My 23 year old daughter got one at the beach the other day. And yes, she used a 50 factor sunscreen...for babies... as she has two little kids. The kids didn't get burned but she did. She is on birth control which may have made it worse. Idk. Nonetheless, she is itching so badly she feels she will go crazy. I have used the internet for years trying to find a remedy for sunburn itch as we are very fair skinned and on occasion have gotten burned. However, I avoid the sun like the plague now as do most of my children...who are adults. Is this type of itching after sunburn hereditary? We are of Irish descent. I remember sunburns when I was a teen and in my twenties and thought I would die when the burn started to heal and turned to an overwhelming itch. You can't focus on anything. The itch is way worse than the burn ever could be. It's worse than having a baby. At least that's what my daughter said as she had one just 5 months ago. Has anyone else had this problem? It seems like this phase of the burn has no "real" remedy. Nothing works. Help!! Thanks
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Q: How to stop the intense itch of a healing sunburn.Tea, asprin, milk, spray,cool bath, don't help.
i have this itch again today i got burnt on sunbeds... what i did i had a cold bath for about 10 mins, then u went and got on my bed.. i could never find anything to make it stop .. dont use aftersun it gets worse i tryed that lol, i had to forse myself to stop itching. so i put something in my mouth to bite and tryed my best and i found that worked :D .. and ive never had baby but it is to worst feeling ever
This has been happening to me today. I just came online to find the same answer.. when the itching became unbearable before the only thing i could do to stop it after having smeared all sorts of aloe vera and moisturisers on my back.. was to literally numb my back with ice packs. If you only have small ice backs and you are alone (like i was) just slide the pack the on top of the points that are most unbearable. It took about 15 mins of doing this before i could take away the ice.. just make sure you dont irritate your skin wile doing so..
Also i found that after having a shower drying the burnt area with a towel greatly increased the itching- so if you've got the time after a shower id just sit in a towel and let the burned area dry by itself.. although its kinda.
as for a remedy.. i think we might just have to learn from our mistakes for next time
Lanacaine cream, maximum strenth. It has 20% Benzocaine in it. Be preparred when applying. It will increase the itch and pain to the point of insanity for 5-20 minutes until the medicine works. Then it will take away the itch and the burn for up to 8 hours. I am talking like you will forget about it. As the burn heals the application insanity lessons. Good luck.
bath tub full of baking soda helped my 12yr son the best, along with dose of Benadryl for itching and Motrin for pain.
Deep unbearable itch after sunburn. My father, my brothers and I have all experienced exactly what you are describing. Until someone experiences this it is really hard to understand the intensity and the lack of treatment available. I searched this out on the internet to offer help to those experiencing it as well.
After literally spending days in cold showers and anguishing hours....we found a solution. PEPPERMINT OIL
. NOT Peppermint extract, PURE PEPPERMINT OIL. You can find it at health food and natural food stores and some knowing pharmacists will carry it. Apply directly to the burn. Any skin contact with the oil causes your skin to feel really cool. It opens the pores.
Your hands or the hands of whoever applies it will feel quite cool for hours or days after because of the effect of the oil, but it is not painful at all (just don't touch your eyes, mouth or nose. It smells like a candy cane factory for a few days....which after finally getting relief from this awful experience, will become the best smell in the world.
This seems to work by opening the pores and releasing the heat held deep in the nerves.
Peppermint oil is pretty strong to apply directly to the skin but it generally only requires one thorough application all over the affected area. This DOES work. This is the only thing that really works for this. It is really quite amazing how fast and how well it works too considering how nothing else touches it.
What DOES NOT WORK.... ANY Kind of lotion or gel or cream makes it worse.
This holds the heat, which is already being held in, and is continuing it's burn at the nerve level. Avoid any chlorinated or treated water (especially hot tubs... though the pressure of the jets can divert temporarily just like cold shower spray, it is only temporary and can make it worse).
Just so you know, like you, we always experience this at least one to two days AFTER the initial sun burn. We are not sure why we experience this and so many others do not but we highly recommend that you never repeat this kind of sun exposure. It will reoccur. It seems that some people are just vulnerable to it. Keep a fresh bottle of peppermint oil on hand just in case and if you ever meet anyone else who has gone through this pass on the word. This solution works so well agains such a horrible experience...people need to know.
thank you so much! im sending my girlfriend to the pharmacy right now! i had to leave work today looking like a trembling shakeing scratching idiot! nothing worked, no burn gel, no spray no banana boat, nothing and it did seem to make the itch worse, my boss had to drive me home, they were afraid i would have an accident cause of the way i was acting, its like ants were crawling and biting me all over my back, i got urnt on sunday 2pm to 530pm and today on tuesday at 1210pm all hell broke loose! boss went to the store and bought aloe vera gel cooling sunburn relief with lidocane hci, ha! made it worse burn gel outta the med cabinet didnt work, im a chemical formulator and our chemist walked by the office and seen me near tears and jumping and scratching all over the office and had alittle home remedy, aqua ammonia solution like 20 to 1,,, didnt work,, omg soooo unbrearable! unless you have gone through this. u will never understand... so in my third hour i made it home, jumped right in the shower, and it seemed the itch was gone, for a short while... uuugghh! 20 minutes later my chronic suicidal itch returned, now im not peeling yet and dont seem to be blisterd, but my burn appears almost purple in color, i been searching the internet and tryed almost every sugetsion on here except this one, now in my 6th hour of intense itching, and third trip to walmart, she has ran to the pharmacy to find this elusive pepperment oil! i hope this works, cause if it doesnt.... im gonna take a cheese grater to my back! i dont pray as often as i should, but,,, dear lord please make this work!
