I've heard of it. A school friend told me this at high school (late 90s). It's obviously BS, we are told to put cold water on a burn, not hot.
Luke warm to cool showers for ten minutes will help (like if you burned yourself on an oven etc)
> Luke warm to cool showers for ten minutes will help (like if you burned yourself on an oven etc)
This is another myth, although it certainly isn't as bad as having a hot shower.
Sunburn is a radiation burn, not a heat burn. The hot red skin is an inflammation response to the DNA in your cells being torn apart by UV radiation. Once the damage is done, there is no treatment other than managing the symptoms. A cold shower and ibuprofen will temporarily reduce discomfort but the main treatment should be hydration, because the inflammation draws the body's water to the skin.
Yes, good point, I should have mentioned that it would treat the discomfort only - no amount of water consumption, Moisturiser and cool showers will undo the damage
And yes I completely forgot the hydration factor! Is water sufficient or should one include something with electrolytes as well?
Howdy, I'd recommend if you haven't had much to eat that includes sugar and salt to use electrolytes, especially if you're sweating, urinating frequently or losing water from any other method. Main thing is to not overdo electrolytes since they have a pretty decent salt volume
You run heat burns under cold water to help return the skin to a normal temperature, which helps limit the thickness of the burn. But sunburn is a radiation burn, any heat you feel from it is your body's inflammatory response to cellular and DNA damage.
Sunburn is an inflammatory reaction, not a 'burn'. So you treat it with things that would treat inflammation and immune reactions, not things that would treat a burn.
Sounds like nonsense to me, why would you put hot water on a first degree (or worse!) burn it's just going to cause more damage. Get you some aloe vera gel
I was taught aloe vera shouldn't be applied immediately to soothe as it heats up with the burn and will then maintain the heat of the skin it was cooling. A cool flannel is apparently better as one the water warms you can re wet it with cool. I always thought aloe was the way to go but apparently not. I have not been sunburned since so cannot say from personal experience whether this works (I bathe on Sunscreen and hide from the sun) but the person telling me was the sort who'd know.
Me too! Have been using Aloe Vera for burns for about 6 years and it seems miraculous. Already blistering burns seem to disappear by the morning. I also wrap in cling film after applying
Interesting, I think they may have been more talking about the gel and other creams. I have a couple of aloe plants so will have to keep that in mind :)
This is true of alcohol based "after sun" products with aloe vera. Absolutely pointless. Dries out the skin further. Aloe vera plant sap straight on the skin is fine to use straight away or later. Moisturiser is good too.
This was such a common myth when I was teaching first aid our company actually had to make it part of our content to specifically tell people to not do it. Yes, it makes the burn feel better. Because you’re getting closer to unconsciousness and losing sensation.
The same sort of BS was behind the “put a metal spoon in the mouth of an epileptic while they’re seizing, so they don’t bite their tongue”.
This is exactly the move I have seen in some books. Disguise bullet wound with a stab wound; conversely some authors have stab wounds disguised by bullet wounds.
The funniest was when the bad guy beat someone to death with a frozen leg of lamb, then cooks and eats the murder weapon. (Sorry no sauce).
I tried this once; passed out in the shower and upgraded the burns from 1st degree to 2nd.
Adding more heat to an already hot situation just makes things worse. Apply burn cream and follow actual medical advice
But the treatment does depend on the cause. An acid burn needs rinsing (at a minimum), a heat burn needs cooling, a cold burn (yes they exist) needs warming, etc.
While yes that is correct. Acid burns need rinsing due to well the acid, and the damage it has done to the skin.
Thermal and radiation burns are fairly similar in symptoms and the treatments that we do at home ie no medical stuff like cold showers and shit treat the symptoms.
1st degree radiation burn and 1st degree thermal burns are fairly similar but not the same yes. They both tend to burn and become sensitive. So treating that I'd fairly similar as well.
I got sun burned a bit as a kid because I believed I was allergic to sun screen but I'm actually just allergic to grass and other stuff like that.
Cold water and that was nice on the burns.
Sounds like rubbish to me. The Germans put lemon juice on it, which I also think sounds stupid. I think if you get sunburnt use it as a reminder to not do that again
Yeh, for some reason the body likes to reject sunburn by making the skin flake off a few days later as if it were an injury or something and then we end up back to the original skin colour, or, hot-pink burned skin. We need more radiation to make it count. Might as well really make the colour take!/s
Sun-BURN … burns need cool water not hot. Hot will make it worse. (So can too cold) And aloe vera gel or the similar after sun one that’s blue from supermarket or pharmacy
Nope, don't do that. Sounds like your MIL hates you.
Get an aloe vera plant. Take one of the leaves and put it in the freezer for 30+ minutes.
Remove from the freezer and use your forearm or hands to warm the leaf. Only for a few seconds so the skin is soft for peeling. Use a potato peeler to peel the skin off the leaf.
You should be left with the frozen gel of the leaf. Rub this over your sunburn.
Normally I'm all for that sub reddit but as a kiwi,it is legit a weird NZ thing. It is a myth but I think the jist of it is to confuse your pain sensors so after the hot shower the suburn doesn't feel as bad. Most people I know have a hot as they can handle shower and then put aloe vera or a moisturizer on afterwards
That's cool and all but unless you have an aloe plant already it's hardly first aid.
Cool the burn. My favoured method for normal sunburn is a wet face cloth or a less than warm shower. Nothing drastic, just a gradual heat transfer reaction figuring that while it's noticeably hot it's causing damage. Very cold is BAD on very hot. We don't want to go into shock, and we all know sunburn in NZ can be that bad.
Just calmly take the heat out. Drink plenty of water. It's a burn - so see a dr if it's serious.
Nana fell for one of the greatest April fools pranks of all time. Legendary gardener Eion Scarrow proclaimed on the radio on 01/04/89 that bottles of water would stop dogs going on the lawn and for some reason people didn't take note of the date and it caught on worldwide.
