I was a lifeguard for about 3 years of my life, which included 3 long summers. I saw the extreme tomatoes and the walking sunscreens. I’m obviously not a dermatologist, but I believe I have a great understanding of what to absolutely not do. I’ve heard all the excuses on why someone didn’t wear sunscreen. Here are my tips to avoid getting nasty burns and how to take care of them if you do get them.
First let’s see what we can learn from the tomatoes and the sunscreeners.
EXTREME TOMATOES (Always Sunburned)
-These are the “I forgot sunscreen” people.
-Commonly ask how the lifeguards are so tan.
-Spend most of their time outside of the pool, laying out on the chairs.
-Act surprised when they discover they are burnt after hours of sun.
-Think since it’s cloudy or chilly they can’t be burned.
-Complain about someone spraying sunscreen.
What can we learn from these people? Don’t be these people. If sunscreen is easily forgotten then you are not making your skin a priority. There was a time that I didn’t wear sunscreen and my skin paid the price.
THE WALKING SUNSCREENS
– Looks like a ghost/ you can’t tell if there is a human under the globs of sunscreen.
-Wears clothes, a hat, and sunglasses in the pools.
-Spends 15% of their time in the pool and the rest underneath an umbrella.
– Reapplies every time they smell sunscreen.
– Has lip, face, and body sunscreen.
What we learn from these people is that they care about their skin. Some people know their skin will burn more easily. Reapplying sunscreen is really important. A day spent at the beach, lake or pool can’t be handled with one application.
Because of my job, I was prone to get burned, even when carefully applying sunscreen. Here are a few things I learned about taking care of sunburns:
- After I’m sunburned, my body needs water. Even if I was drinking plenty while I was getting sunburned. Being sunburned and dehydrated is a terrible feeling. Drink up, but don’t pee in the pool.
- Make sure to cool your body down. Sometimes after work I’d come home and lay on my trampoline with a cold sprinkler running underneath.
- Put Aloe vera on it. I suggest you keep Aloe Vera Gel on hand. My favorite is the natural, more expensive kind that you keep in the fridge.
- Wear clothes that are loose and won’t stick to your skin.
- To help relieve some of the pain, stick a wet towel in the freezer for a while and then apply it to your sunburn.
I always thought my skin was fine because burns would turn into tans, I just didn’t realize how much damage it was actually doing. Getting a tan may be your main goal, but always use sunscreen. And keep enjoying that sunshine! #Sunshine #Sunscreen
Mono Girl 