What is the fastest way to finish a peeling sunburn?

aloe very plant or aloe lotion apply 3 to 4 times a day and use a washcloth or body sponge in the shower

cold water is the best first aid when you burn yourself – 20 minutes under the tap is ideal. NEVER ice or vinegar or milk or butter or mustard or toothpaste or sunscreen or semen or vaseline or tomatoes or vanilla extract or yogurt or sour cream or egg white or lavender oil or cocoa butter or salt or tea or potato or shaving cream or olive oil or baking soda or banana peel or petroleum jelly or whipped cream or avocado or bacon grease- not until the skin is fully healed! ignore anyone who advises any of these!

i would advise that you cover the burnt area with sterile paraffin wax or aqueous cream bp. (check the links below and see if you can find a local equivalent)

cover the burnt area in paraffin wax after cleaning and removing any burst blisters – these are just sites of infection and will take longer to heal. wash and reapply every 4-6 hours – cover with cling wrap if you wish to cover with clothes – this will stop your clothes getting covered with paraffin and maintains the burn.

cling wrap alone is ok if you can’t get hold of any paraffin. it also acts as a protective artificial skin – helping retain moisture and protect from further damage and pain. cling wrap is cheap and clean off the roll. in Australia ambulances often use this when someone has been burnt. – please note that cling wrap isn’t always practical, like on your face.

paraffin creates a seal stopping water leaving the body and reduces pain as it protects sensitised nerves. the paraffin imitates the natural oils secreted by the skin. skin cells are better able to multiply and regenerate with this treatment. pain is also helped. make sure you buy plenty of this paraffin – as the burn heals switch to aqueous cream bp.(aqueous cream has a bunch of paraffin in it plus some moisturisers – look out for stuff that also contains sorbolene or glycerine as these help also). following this regime definitely will help your sunburn heal faster and peel less. aloe is good coz it remoisturises but that moisture can be quickly lost as the skin can’t contain fluids- this is a function of healthy skin.

so put aloe on, and then the paraffin on over the top as long as there is no broken skin this works great. if there is broken skin leave out the aloe – just paraffin.

burns can cause heartburn/reflux/gastric ulcers (in more severe cases) – i have never heard the term ’sun poisoning’ before but this maybe what some ppl are referring to. its quite unpleasant especially when combined with pain, thirst and more pain.

long term treatment to prevent scarring or loss of function due to contractures(as skin heals it can tighten reducing how much you can move – a skin graft is necessary to repair this). daily moisturiser, daily stretches – talk to a physio, pressure bandages like tubigrip, massaging the scar. this all reduce/flatten the scar and minimise the need for further treatment/surgery. always keeps scars out of the sun – always covered with clothing.

please note that this is an explanation based on the many questions that have been asked on yahoo answers. all treatments are used in hospital settings and when done correctly (by a health professional) hugely improve the outcomes of burns patients. it is not an opinion but medical advice

hope this helps – let me know how you go and what similar brands/alternatives are available in your area

email if you still have questions – send photos

finally if you are really worried go to a hospital that has a burns unit or plastic surgeons. anything more serious than sunburn should be seen by a burns trained doctor or nurse.