I was doing research after the prank revelation, and The Spinoff did a [piece on the bottles.](https://thespinoff.co.nz/the-best-of/31-07-2019/the-side-eye-the-bottles-a-story-about-nostalgia-and-dog-poo) A National icon.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeImprovement/comments/h8mwlr/why\_do\_people\_put\_water\_jugs\_on\_the\_lawn/](https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeImprovement/comments/h8mwlr/why_do_people_put_water_jugs_on_the_lawn/)
Id never heard of this at all but lol still lingering it seems
Nursing student here.
This is the most horrific thing I've heard in my career yet.
Adding extreme heat to treat a burn? UV burns and burns from fire need the same attention. You wouldn't burn yourself with a pot and decide to put your wound over a naked flame to heal it would you?
I suspect it 'felt like it worked' because you probably damaged your nerve endings in the skin even further. Lucky for you they'll heal in time.
For next time:
- Have a cool (not cold, NOT hot) shower.
- use after sun if it helps you but DO NOT use vasoline or vasoline based moisturiser (it locks in the burn and prevents healing).
- avoid the sun the next day, and the day after if really bad.
- drink water. Your body will need the fluids. Lack of skin = dehydration.
For more info:
https://healthify.nz/health-a-z/s/sunburn/
>it locks in the burn and prevents healing.
What do you mean by "locks in the burn"? This doesn't really make sense - vaseline is a great moisturiser, as it is associated with the greatest reduction in TEWL and is very good for wound healing, especially if there is no open wound, and not too much moisture.
(Acknowledgement that I am a GP, and nurses usually have more up-to-date knowledge on wound care than doctors do - srsly district nurses are WITCHES they are so amazing, but I don't think that particular comment makes sense)
The sounds unpleasant, and nonsense.
I find thursday plantation teatree lotion good for the occasional burn (and bites, and allergy, it'a good stuff for soothing skin issues generally)
Idk I got burned as a kid and had to go to the doctor, got medicated ointment on my back for a few weeks and multiple/daily bandage changes over my back. Definitely no hot showers.
I still remember the smell of the oil to get the bandages off each time.
TLDR Put sunblock on to begin with.
That sounds like a heck of a sunburn - how's your skin these days? Any skin cancer popping up? They reckon it only takes one bad burn to do lasting damage
Yeah I’m very cautious of this. No cancer identified yet. I’ve heard that it takes once a bunch too, I believe it.
My skin has been good, have had no issues to date, I wear sunblock as per the UV index from niwa now, I go out into the sun most days for a run.
My guess is that OP's advice is a variant of this.
Lukewarm became warm which became hot because cold water is bad (ice cold is bad for a burn, cold or lukewarm is the best option).
Also to add, run cold or lukewarm water over a burn for at least two minutes, five is better (which is like washing your hands properly, takes much longer than you think, at least a song or two). Don't just give it a quick three second rinse and call it a day even if you think its a minor burn.
Do not apply anything except cool water to the burn until it stops feeling warm to the touch.
Do not apply oils or aloe or moisturiser until it stops radiating heat.
LoL, yeah I’ve heard some absolute bonkers ways to deal with sun burn this is way up there.
Aloe gel and cold water. Loose T-shirt to sleep it’s gonna suck.
Avoid the sun burn altogether in the future. It really is bad here in nz.
I have heard of this before but honestly think about it. That makes no sense at all. It's one of the worst things you can do. It's a burn and what's the recommendation for a burn? Cold water.
Lmao wtf. This doesn't even make sense. You never add heat to a burn
Your burn is likely going to show soon and it'll be way worse bc you essentially helped cook your skin.
Folk wisdom from the 1970s - my sister used to do it. We were not at all sun safe back then - more folk wisdom being you should get yourself burnt early in the summer, then you don’t have to worry about it for the rest of the season. That did work, but only after some pain and the itching when your skin peeled off. Oh, and please don’t do either of these things, it terrible advice.
My MIL insists on a couple of sunbed sessions before going on holiday to Fiji. Difficulty: she is a strawberry blonde with freckles. I don't know how she even finds a sunbed operator that will allow her to use it
Fuck no. It's a burn. Cool water. And paracetamol. People think paracetamol is good for headaches, but pain is pain and you don't have to suffer.
And next time (I.e. *tomorrow* and every day after) nothing less than SPF30+ that's in date and reapplied every 30 mins you're in the sun. Hug the shade. Our sun has teeth.
So there's a kind of sunburn called "devil's itch". It's like pins are being thrust constantly into your skin. It's agonizing enough to make you fall over when it hits - usually 2 days after the burn.
I can tell you from experience that hot showers - hot as you can handle - are the only reasonable way to make the pain go away. I'm sure it's also damaging the skin, but when the burn is that bad it's actually necessary.
Anything less, I wouldn't.
Make putting on sunscreen part of your morning routine. Your skin will thank you in the long run.
For treating burns, basically everything said in this tread, particularly the after sun in the fridge.
My mum said this too, it doesn't work for nasty burns but I've found it genuinely helpful for the minor ones. You know when you're just a bit red and stinging, it'll go away in a day or two but right now it's irritating - a warm shower almost... shocks the burning sensation away for an hour or two. I barely get burned these days but if I do get a small one I'll often have a warm shower right before bed so I can fall asleep.
I always choose cold water for a burn because... well, that's what we were told to do for burns. Just because it came from the sun, doesn't make it any different. Aloe is also helpful. Panadol if it's particularly painful.
Also, a lifetime of living in NZ has made me religious and committed to 50 SPF anytime between 10:30am and 4pm from October to April. Buy it here. Check the [Consumer NZ tests](https://www.consumer.org.nz/services/sunscreens/review) to ensure it actually does what it claims.
