Summer Skin Care
Many people spend summer vacations by going to the beach, grilling hot dogs, and lying on the lawn or in a field to watch a spectacular fireworks display on a holiday. But if you are not careful, some nuisances of the great outdoors could take the fun out of your holiday and leave you in pain. Leading dermatologist Dr. Marcy Street of Doctor's Approach Dermatology and Laser Center offers these remedies for treating everything from bug bites to jellyfish stings to burning your hand on the backyard grill.
Bee and wasp stings
The first thing you need to do is remove any stingers remaining in the skin as quickly as possible. Eyebrow tweezers are great for getting them out. Then, put some ice on the skin to start providing relief. A good idea is to place a cloth between the ice and the skin to avoid freezing the skin. After the pain subsides, wash the sting with soap and water and place an antibiotic ointment on the sting site.
If the pain continues, you may want to take ibuprofen (such as Advil or Motrin) or acetaminophen (Tylenol). If it's more of an inch rather than pain, you may want to take an antihistamine such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl) or a non-sedating one such as loratadine (Claritan).
Red ants
If you somehow step into a pile of red ants, you are going to want to treat the bites the same way as a bee sting " except you won't have to worry about removing the stinger.
Bug and spider bites
Your treatment here is going to depend on the type of reaction. If there is only redness and pain, an ice cube will do. Don't forget to clean the area with soap and water. If the bite starts itching, don't scratch because this may cause the skin to get infected.
To prevent the urge to scratch, you can use an over-the-counter antihistamine such as diphenhydramine in either cream or pill form. Calamine lotion may also help relieve the itching.
Jellyfish stings
Nothing ruins a day at the beach worse than jellyfish stings. A sudden downpour would be more welcome. But if you find yourself stung by the tentacles of these floating blobs, your best treatment is to rinse the affected area with salt water. Don't use fresh water because it will further activate nematocysts " which are the stinging cells - and worsen the reaction. It would be better not to rinse the skin at all than to rinse it with fresh water.
It is also important to remove any tentacles still on your skin. Be sure and wear protective gloves or use tweezers. Then treat the area with white vinegar to help decrease symptoms. Over-the-counter pain medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen will also help ease the pain.
To prevent the poison from spreading in your skin, try to keep the affected area still. For example, if you are stung on the foot, avoid walking.
Sunburn
This shouldn't happen if you use sunscreen with a SPF of at least 15-30 and reapply often. But if you somehow scorch your skin, cool it down with a cool shower. Then apply a lotion that contains aloe vera. Topical steroids (such as 1% hydrocortisone cream) may also help reduce the pain and swelling.
Depending on the severity of the sunburn, you will likely start peeling sometime within a week. There is really nothing you can do to prevent sunburned skin from peeling as it's part of the healing process. But lotion may help relieve some of the itching.
Burns from the grill
You have got the hot dog wieners and hamburger patties cooking over the coals when you suddenly and accidentally burn your hand on the grill. If it appears to be a minor burn, run cool water over it and cover with a clean, dry cloth. This is one instant where you don't want to use ice as it can worsen the burn. Even worse is what everyone's mother and grandmother used to apply: butter. Instead of soothing the burn, it will hold the heat in the tissue and keep you in pain.
Dr. Marcy Street is a board certified dermatologist and founder of Doctor's Approach Skin & Hair Care Products.
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