I have just been through the same horrible feeling. The only way I have ever been able to get through it is to knock myself out for about three days with allegy medicine. Of course as soon as I wake up I feel the crazy itch again. I will definitly reccomend this and if I forget the sunscreen again I will try it too. So, if it does not work, take benedryl or something else that makes you very sleepy and gently rub the area (or have your girlfriend) with a dry washcloth until you stop itching so bad or you fall asleep, and don't scratch or rub the area again! Just try and sleep through it as much as possible. Also have a fan blowing on you the entire time to try and keep moisture away. For about the next week or more don't get sweaty or get anything on the area (NO SHOWERS!) Good luck with the burn and don't forget the sunscreen next time!
I have never replied to someone online like this, but I am forever grateful to find your solution to this. I have a little clue for you, too. After spending hours researching, I discovered why we are so "special" to get this insane itch when a sunburn is healing (believe me, I spent hours until I found this post and ran off to buy the Peppermint Oil - which worked!...but I was in panic mode until I found someone who understood and then spoke with conviction about the solution). Anyway, I furthered my research to find out "why me"...and discovered that we special folks emit an excess amount of histamine (same thing that causes hives) during the healing process. That's why most people don't understand why we approach the brink of insanity during this process! SO...there you go! THANKS FOR POSTING THIS SOLUTION!!
thank you for your find which helped me to understand at least why is wrong with me. my kids and me went to water park where i got this sunburn. but kids dont itch like i do. although their burn seems worse than mine. at least what you have said here helped me to understand why i have this itch. this is so unbearable. i m in my second day of the sunburn.....and i feel like wanna jump out from my skin. i am asking around where to find that peppermint oil mentioned. i can't focus on anything at all. trying hard to cool my head when typing this.
Hi I would Like to tell you that their is another remedy i have tried didnt want too but I had to Man.
ME and My family are all Red heads will very fair Skin.
Well we were very busy the other day on sunday packing up for a trip and my 9 year old Son was at His friends House.
Well His dad really wasnt watching Him Because I guess they were outside Playing with a hose with their shirts off.
I saw Him with his shirt Off at the same time my neighber did but by then it was way too Late.
Sad But My son was out their playing with the Hose For 2 hours
He was soo Very Sun Burned He was Crying all Sunday Night he felt soo Bad that he Played with the Hose with not Shirt on.
We Put the Alo Cactis on the Burn that Night and a lot of 100% Aloe vera for the Burn it really Helped Him.
He couldnt go to school yesterday so we put aloe vera ON His entire Back and front his sun burn is awfaull I Myself have never had a sun burn this Bad because i would never ever take my shirt off not even when i am in the pool,Water,The Beach,Playing squirt Guns,ect.
I always whare a long sleeve shirt witch of course he can not even go to his friends house unless he has one on.
Well This is night #3 and of course it is Healing and it is now itching him so bad he has been crying and screaming for 3 hours since 9 PM.
I was sooo trying to Help Him its hurting him really Bad.
I been resurching on the Best remedy the Aloe Vera a great Remedy when you have the sun burn right away but when its starts itching the Applying it like Butter and very thick does not work even if you wait.
When I resurched the best way to Help my son i found this Thread witch this Guy is also fair Skinned Just like Us.
http://www.epinions.com/content_1410637956
I thought this remedy was obsured man.
But My son was screaming the entire time i was in front of my computer saying Please Dad Find something we could doo it itches soo Bad Dad.
I already Found this thread but I Just thought no Way Man No Way not going to work sounds soo stupid and it sounds like i will be in the emergency room tonight.
Well I would already be in the emergency room anyway becuase i didnt know how to help him.
So heck I would Try anything
I had Viniger Under the Sink Put it in the Spray Bottle Just like he Explained to do
I Sprayed it on Him right here in the Living room My House smells like Viniger.
He stood Under the Fan Untill It dried and it instantly stopped the itching and burning.
He was sooo tired But he just couldnt sleep.
He is sleeping Now and I am going to Bed
This remedy does work not only work good but it just works awsome i will be using it if i ever get a bad sunburn witch i garontee i wont.
I just found this question and I don't see how old it is but I too was just going insane from the itch of my sunburn from 2 days ago-I stood in an ice cold shower for hours and smothered aloe and benadryl all over my back to no avail-I ran to CVS and asked the Pharmacist and she immediately took me to the zisle and handed me Dermoplast-I asked her to spray my back immediately with it right there in the aisle!! I bought 2 cans home and my daughter sprayed it all over my back and it worked almost instantly! I cannot recommend this product enough. I would have paid $1000 to stop the itch! I was actually sick to my stomach from it. I never in my life not even having 2 children and one was a C-sec have felt anything so unbearable. I hope this helps someone.
I HAVE A RELIEF CURE.
You might think this seems crazy, but take a HOT SHOWER.
Instant relief. And you can't damage your burn because it's already healing.
Trust me on this one, it actually really really works.
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Lanacaine cream, maximum strenth. It has 20% Benzocaine in it. Be preparred when applying. It will increase the itch and pain to the point of insanity for 5-20 minutes until the medicine works. Then it will take away the itch and the burn for up to 8 hours. I am talking like you will forget about it. As the burn heals the application insanity lessons. Good luck.