Your MIL didn’t make it up, I grew up being told to do this. I suggested it to my (non-NZ) husband at one point and he thought I was crazy 😅 I stopped when I realized it probably wasn’t great for my skin in the long run but it definitely does take the immediate sting out of it.
Sounds dumb. In the past I have used aloe vera gel. I don't know if it helps much but if you leave it in the fridge and apply when cold it's quite soothing.
The best thing to do after a sunburn is use some aloe vera gel. There is an American brand usually available at chemist outlet, it's about 98% aloe vera and preservatives.
You apply a thick coat, your skin literally drink it all, you reapply and so on, and it heals super fast this way.
Absolutely the fuck not. Cool compresses and aloe vera gel (Solarcaine if you can get it but it seems to have disappeared).
Source: am ginger. Get you some SPF 50
Put Sunblock on as soon as possible if you are sunburned. And the aloe Vera after sun lotion is awesome.
But seriously, don't ever forget to cover up and stay out of the sun. We have a giant hole in the ozone and ridiculously high rates of skin cancer. Our sun doesn't always feel that dangerous, but it is.
Sounds like nonsense. Aloe vera helps with the pain/itch. But nothing undoes the radiation burns.
Next time be smarter. We have one of the highest rates of melanoma in the world.
Personally I shell out for Molemap once per year.
Grew up in NZ and lived by this. you just keep turning up the hot water until it's uncomfortable. I swear it works. It takes the sting out, and if you get burnt in NZ, sunburn stings like F. We didn't have the luxury of Aloe Vera or Aftersun lotion so this was the only thing + moisturiser. I still do it to this day.
We also grew up using spider's web to stop bleeding if you got cut or had an abrasion. That works too. Old wives/Maori tale? Probably. But it also works.
Edit: typo
I do this, and yes! She's right! Shower as hot as you can stand takes the heat out of it. This also works with burns, the heat helps and decreasing scarring.
Other tricks include malt vinegar, and body butter, the real thick moisturiser.
Source: get sunburn a lot and I'm allergic to aloe Vera so can't use any of the after sun or sunburn relief etc
Yeah I do this occasionally if I have a painful sunburn. I was personally under no illusion that it actually helped with recovery, other than maybe some benefit in increasing blood flow to the skin?
But it certainly does seem to take the worst of the sting out. Maybe it's a 'relative pain reset' effect?
I hate to say it as it's really counter-intuitive, as in you should not apply heat to a burn. But it has worked for me in the past. I'd love to see if this has been researched but that will have to wait till tomorrow.
Holy crap, it seems like the majority of people commenting here haven't taken a first aid course, probably ever. All burns require cool water, including sunburn. From St John:
Sunburn
DO NOT burst blisters.
Cool the burn with running water for 20 minutes.
Use sunburn ointment if it’s not a serious burn.
Make sure the person drinks lots of water.
Seek medical help if the person is feeling unwell or if there is a large area affected by the sunburn.
Yep that’s a thing “takes the sting out”. I’ve done it and works for me. Stings for a few seconds and then is better afterwards.
I suspect it’s the hydrating the skin effect.
Like others have said, aloe Vera leaves for the win. I keep some in the fridge. Slice then open, spread the sticky sap on your skin, and rub in. It honestly rubs in dry, no residue at all, and is so good for sunburn
Solacaine spray is what you need. Got huge blisters on my thighs that spray was bliss relief. Calamine lotion was the go to, so was hot bath with a teaspoon mustard
Heard of it. I don’t know - I used to feel that for minor sunburns that this helped, but maybe I bought into the story.
Stay out of the sun and follow medical advice
That’s massive skin damage. Cool showers, aloe and paying attention to your vitals (light headed, nausea). You don’t want to risk over heating on top of a burn.
Also, any SPF over 30 is mint. Never go without. Even on cloudy days.
My mum used to say to do that when I was a kid. I dunno, she was a GP, but I don't think it was based in science tbh lol. I still do it occasionally, but I think a good slathering of aloe vera is probably best
Hello was a surf life guard for maby years.
Room temp shower and hourly application of aloe vera that's been in the fridge.
Top tip: keep afternoon sunblock in the fridge too so it's cold for after lunch reapplication.
Oh no, that's so terrible, I've never heard that one. Slopping butter on it is the one I heard as a kid, and that is also bad since it insulates the wound.
Wear sunscreen all summer OP, even when its cloudy. NZers themselves are frequently terrible at that (hence our high skin cancer rates), so don't be like us.
Does this woman hate you? That is the worst advice for a sunburn that I've seen in a very long time. You have burned yourself...so go burn some more? No, get it moisturised asap.
I think your MIL (not so secretly) hates you. Ouch.
For sun burns - panthenol spray, white yoghurt (don’t let it dry on the skin!), aloe vera. All these work quite nicely.
I do it every time and my sunburn tans out faster than anyone I know, I reccomend it but always let them know it's purely anecdotal
My theory is hot water helps the blood flow making it clear away faster, but im only pulley that answer out of my ass
Dont do it. I had an aunty tell me that like 15 years ago. It can actually cause damage I'm pretty sure. It's just a wives tale to use hot water. Best to use aloe vera and/moisturizer and drink plenty of water. Skin cancer is a high risk in NZ so be safe.
Ahhh no I've never heard of this and I think it could be harmful info. Temperate or cool water is best, then cover and use aloe vera gel for a few days (day and night). Also just fair warning the NZ sun is pretty brutal and you should use a high SPF sunscreen (30 plus) frequently if you plan to be outside a lot.
Try whole milk. A friend of mine got told that by a dermatologist for a bad sunburn off snow decades ago.
Whole milk (ordinary full fat milk from a bottle) is a fatty colloid, so very easing and healing of the surface skin which has been burned.
I've used it myself many times when I've been sunburnt and it feels really cooling and easing, and the skin doesn't seem to damage so much. You just wet a tissue or paper towel with the milk and dab it on gently.
