Sunburns and how to deal with them

my son was outside today, and got really burnt, hes rther red. i shouldve put cream on him, but i was so busy cleaning and preparing for tonights events that i didnt even think about it.

so what im asking is, I have seen a couple of people swear by vinger for sunburn, is this true, and how do i apply it?? otherwise what else can i use, i have put aloe on but wanted to try the vineger..

My Advice:

I myself have suffered tons of burns, my mom and hubby has too.  When I was young I had a severe burn on my back and we tried just about everything to stop the pain. But before I get to that, I want to share a little about what it is and what happens with a burn.

Basically a burn is the cooking of the skin, the more severe the burn is, the deeper it is in the skin.  A first degree burn, most sunburns, are the top layer. Second degree burn includes the second layer as well, and a third degree burn goes thru all the layers of the skin to the underlying tissues.  Now the stinging is the nerve endings being burnt and cracking or breaking. It takes a few days for them to repair themselves, that is why the sting can last more then a day.

For treatment there are many things that you can do.  The home remedies like tea, aloe vera, rubbing alcohol, cold compressesm milk, lotion, etc.  So why so many different things that work?  The truth is that they all help to take away the heat.  In the first few mins of noticing a sunburn you want to stop the "cooking" of the skin.  This can be done simply by putting the sunburn under cold water for several minutes.  Since you are dealing with the heat, the longer the better and the more soothing it will feel.  You can also take a bath in oatmeal or milk as they both help to not only stop the "cooking" but help to rehydrate and moisturize the area.  Once this step has been done then you want to gently dry the area.  If you rub to hard you can cause pain, and even blisters.  However, if you see large blisters on the burn area it's best to get it looked at by a doctor as this can be a second degree burn and infection can be a concern.  After patting off most of the moisture, then apply a good moisturizer, like aloe vera or lotion, then a vasaline.  This will help to keep the skin supple and moist, and prevent the skin from drying out to much, as it's just been "cooked", to allow for a more comfortable healing.  Do this every time the sunburn starts to feel uncomfortable for the first day or two.  And be sur to keep the area well moisturized with aloe ot lotion...

Peeling is a very normal part of the healing.  We all shed our skin and the peeling is the healthing skin showing thru.  You want to encourage the peel after a few days to remove the dead burnt skin and show the health living skin. 

If you see alot of tiny blisters, don't be worried, this happenes often after a mild sunburn when sweat comes in contact with the area.  It is often itchy, and it's ok to lightly rub it.  But you want to give the underlaying skin time to heal before you try to "pop" the blisters when you scratch. 

If at anytime you feel faint, nauseas, or in severe pain from the sunburn, or it is over more then 10% of your body seek medical attention to make sure you are not suffering from sun poisoning.....And be sure to call your doctor anytime you have any concerns or questions about a sunburn....elspecially in children.