The process of tanning is a darkening of the skin by exposure to the sun, or more specifically to the ultraviolet rays of the sun. People like construction workers, farm workers, or mountaineers, have a lifestyle that constantly exposes their skin to the sun. Their skin gets easily tanned. There are others who voluntarily expose their skin to the sun. For them, tanning is a part of skin care.
Whether tanning is a part of skin care or not, the skin darkening that is affected is not of the same degree for everyone. This is mainly due to the difference in people’s skin type. Another factor that could influence the degree of coloration might be some skin care products an individual could be using, or a medication he is taking.
Skin tanning is affected by the presence of a dark pigment known as melanin in the skin. This pigment is basically designed to protect the skin from the sun and when skin is exposed to the sun, the pigment rises to the surface. It is this arrival of the pigment on the surface that gives the darker hue to the skin.
People with a fair skin have less of melanin in their bodies. Their skin is more sensitive to the sun. It is mostly people of fair skin who see tanning as a part of skin care. As people of darker skin have more melanin in their skins, their skin can stand sunrays better.
A sunburn takes a little time to manifest itself. Because of that people often do not realize that their skin is burning. Since they may not feel any discomfort, they may leave the skin like that, without reapplying the skin lotion or using a shade. The burn will become visible only later, when they will realize that a skin care idea has turned into a skin scar idea.
Remedies for sunburn
Besides the damage it causes to the skin, sunburns can lead to dehydration or can cause nausea or dizziness. The skin will be so completely burned that instead of becoming a tan, it will shrivel and peel off.
There is no specific skin care treatment as such for sunburn. The basic skin care is giving the skin time to peel off and for the new skin to make its appearance. Loose fitting clothes can be worn to minimize skin friction till it is completely healed. If there is pain, normal pain relievers like aspirin or acetaminophen can be used. Keeping the skin cool can lessen the discomfort. So soaking oneself in a tubful of cool or lukewarm water might be an ideal skin care regimen.
Some word of the mouth remedies do their rounds that rubbing the affected skin with butter will help, or that soaking in a tub of vinegar might heal the skin. Much of these are baseless quack remedies. It is best to leave the portion of the skin open, letting it heal by itself. Rubbing any form of emolument can sometimes worsen the situation.
A sunburn that is pretty bad could result in the formation of blisters on the skin. For this too, the ideal skin care is to leave it alone to heal in the normal course of events. If it is causing too much discomfort, then, skin care can be sought from a skin specialist.