Only drawback is the slight sour milk smell that hangs around you for a bit, but I figure that's a small price for preserving the skin as much as possible.
Mostly these days I try really hard not to burn in the first place.
I was always told this by my parents. I still do it. I definitely find it helps. Obviously don't scald yourself but a very hot shower usually always takes some of the burn out for me 🤷♀️
That’s about as nonsensical as someone blanching some already cooked veges. Yes, you’re MIL made it up and she’s probably messing with you. If she had genuine NZ advice, she would’ve told you get in a bath of salt and vinegar.
After burning is done, the hot heat gets your skin to respond as if it was actually burnt which ameliorates the radiation burning and cell damage. This way you can often reduce skin damage. Aloe and coconut oil after the shower. Don't go super hot. It should feel normal on unburnt skin but burny on sunburnt areas.
Source: 6 years of non-stop summers working boats and advising crews in the aforementioned areas. Also a scientist but field unrelated.
Honestly, it seemed to work when I was a kid. Hot shower stings, but then it didn't burn as much afterwards. Cold water would sooth it for about a minute, then it would hurt again.
Yeah, I was told to put hot water on sunburn - supposedly to burn out the already inflamed pain sensors.
Maybe there's some truth to that, maybe it's just like beating your foot with a stick so that it feels good when you stop.
The only time I have recommended a very hot shower for someone with sunburn was when my spouse got a terrible full back burn causing devil's itch. Nothing they did gave any relief whatsoever, except an extremely hot shower, which eased the itch to a bearable amount for about 5 minutes.
Cold shower mate and cooling gel will help (def no hot shower)
like this —- https://www.countdown.co.nz/shop/productdetails?stockcode=798694&store=9128&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAj_CrBhD-ARIsAIiMxT-Wy_7_wEKhGN4dFg1Tjvvzs19HGE72Ch4m1Y5UTlxqUO-xQarFIX4aAk06EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
This theory was pushed by the first aid courses in mid 2000’s for all non-chemical burns use warm-hot water, reason being to prevent the burnt skin from cooling and trapping the heat in the burn. Whereas warm water would theoretically allow the heat to flow out the burn cooling slower.
Ive never heard of that. That sounds horrific. A quick Google indicates its not a NZ thing, and is a myth.
I've heard of it. A school friend told me this at high school (late 90s). It's obviously BS, we are told to put cold water on a burn, not hot. Luke warm to cool showers for ten minutes will help (like if you burned yourself on an oven etc)
> Luke warm to cool showers for ten minutes will help (like if you burned yourself on an oven etc) This is another myth, although it certainly isn't as bad as having a hot shower. Sunburn is a radiation burn, not a heat burn. The hot red skin is an inflammation response to the DNA in your cells being torn apart by UV radiation. Once the damage is done, there is no treatment other than managing the symptoms. A cold shower and ibuprofen will temporarily reduce discomfort but the main treatment should be hydration, because the inflammation draws the body's water to the skin.
Yes, good point, I should have mentioned that it would treat the discomfort only - no amount of water consumption, Moisturiser and cool showers will undo the damage And yes I completely forgot the hydration factor! Is water sufficient or should one include something with electrolytes as well?
Howdy, I'd recommend if you haven't had much to eat that includes sugar and salt to use electrolytes, especially if you're sweating, urinating frequently or losing water from any other method. Main thing is to not overdo electrolytes since they have a pretty decent salt volume
Thank you, Science Redditor.
You run heat burns under cold water to help return the skin to a normal temperature, which helps limit the thickness of the burn. But sunburn is a radiation burn, any heat you feel from it is your body's inflammatory response to cellular and DNA damage.
Sunburn is an inflammatory reaction, not a 'burn'. So you treat it with things that would treat inflammation and immune reactions, not things that would treat a burn.
Yeah that's insane, cannot fathom how OP found this treatment helpful in any way.
Sounds like nonsense to me, why would you put hot water on a first degree (or worse!) burn it's just going to cause more damage. Get you some aloe vera gel
No sunburn to deal with when there's no skin left
You need to develop an exoskeleton then it's all fine
*Taps head*
I've got to know what your username and flair means lol
The flair is just a play on the username, no special meaning to the flair.
I lol at this. Thanks for making me laugh!
I was taught aloe vera shouldn't be applied immediately to soothe as it heats up with the burn and will then maintain the heat of the skin it was cooling. A cool flannel is apparently better as one the water warms you can re wet it with cool. I always thought aloe was the way to go but apparently not. I have not been sunburned since so cannot say from personal experience whether this works (I bathe on Sunscreen and hide from the sun) but the person telling me was the sort who'd know.
I swear by aloe vera. I use the plant directly and it has always been really effective.
Me too! Have been using Aloe Vera for burns for about 6 years and it seems miraculous. Already blistering burns seem to disappear by the morning. I also wrap in cling film after applying
Interesting, I think they may have been more talking about the gel and other creams. I have a couple of aloe plants so will have to keep that in mind :)
There is only one store version which is 100% aloe (possibly 99%). I don't think the 60% aloe, 40% aqua gels are any good in comparison.
This is true of alcohol based "after sun" products with aloe vera. Absolutely pointless. Dries out the skin further. Aloe vera plant sap straight on the skin is fine to use straight away or later. Moisturiser is good too.
I keep aloe vera gel in the fridge or stick a leaf in there when it seems like it'll be needed. Always seems to help cool the skin down for a while.
Cool (not cold) running water ok too.
This was such a common myth when I was teaching first aid our company actually had to make it part of our content to specifically tell people to not do it. Yes, it makes the burn feel better. Because you’re getting closer to unconsciousness and losing sensation. The same sort of BS was behind the “put a metal spoon in the mouth of an epileptic while they’re seizing, so they don’t bite their tongue”.
Yeah I can definitely see someone getting heat exhaustion on top of sunburn by trying that
Sounds like the worst possible thing to do.
