Sunburns appear faster in children than in adults. If a sunburn does occur - the skin turns red and even blisters - first of all, it needs to be cooled and soothed. And in the future, dose the sun carefully to the child and protect his skin with sunscreen.

Children are much more easily sunburned than adults . The skinof the babyis thinner than ours and ultraviolet penetrates deeper into it. In addition, the sweat glands are not fully functional yet and the baby is less cold than we are. But children usually like the sun, and it is not always possible to convince a frisky child to play under an umbrella or in the shade of a tree. What to use if the child burns?

It's a sunburn

If, after a walk or sunbathing, the child's skin is red, the child cries, freaks out or complains of pain - we can be sure that the child has been sunburned. Usually such symptoms appear 2-4 hours after leaving the sun. Sometimes there may already be tiny blisters on the skin. You have to react immediately, but calmly, so as not to upset the child with your nervousness.

What to use on the burned skin of a child

First of all, we cool his body. We apply cold compresses, e.g. made of a towel or sheet soaked in cold water. You can also use spray water. We sprinkle it on the burned places, put a thin piece of tissue (separate it) and sprinkle it with water again. Apply compresses for 15-20 minutes, changing them regularly or sprinkling with another portion of cold water. We do it even if the child has chills, because after overheating, thermoregulation may malfunction and the child is shivering from the cold and the skin is hot.

After cooling, we soothe the skin. The best are mousses, gels or light emulsions with panthenol, allantoin or aloe, which we buy at the pharmacy. If you do not have the appropriate cosmetic at hand, you can apply Fenistil bite gel on the child's skin, which has a cooling and soothing effect. When we don't have it, let's at least buy cold natural yoghurt, buttermilk or kefir. Apply it to the burned areas and let it dry. Then wash it off and put on the next portion. All treatments are performed gently so as not to rub irritated skin. Temporary cold treatmentwith dairy products to cool down and soothe burns. But it is worth going to the pharmacy for a healing remedy for burns and irritated skin, for example Alantan ointment or Panthenol foam. If the child cries and complains, it is worth giving him a painkiller, because the pain of sunburned skin is troublesome.

How long does a burn take

Fortunately, sunburns heal quickly. The very next day the child should feel a significant relief, and in two or three days the skin will return to normal. If this does not happen, and large blisters appear on the skin, you should go to the doctor with the child.

Important

Less sun in childhood, more he alth in adulthood

Ultraviolet absorbed at the age of several years is played on us when we reach middle age. Burns and sun damage accumulate in the skin. Scientists have found that photoaging (i.e. the appearance of wrinkles resulting from the action of free radicals caused by ultraviolet light) and melanoma is the result of sunbathing until the age of 20. Especially in childhood, when the melanin production mechanism is not yet fully operational, the greatest damage occurs. It is true that the sun is needed to synthesize vitamin D. That is important for he alth. But just 15 minutes of sunbathing is enough for the body to produce enough of it.

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