By Shawal Ras
The holiday season is here. Well, for us university students, what is a better way to spend our few weeks of solace than to soak up in the sun and swim with the dolphins!
But, despite the oh-so-awesome day under the sun, beware of the lobster effect.
“The lobster effect”, known to us folks as sunburn, is a very very bad idea. It looks bad, it hurts you like a burned satay and inflicts a long-lasting skin damage. Not just that, your skin peels like onion. Gasp!
So to avoid that, please be cautious. Use sunscreen, cover up your body with some clothing or hats and avoid the searing hot sun between 10 a.m and 4 p.m.
But, mistakes do happen. So, here are my five guides to ease the pain and limit the damage…
First, act quickly! If you feel a slight burn or see any sign of skin reddening, get out of the sun immediately. Remember that a hint of pink at the beach could easily turn into a problem in the next few hours.
Secondly, buy yourself a moisturising lotion to soothe yourself. After a cool shower, slather some cream onto your skin and repeat it frequently as it makes peeling and flaking less noticeable. A quick guide: do not scrub, pick or peel your skin as it may cause blisters. Ouch!
Moreover, drink more fluid! Sunburnt causes your body to dehydrate, so drink more water and juice over the next few days and watch out for any sign of dehydration such as dry mouth, dizziness or sleepiness.
Fourthly, take a dose of ibuprofen (such as painkiller) as soon as any sign of sunburn appears. It reduces the swelling and redness that’ll occur on your body. You surely don’t want any long-term skin damage, right?
Lastly, even though some sunburns can be treated at home, but if the burn covers more of the body, such as your whole back, please visit the doctor. You don’t wanna start the new semester looking like a bad joke, eh?
Anyway, those are my two cents on the issue. Before I end this article, here’s a joke for you to laugh: What’s redder than a lobster with a sunburn? Answer: An embarrassed lobster with a sunburn!***
Source: Skin Cancer Photo taken from North River Lobster Co.