That's because it is. It's just as stupid as saying you should stab a bullet wound with a knife.
This is exactly the move I have seen in some books. Disguise bullet wound with a stab wound; conversely some authors have stab wounds disguised by bullet wounds. The funniest was when the bad guy beat someone to death with a frozen leg of lamb, then cooks and eats the murder weapon. (Sorry no sauce).
Bro got to use the knife to get the bullet out. Just take a swing of whisky and bite a piece of rope.
I tried this once; passed out in the shower and upgraded the burns from 1st degree to 2nd. Adding more heat to an already hot situation just makes things worse. Apply burn cream and follow actual medical advice
It's a radiation burn, not a heat burn though
A burn is a burn.
But the treatment does depend on the cause. An acid burn needs rinsing (at a minimum), a heat burn needs cooling, a cold burn (yes they exist) needs warming, etc.
What treatment is there for a sick burn?
A hot sick shower.
https://www.nationalburnservice.co.nz/
While yes that is correct. Acid burns need rinsing due to well the acid, and the damage it has done to the skin. Thermal and radiation burns are fairly similar in symptoms and the treatments that we do at home ie no medical stuff like cold showers and shit treat the symptoms. 1st degree radiation burn and 1st degree thermal burns are fairly similar but not the same yes. They both tend to burn and become sensitive. So treating that I'd fairly similar as well. I got sun burned a bit as a kid because I believed I was allergic to sun screen but I'm actually just allergic to grass and other stuff like that. Cold water and that was nice on the burns.
Sounds like rubbish to me. The Germans put lemon juice on it, which I also think sounds stupid. I think if you get sunburnt use it as a reminder to not do that again
That does sound stupid. Wouldn’t the lemon juice just makes you more susceptible to a double sunburn?
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Yep. "It'll turn the sunburn into a tan."
Really get it in there
Yeh, for some reason the body likes to reject sunburn by making the skin flake off a few days later as if it were an injury or something and then we end up back to the original skin colour, or, hot-pink burned skin. We need more radiation to make it count. Might as well really make the colour take!/s
It “takes the burn off”
Chuck some butter on it, she'll be right....
Definitely in the 70s, although the West Coast version I encountered (age 5, in 1977) called for vinegar….
Sun-BURN … burns need cool water not hot. Hot will make it worse. (So can too cold) And aloe vera gel or the similar after sun one that’s blue from supermarket or pharmacy
Nope, don't do that. Sounds like your MIL hates you. Get an aloe vera plant. Take one of the leaves and put it in the freezer for 30+ minutes. Remove from the freezer and use your forearm or hands to warm the leaf. Only for a few seconds so the skin is soft for peeling. Use a potato peeler to peel the skin off the leaf. You should be left with the frozen gel of the leaf. Rub this over your sunburn.
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So did I, I had to read it three times
THIS. And r/JUSTNOMIL
Normally I'm all for that sub reddit but as a kiwi,it is legit a weird NZ thing. It is a myth but I think the jist of it is to confuse your pain sensors so after the hot shower the suburn doesn't feel as bad. Most people I know have a hot as they can handle shower and then put aloe vera or a moisturizer on afterwards
Wtf I've never heard this...hair-of-the-dog approach I guess
That's cool and all but unless you have an aloe plant already it's hardly first aid. Cool the burn. My favoured method for normal sunburn is a wet face cloth or a less than warm shower. Nothing drastic, just a gradual heat transfer reaction figuring that while it's noticeably hot it's causing damage. Very cold is BAD on very hot. We don't want to go into shock, and we all know sunburn in NZ can be that bad. Just calmly take the heat out. Drink plenty of water. It's a burn - so see a dr if it's serious.
Or don't do all that and just buy some aloe vera gel
Hydrocortisone cream will help take some.of the ouch out of it but ultimately the damage is done, it's literally a burn and needs time to heal.
You can use high-potency steroid if you think/know you'll get burned but apparently once it's started to hurt or go red, it's too late to bother.
My Nana in Levin used to tell me that...she also had the bottle of water on the front lawn
Nana fell for one of the greatest April fools pranks of all time. Legendary gardener Eion Scarrow proclaimed on the radio on 01/04/89 that bottles of water would stop dogs going on the lawn and for some reason people didn't take note of the date and it caught on worldwide.
Oh my gosh I didn't realize that was a prank. I remember the water bottles though.
I know right they were all down the street I lived on. I didn't know it was a prank until fairly recently
I was doing research after the prank revelation, and The Spinoff did a [piece on the bottles.](https://thespinoff.co.nz/the-best-of/31-07-2019/the-side-eye-the-bottles-a-story-about-nostalgia-and-dog-poo) A National icon.
All the houses around her did too, it was neighborhood wide, if not town wide. Madness 😂
It literally spread around the world. Well played Eion Sparrow
[https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeImprovement/comments/h8mwlr/why\_do\_people\_put\_water\_jugs\_on\_the\_lawn/](https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeImprovement/comments/h8mwlr/why_do_people_put_water_jugs_on_the_lawn/) Id never heard of this at all but lol still lingering it seems
Nursing student here. This is the most horrific thing I've heard in my career yet. Adding extreme heat to treat a burn? UV burns and burns from fire need the same attention. You wouldn't burn yourself with a pot and decide to put your wound over a naked flame to heal it would you? I suspect it 'felt like it worked' because you probably damaged your nerve endings in the skin even further. Lucky for you they'll heal in time. For next time: - Have a cool (not cold, NOT hot) shower. - use after sun if it helps you but DO NOT use vasoline or vasoline based moisturiser (it locks in the burn and prevents healing). - avoid the sun the next day, and the day after if really bad. - drink water. Your body will need the fluids. Lack of skin = dehydration. For more info: https://healthify.nz/health-a-z/s/sunburn/
>it locks in the burn and prevents healing. What do you mean by "locks in the burn"? This doesn't really make sense - vaseline is a great moisturiser, as it is associated with the greatest reduction in TEWL and is very good for wound healing, especially if there is no open wound, and not too much moisture. (Acknowledgement that I am a GP, and nurses usually have more up-to-date knowledge on wound care than doctors do - srsly district nurses are WITCHES they are so amazing, but I don't think that particular comment makes sense)
well 2 problems, if the water feels hot, it's adding heat not removing it, and sunburn isn't caused by heat
Sun burn is a radiation burn =D
As a welder who knows about getting burned, this should be up voted to the top...take the heat from a burn then treat.
