Heat rash and sunburn: Home Doctor & Self Therapy

Heat rash, also known as prickly heat, is an itchy, red, pimply rash that may develop around your neck and on your chest, back, armpits, and groin in hot or humid weather, particularly during exercise. Babies who overheat because they are dressed too warmly, or because of a fever, are particularly susceptible to heat rash. Sunburn is the result of overexposure to the sunshine or to ultraviolet rays on a tanning bed. If you are mildly burned you will have red, sore skin on areas such as your shoulders, arms, thighs, back, and nose, which may begin to itch and peel a few days later. More severe sunburn can cause blistering and pain. Although you are most likely to burn in hot summer sun, you can also burn on an overcast day, in water, or at high altitudes. Babies, children, and fair-skinned people with red or blond hair and blue eyes are most at risk.

See your doctor first

Arrange to see a doctor immediately if:
● You are not sure that a baby has heat rash, or a baby has a rash with fever
● You have severe sunburn with extensive blistering, and/or feel unwell, with vomiting, fever, confusion, or headaches
● A child or baby gets sunburned

What you can do yourself

You can treat an attack of heat rash or a case of mild sunburn with the following measures. They will make your skin feel more comfortable and help speed your recovery.

Heat rash

● Loosen or remove your clothing and find a cool place to sit, such as an air-conditioned room. If available, use a fan to help cool yourself down, and avoid any activity that might make you sweat.
● Have plenty of cool, nonalcoholic drinks.
● Apply a cold compress to affected areas. Soak a sponge or washcloth in cold water, wring it out, and apply to your skin. Use it as often as needed.
● If your baby develops heat rash, take immediate steps to cool him or her down (see PRACTICAL TECHNIQUE, below).
● To soothe dry, itchy skin, try taking frequent, lukewarm baths with oatmeal bath oil. Pat your skin dry afterward.
While you have a heat rash, don’t use antiperspirants, perfumes, lotions, or creams, which may irritate your skin or block your pores.
● When the weather is warm, wear lightweight, loose clothes made of natural fibers such as cotton.
● If you are prone to heat rash, acclimatize yourself gradually whenever you move from a cool climate to a hot one. Increase the time you spend in the heat over several days.
● To prevent heat rash in a baby, avoid overdressing or using too many blankets. (Check by feeling the back of your baby’s neck – it should be warm but not sweaty.) On hot days, keep your baby in cool, shady areas and give him or her plenty to drink.

Sunburn

● Stay out of the sun while you have a sunburn.
If you do go outdoors, wear cool, lightweight clothes that cover the burns completely.
● Don’t pick at peeling skin; let any blisters burst on their own.
● Have a cool bath and add about 4 tablespoons of baking soda to the bath water. Pat yourself dry with a soft towel.
● You may find a cold compress soothing. Soak a soft cloth in cold water, wring it out, and apply it gently to your sunburned skin. Repeat as often as necessary throughout the day.
● Calamine lotion may help to cool sunburned skin (see DRUG REMEDIES, below).
● Try an aloe vera lotion or gel to soothe your skin (see NATURAL REMEDIES, below). Wait until the skin has been cooled down before applying moisturizers, which hold in the heat of the burn.

PRACTICAL TECHNIQUE

Treating a baby with heat rash
A baby with heat rash needs to be cooled down promptly. The rash should then disappear.
● Take off your baby’s clothes and diaper and lay him or her on a cotton sheet or towel to let the air circulate around the skin. Allow your baby to kick freely until he or she cools down.
● Don’t use ointments, lotions, or powders because they may block the pores and aggravate the rash.
● If your baby has a fever, give him or her plenty of fluids and take steps to reduce body temperature.

Cooling down
Once your baby is undressed, the air will help cool his or her skin.

NATURAL REMEDIES

Aloe vera is found in many aftersun lotions and is also available as a gel. It has soothing properties that help cool sunburned skin and relieve dryness and irritation. However, don’t use gels or cream to treat heat rash.

Seek further medical advice

Arrange to see your doctor if:
● A heat rash does not fade within 2–3 days
● A baby is still feverish after you have used cooling methods

DRUG REMEDIES

Calamine lotion has a cooling effect on sore, itchy sunburned skin. Dab it on with cotton balls as often as needed.
Sunscreens and sunblocks have different sun protection factors (SPFs) for different skin types – the fairer your skin, the higher the factor. Most people need an SPF of 15 or higher. (Much higher factors may be needed at high altitudes when skiing, for example.) Use a sunscreen even in the shade and on cloudy days. Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before you go outside and reapply frequently, especially after swimming. Use a total sunblock with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide if you have very fair skin and for all children. Don’t use sunscreens or sunblocks on a baby under 6 months.

PREVENTION

Safety in the sun The effects of the sun on your skin don’t always show straight away, so you may not realize you are burning. The following measures will help protect you from sunburn. ● Whenever your skin is exposed to the sun, use sunscreen or sunblock (see DRUG REMEDIES, above).
● Don’t go out in summer sunshine when it is at its strongest, between 11am and 3pm.
● Don’t use tanning beds.
● Be especially careful when you are close to water or snow because the reflected sunlight increases the likelihood of getting sunburned.
● Keep babies out of the sun completely. Use a sunshade or sit them in the shade.
● Wear loose, lightweight pants and tops with sleeves, and also a hat, if you are out in the sun for long periods. Some clothes are now labeled with an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF), indicating their effectiveness at blocking the sun’s rays.

Sun protection

Choose a hat that shades your child’s face and neck and apply sunscreen to skin exposed to the sun.