Red Faced Walk of Shame
We need Vitamin D, but probably not as much as you were thinking. Your face is burned and your pride (okay my pride I'm an aesthetician) is hurt from your very burned skin. A lack of vitamin D can cause a loss of bone density, muscle weakness, weak immune system, depression, even hair loss. While the easiest way to make sure you are getting a good amount of D is to expose yourself to sunlight, you want to limit your exposure to 15 to 30 minutes. People who have fair or sensitive skin will want to opt to the 15 minute limit and those with more pigmentation will look at the 30 minute zone. You'll notice that neither of these times is that long which is where I slipped up... And I really do know better.
What does that mean? You should only be sunscreen free for that amount of time. While supplements and food can give you a dose of Vitamin D, the body creates it with UVB exposure on it's lonesome. Of course, the body can receive too much sun outside of that limited range of time and cause a burn that is from free radicals that cause premature aging and damage cells which increases your risk of cancer.
Here are some easy recommendations to give and to act on to prevent the bad but get the good...
- The best time for UVB exposure is between 11am to 1pm
- Avoid the sun during peak exposure if not aiming to get Vitamin D dose (10am to 4pm)
- Sunscreen should be applied 15 minutes before going outside and should be reapplied every 2 hours. If sweating, reapply every 30 minutes
- Use mineral sunscreen and not chemical sunscreen, look for zinc oxide and titanium oxide (sound familiar? YES! They are in our makeup)
- Drink a lot of water
So... you/I didn't listen, or you got this advice too late... Now what?
- See a doctor if you think sun poisoning is present
- Do not peel a burn if flaking, let it naturally peel to avoid scarring
- Other than pain relievers, ice packs can reduce inflammation and swelling
- Aloe is a wonderful anti-inflammatory due to aloin and can relieve itchiness (100% aloe not lotion)
- Drink a lot of water and use a hyaluronic acid before a moisturizer to help the affected area retain 1000 times its weight in water
- Vitamin C can help lighten skin and smooth out fine lines from sun damage
- Vitamin A can be used but beware, not all are created equal and they can increase the skin's sensitivity to sunlight see an aesthetician for skin regeneration recommendations
- E.G.F. (Epidermal Growth Factors) repair damaged skin and regrow strong, healthy skin
The following are products we know, use, and love:
Broad Spectrum Sunscreen
Hyaluronic Serum
Retinol Supreme (Vitamin A)
Regenerating Cream (Moisturizer)
eEGF Moisturizer
Tissue Repair Cream
Have questions about which is right for you? Come see us or give us a call at 423.266.6222
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