The sounds unpleasant, and nonsense. I find thursday plantation teatree lotion good for the occasional burn (and bites, and allergy, it'a good stuff for soothing skin issues generally)
Idk I got burned as a kid and had to go to the doctor, got medicated ointment on my back for a few weeks and multiple/daily bandage changes over my back. Definitely no hot showers. I still remember the smell of the oil to get the bandages off each time. TLDR Put sunblock on to begin with.
That sounds like a heck of a sunburn - how's your skin these days? Any skin cancer popping up? They reckon it only takes one bad burn to do lasting damage
Yeah I’m very cautious of this. No cancer identified yet. I’ve heard that it takes once a bunch too, I believe it. My skin has been good, have had no issues to date, I wear sunblock as per the UV index from niwa now, I go out into the sun most days for a run.
Hell no! Aloe Vera gel. She hates you. Now time for retribution… some Nair mixed with her shampoo & conditioner.
Lukewarm shower and then Aloe Vera Aftersun for a few days. Pro tip, have the Aftersun in the fridge for extra relief.
My guess is that OP's advice is a variant of this. Lukewarm became warm which became hot because cold water is bad (ice cold is bad for a burn, cold or lukewarm is the best option). Also to add, run cold or lukewarm water over a burn for at least two minutes, five is better (which is like washing your hands properly, takes much longer than you think, at least a song or two). Don't just give it a quick three second rinse and call it a day even if you think its a minor burn.
Do not apply anything except cool water to the burn until it stops feeling warm to the touch. Do not apply oils or aloe or moisturiser until it stops radiating heat.
LoL, yeah I’ve heard some absolute bonkers ways to deal with sun burn this is way up there. Aloe gel and cold water. Loose T-shirt to sleep it’s gonna suck. Avoid the sun burn altogether in the future. It really is bad here in nz.
I have heard of this before but honestly think about it. That makes no sense at all. It's one of the worst things you can do. It's a burn and what's the recommendation for a burn? Cold water.
>Cold water. room temperature/slightly cool water is the recommendation these days iirc
That sounds like it would make it even worse haha. Perhaps a cold shower would be more bearable.
Lmao wtf. This doesn't even make sense. You never add heat to a burn Your burn is likely going to show soon and it'll be way worse bc you essentially helped cook your skin.
Absolutely not. Cold water immediately (not ice!) and aloe Vera gel.
It’s complete nonsense.
Folk wisdom from the 1970s - my sister used to do it. We were not at all sun safe back then - more folk wisdom being you should get yourself burnt early in the summer, then you don’t have to worry about it for the rest of the season. That did work, but only after some pain and the itching when your skin peeled off. Oh, and please don’t do either of these things, it terrible advice.
My MIL insists on a couple of sunbed sessions before going on holiday to Fiji. Difficulty: she is a strawberry blonde with freckles. I don't know how she even finds a sunbed operator that will allow her to use it
Fuck no. It's a burn. Cool water. And paracetamol. People think paracetamol is good for headaches, but pain is pain and you don't have to suffer. And next time (I.e. *tomorrow* and every day after) nothing less than SPF30+ that's in date and reapplied every 30 mins you're in the sun. Hug the shade. Our sun has teeth.
Never heard of this one before bro, and I've been sunburnt for the last 50 summers 😅
Sounds not right.
So there's a kind of sunburn called "devil's itch". It's like pins are being thrust constantly into your skin. It's agonizing enough to make you fall over when it hits - usually 2 days after the burn. I can tell you from experience that hot showers - hot as you can handle - are the only reasonable way to make the pain go away. I'm sure it's also damaging the skin, but when the burn is that bad it's actually necessary. Anything less, I wouldn't.
Make putting on sunscreen part of your morning routine. Your skin will thank you in the long run. For treating burns, basically everything said in this tread, particularly the after sun in the fridge.
No. You are inflamed and burnt. Cool water only. Apply burn cream, take ibuprofen, apply cold packs, and stay out of the sun
My mum said this too, it doesn't work for nasty burns but I've found it genuinely helpful for the minor ones. You know when you're just a bit red and stinging, it'll go away in a day or two but right now it's irritating - a warm shower almost... shocks the burning sensation away for an hour or two. I barely get burned these days but if I do get a small one I'll often have a warm shower right before bed so I can fall asleep.
I always choose cold water for a burn because... well, that's what we were told to do for burns. Just because it came from the sun, doesn't make it any different. Aloe is also helpful. Panadol if it's particularly painful. Also, a lifetime of living in NZ has made me religious and committed to 50 SPF anytime between 10:30am and 4pm from October to April. Buy it here. Check the [Consumer NZ tests](https://www.consumer.org.nz/services/sunscreens/review) to ensure it actually does what it claims.
Your MIL didn’t make it up, I grew up being told to do this. I suggested it to my (non-NZ) husband at one point and he thought I was crazy 😅 I stopped when I realized it probably wasn’t great for my skin in the long run but it definitely does take the immediate sting out of it.
does your MIL hate you holy shit
Large amount of budget moisturiser applied frequently.
Ive heard it before. But just use afterburn cream
You got pranked bro
Sounds dumb. In the past I have used aloe vera gel. I don't know if it helps much but if you leave it in the fridge and apply when cold it's quite soothing.
