Hope You Enjoyed The Sun (Burn)

Hope you had a nice holiday weekend and a chance to enjoy the beautiful Colorado sun!

I also hope you didn't forget or skimp on one of our state's must-use items: sunscreen.

We're already seeing people who decided to barbeque themselves -- talk about misery.

So if you decided to do your best imitation of a roasted chicken, here are some tips.

Ibuprofen or Aleve are good early in the course of a burn- not just for pain relief, but also to relieve the inflammation of crisp skin.

Cool compresses are vital... remember this a burn and what you want to do is cool the skin and its underlayers down below, and minimize the chemicals that are released with a burn.

Water is just fine to use with a compress--- another good thing is a half and half mix of cool milk and water. A protein in the milk minimizes the inflammation.

An over the counter product called "Burow's Solution" does a really nice job easing the burn as well.

 Now one thing you DO NOT want to do is start smearing salves and ointments on a sunburn--- as with any burn, they hold the heat it and can make the damage worse.

One exception is a water based aloe-lotion. Yep, aloe can do wonders with a burn.

Also hold off on "anti-burn" creams that claim to numb the burn. These often contain ingredients that some people are highly allergic to. It's best to just say no.

Now let's say you have some blistered skin, or are green-around-the gills nauseous it's time to see the doc. We often need to prescribe cortisone pills to help you feel better.

Finally, don't forget the water- drink lots of it. Sunburn is very dehydrating.

Good luck, and remember turning into a piece of toast is never fun. No more " I just forgots" for the rest of the year.