the blister fluid should be extracted and the blister wall should be kept intact to avoid infection. Ruptured blisters should be kept clean and covered with wet dressings.

Topical application of glucocorticoids after sunburn can relieve erythema and local skin congestion, inhibit pigmentation after sunburn, and relieve local skin pain. Hydrocortisone butyrate cream can be applied to the affected area 2 to 3 times a day.

Topical NSAIDs can effectively relieve the symptoms of sunburn. You can choose to apply 2.5% indomethacin solution to the affected area 2 to 3 times a day.

In severe cases, epidermal growth factor and fibroblast growth factor can be applied to the wound to promote the repair of damaged skin barrier structure and reduce inflammatory response. Gel preparations, sprays or freeze-dried preparations can be applied directly to the wound, and sterile gauze or dressings can be used for wet compresses overnight if necessary.

2. Systemic treatment

NSAIDs are commonly used drugs for treating sunburn and can relieve hypersensitivity reactions induced by medium-wave ultraviolet rays. Oral NSAIDs can reduce the sensitivity of the skin to thermal and mechanical stimulation after sun exposure, and reduce the pain of sunburn patients. If necessary, oral ibuprofen sustained-release capsules can be used, 0.3 g/time, twice a day.

For patients with more serious sunburn, oral glucocorticoids can be given to inhibit or slow down the occurrence and symptoms of sunburn. Prednisone acetate tablets, 15 mg/time, once a day, can be used. However, oral glucocorticoids (such as prednisone and prednisolone) cannot reduce skin erythema and hypersensitivity reactions caused by sun exposure.

Patients with severe itching can be given antihistamines to relieve itching symptoms, such as cetirizine tablets, 10 mg/time, once a day. Antihistamines can also inhibit the inflammatory response of sunburned skin and inhibit the formation of erythema. The combination of antihistamines and aspirin is more effective in inhibiting the formation of erythema and has fewer adverse reactions than the common sunburn treatment drug (indomethacin) alone.

For patients with significant sunburn pain, oral opioids can reduce skin sensitivity and pain after sunburn.

3. Treatment with traditional Chinese medicine

Sunburn is classified as "sun sores" in traditional Chinese medicine. It is caused by the body's intolerance, loose skin and pores, and the heat of wind evil, which prevents the heat from being released and accumulates in the skin. Chinese patent medicines for external use, such as Fufang Kuhuang Spray, Jingwanhong Ointment, Shanbao Aerosol, Lithospermum Officinale Oil Burn Ointment, and Meibo Moist Burn Ointment, have all been reported to be effective in treating sunburn.

Most sunburns resolve with symptomatic treatment. Acute sunburn can act as a trigger, prompting the onset, recurrence, or aggravation of diseases such as herpes simplex, systemic lupus erythematosus, polymorphic light eruption, solar urticaria, erythema multiforme, and vitiligo.