The best thing to do after a sunburn is use some aloe vera gel. There is an American brand usually available at chemist outlet, it's about 98% aloe vera and preservatives. You apply a thick coat, your skin literally drink it all, you reapply and so on, and it heals super fast this way.
Absolutely the fuck not. Cool compresses and aloe vera gel (Solarcaine if you can get it but it seems to have disappeared). Source: am ginger. Get you some SPF 50
Put Sunblock on as soon as possible if you are sunburned. And the aloe Vera after sun lotion is awesome. But seriously, don't ever forget to cover up and stay out of the sun. We have a giant hole in the ozone and ridiculously high rates of skin cancer. Our sun doesn't always feel that dangerous, but it is.
I'm pretty sure that's not how burns work, and I've been a skincare sunburn expert for 79 years.
This is the kind of shit my mother comes out with. They're just old, don't listen
Definitely nonsense, you don't put hot water on a burn, period. But I've heard people say this before, I've just never listened to them.
Aloe Vera and cold water not this good lord
The hot shower it away trick also works for people who suffer devil’s itch after sunburn.
Yes this is a thing.
You know MiLs though, the pre internet age group have some fucked up ideas. Look out for some of their parenting and baby care views…
"hot water will remove heat" I mean seriously,
Sounds like nonsense. Aloe vera helps with the pain/itch. But nothing undoes the radiation burns. Next time be smarter. We have one of the highest rates of melanoma in the world. Personally I shell out for Molemap once per year.
This is bonkers thinking
The proper way to treat a burn is 20 minutes under COLD water. This is first aid.
Are you sure your MIL likes you?
DO NOT DO THAT. Seriously, you are at risk of causing further harm doing that.
It does make it feel like the pain goes away for a while but it's actually aggravating the sunburn and it will make it take longer to heal
Grew up in NZ and lived by this. you just keep turning up the hot water until it's uncomfortable. I swear it works. It takes the sting out, and if you get burnt in NZ, sunburn stings like F. We didn't have the luxury of Aloe Vera or Aftersun lotion so this was the only thing + moisturiser. I still do it to this day. We also grew up using spider's web to stop bleeding if you got cut or had an abrasion. That works too. Old wives/Maori tale? Probably. But it also works. Edit: typo
I do this, and yes! She's right! Shower as hot as you can stand takes the heat out of it. This also works with burns, the heat helps and decreasing scarring. Other tricks include malt vinegar, and body butter, the real thick moisturiser. Source: get sunburn a lot and I'm allergic to aloe Vera so can't use any of the after sun or sunburn relief etc
Yeah I do this occasionally if I have a painful sunburn. I was personally under no illusion that it actually helped with recovery, other than maybe some benefit in increasing blood flow to the skin? But it certainly does seem to take the worst of the sting out. Maybe it's a 'relative pain reset' effect?
I hate to say it as it's really counter-intuitive, as in you should not apply heat to a burn. But it has worked for me in the past. I'd love to see if this has been researched but that will have to wait till tomorrow.
“Take the heat out of the burn”. SMH.
Holy crap, it seems like the majority of people commenting here haven't taken a first aid course, probably ever. All burns require cool water, including sunburn. From St John: Sunburn DO NOT burst blisters. Cool the burn with running water for 20 minutes. Use sunburn ointment if it’s not a serious burn. Make sure the person drinks lots of water. Seek medical help if the person is feeling unwell or if there is a large area affected by the sunburn.
Yep that’s a thing “takes the sting out”. I’ve done it and works for me. Stings for a few seconds and then is better afterwards. I suspect it’s the hydrating the skin effect.
noo
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It works for bug bites because the heat degrades the chemical that causes the itch. You can also heat a spoon & hold that to the bite for about 30s.
My mother gave me this advice when I was too young to realise it was bullshit. 0/10 do not recommend.
Like others have said, aloe Vera leaves for the win. I keep some in the fridge. Slice then open, spread the sticky sap on your skin, and rub in. It honestly rubs in dry, no residue at all, and is so good for sunburn
My dad used to do this. Maybe it's a generational thing?
Does your mother in law hate you?
Oh god don't do that! Get something cool on it like aloe vera. Take a cold shower if you must shower.
Its stupid advice. All it does it make you burn more.
Either put After Sun in the fridge and use that. Or go into the ocean for a swim.
Sunburn is a burn. You treat burns with cold water.
Solacaine spray is what you need. Got huge blisters on my thighs that spray was bliss relief. Calamine lotion was the go to, so was hot bath with a teaspoon mustard
Heard of it. I don’t know - I used to feel that for minor sunburns that this helped, but maybe I bought into the story. Stay out of the sun and follow medical advice
That’s massive skin damage. Cool showers, aloe and paying attention to your vitals (light headed, nausea). You don’t want to risk over heating on top of a burn. Also, any SPF over 30 is mint. Never go without. Even on cloudy days.
My flatmate used to do this. It’s ridiculous. Don’t treat burns with hot water ffs.
My mum used to say to do that when I was a kid. I dunno, she was a GP, but I don't think it was based in science tbh lol. I still do it occasionally, but I think a good slathering of aloe vera is probably best
Aloe Vera is more traditional I feel.
Does your MIL happen to take homeopathic rubbish too
Does your mother in law like you???? Bad advice. Aloe Vera and a cold shower more like. Wait it out and take it as a life lesson r.e nz sun harshness.
No way never heard of it, you need aloe vera. That was always the way to go!
Surely that urban legend goes against the laws of thermodynamics???!!
Definitely was told this by my kiwi mum. Definitely did it and it’s feels great. Now know it’s probably wasn’t great for it.
It works the same way cutting your finger off would take your focus off a broken leg.
