Peeling Skin from Sun.. Help?!? - Skin Problems Message Board

kufan · 06-12-2005, 06:48 PM

Hi - Hopefully someone here will have had this happen or maybe can give me a bit of guidance.

I have been outside a lot in our pool. For a few weeks, my skin was just tanning. I was putting on an SPF of 15. I had a really nice tan going and thought that I would not burn, but for one day - we spent the ENTIRE day outside and even though I had a good tan, not real dark, but def. tan, I ended up burning really bad everywhere as I had no sunscreen on thinking my tan would only tan more (yes, I know it's bad!). Everything healed up within 2 days.

But now my arms which hurt the most have started peeling in certain places. So, now I have patches of dry skin and sunburn peeling in different spots on my arms. The color of my skin under the skin that peels is a different color than my tanned arm and it is making my arms look so bad!!!!!!!!!

Will this fade away quickly or is my arm too tan to match the new skin? As much as I don't want to go back out in the sun unprotected - I am thinking that I have to tan the new skin to match the rest of my arms. The peeling peels in big spots - I definately don't peel it - it basically peels itself, and so the peel spots are a bit big in some areas. Will the new skin color eventually blend in with my skin color or is my arms too tan now? The new skin color is a tad bit pinkish - but def. lighter then my tanned arm color. It looks terrible.

Any help???? I am desperate? I have a very special event on July 8 - will this fade by then?

patriciabr · 06-15-2005, 10:01 AM

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patriciabr · 06-15-2005, 10:16 AM

Hey, I have a similar problem, I

sunburned badly and now I'm paying for it. I have been using pure aloe vera three times a day to avoid peeling. I did this last time and it worked. I think it's a little late for you, but you can start using it. Just keep it moistured at all times and see if it helps. I'm just a health frick (believe it or not!) and I am sorry I did such a stupid thing. I am taking vitamin C and E that together work effectively to help skin recover (actually vitamin C just helps absorption of E), and I'm also drinking lots of water and green tea that supposedly heals the skin if applied directly, but I'm doing it from the inside out (just my theory).

So far the pure aloe seems to be working fine. This happened on Sunday. I subscribed to this chat room because my sunburns were patchy, so I'm going to look (actually look) like a dalmatian. It was so bad in the back of my legs (close to the ankle) that it looks like a bad rash and hurts when I'm standing and not moving for a short time. Today, Wednesday, the pain is almost gone, but I have been using all sorts of creams besides the aloe and alternating, even vitamin E applied directly.

Anyways, I was hoping to find someone to tell me how to get an even color back again, but then I think it's just a matter of waiting for the color to go away. I hope someone could help us if there's a quick fix.

I think that you still have time to recover an even color by July 8 and on that date you will probably be much better and if you use a sunless tanning lotion you might be able to hide it better.

Well. I hope this was helpful, and let's be more careful next time.

kufan · 06-15-2005, 10:40 AM

Thanks for the reply.

I am doing MUCH better now.

I actually found a great way to rid of it - it may not work for everyone - but it sure did for me.

While you are wet, either swimming or in the bathtub, rub the area that was burnt and is now peeling and around it - do it lightly - you do not want to peel skin that doesn't need peeled - so real gently rub your skin and the dead skin will keep peeling off.

I did that on my arms and they are about 90% back to normal. I peeled away about all of it and pretty much just have the new skin color on my arm now. it peeled off real easy, you may have to wait until the peeling is really starting to peel. You can pretty much peel it all away and then your skin in a few days will even blend in with your other skin color pretty good.

patriciabr · 06-16-2005, 11:38 AM

Excellent! Thanks for the tip. I'm just hoping that the three-times-a-day aloe treatment works again and prevents it from peeling, but if it doesn´t work, I´ll keep your advice in mind. Right now it's healing and I have to bite my lips because it's really itchy.