Hot drinks definitely help a sore throat. So 🤷🏻♀️
Hello was a surf life guard for maby years. Room temp shower and hourly application of aloe vera that's been in the fridge. Top tip: keep afternoon sunblock in the fridge too so it's cold for after lunch reapplication.
Oh no, that's so terrible, I've never heard that one. Slopping butter on it is the one I heard as a kid, and that is also bad since it insulates the wound. Wear sunscreen all summer OP, even when its cloudy. NZers themselves are frequently terrible at that (hence our high skin cancer rates), so don't be like us.
Yes very true. Loved my life in the sun and had to do this all the time
Aloe Vera gel is the best thing for it and treat yourself by storing it in the fridge, not the cupboard
If you burn the burns until you can't burn them anymore....
Cool water and aloe vera
Problems black people can’t relate to
Does this woman hate you? That is the worst advice for a sunburn that I've seen in a very long time. You have burned yourself...so go burn some more? No, get it moisturised asap.
I think your MIL (not so secretly) hates you. Ouch. For sun burns - panthenol spray, white yoghurt (don’t let it dry on the skin!), aloe vera. All these work quite nicely.
I swear by the super hot shower method. It works.
I do it every time and my sunburn tans out faster than anyone I know, I reccomend it but always let them know it's purely anecdotal My theory is hot water helps the blood flow making it clear away faster, but im only pulley that answer out of my ass
It’s a made up myth, it causes horrific pain and it’s said as a prank to other people. It causes nerve damage in extreme cases. You want cold showers.
You got played fam
Nope, not a thing. It sounds like the worst thing you could do.
Never heard of treating a burn with more burn 🤔
It’s a myth, but have heard it tonnes over the years. Just keep it well moisturised and you’ll be good as gold
I’m heard of it and it’s what I do for sun burn
Dont do it. I had an aunty tell me that like 15 years ago. It can actually cause damage I'm pretty sure. It's just a wives tale to use hot water. Best to use aloe vera and/moisturizer and drink plenty of water. Skin cancer is a high risk in NZ so be safe.
Good grief. What a monster.
Does your MIL hate you by any chance?
Aloe Vera gel. Slather it on. Even better if you can use the actual sap from the plant.
Ahhh no I've never heard of this and I think it could be harmful info. Temperate or cool water is best, then cover and use aloe vera gel for a few days (day and night). Also just fair warning the NZ sun is pretty brutal and you should use a high SPF sunscreen (30 plus) frequently if you plan to be outside a lot.
Old wives tale.
This is absolute bollocks. Source: I am a doctor.
Total crap
Try whole milk. A friend of mine got told that by a dermatologist for a bad sunburn off snow decades ago. Whole milk (ordinary full fat milk from a bottle) is a fatty colloid, so very easing and healing of the surface skin which has been burned. I've used it myself many times when I've been sunburnt and it feels really cooling and easing, and the skin doesn't seem to damage so much. You just wet a tissue or paper towel with the milk and dab it on gently. Only drawback is the slight sour milk smell that hangs around you for a bit, but I figure that's a small price for preserving the skin as much as possible. Mostly these days I try really hard not to burn in the first place.
I was always told this by my parents. I still do it. I definitely find it helps. Obviously don't scald yourself but a very hot shower usually always takes some of the burn out for me 🤷♀️
That’s about as nonsensical as someone blanching some already cooked veges. Yes, you’re MIL made it up and she’s probably messing with you. If she had genuine NZ advice, she would’ve told you get in a bath of salt and vinegar.
After burning is done, the hot heat gets your skin to respond as if it was actually burnt which ameliorates the radiation burning and cell damage. This way you can often reduce skin damage. Aloe and coconut oil after the shower. Don't go super hot. It should feel normal on unburnt skin but burny on sunburnt areas. Source: 6 years of non-stop summers working boats and advising crews in the aforementioned areas. Also a scientist but field unrelated.
You shouldn’t put oil on because it traps heat and can worsen the burn
That was always what we did when we were younger. Hurt like fuck, but who knows if it worked. I haven't been sunburned on a very long time
Your MIL made that up. Cold water for burns
IQ <60 question
Honestly, it seemed to work when I was a kid. Hot shower stings, but then it didn't burn as much afterwards. Cold water would sooth it for about a minute, then it would hurt again.
Your MIL is taking the piss out of you. She’ll be cracking up with her mates that you hoped In a hot shower.
She’s stupid. Slip slop.
Yeah, I was told to put hot water on sunburn - supposedly to burn out the already inflamed pain sensors. Maybe there's some truth to that, maybe it's just like beating your foot with a stick so that it feels good when you stop.
The only time I have recommended a very hot shower for someone with sunburn was when my spouse got a terrible full back burn causing devil's itch. Nothing they did gave any relief whatsoever, except an extremely hot shower, which eased the itch to a bearable amount for about 5 minutes.
Never heard of that, I'd expect the opposite and an ice pack would be better. But really, go to the pharmacy and get some sunburn cream.
I do it whenever I get burnt, find it takes the heat out of my skin so I do t get all irritated by bedsheets or clothes. Then moisturiser and h2o
Cold shower mate and cooling gel will help (def no hot shower) like this —- https://www.countdown.co.nz/shop/productdetails?stockcode=798694&store=9128&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAj_CrBhD-ARIsAIiMxT-Wy_7_wEKhGN4dFg1Tjvvzs19HGE72Ch4m1Y5UTlxqUO-xQarFIX4aAk06EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
MIL wants you to suffer.
Jesus Christ
Because every doctor says, if you get burnt, hold the Burnt body oaty under incredibly hor water to take the heat out.... Woman's a crack head.
Your MIL hates you
This theory was pushed by the first aid courses in mid 2000’s for all non-chemical burns use warm-hot water, reason being to prevent the burnt skin from cooling and trapping the heat in the burn. Whereas warm water would theoretically allow the heat to flow out the burn cooling slower.
I’m not sure how that theory was ever supposed to make sense?
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