Looking for the best products to heal a badly sunburned nose
July 26, 2022 8:54 AM Subscribe
Forgot to wear sunscreen. D'oh! Now I have a badly sunburned nose that is peeling (and occasionally bleeding, if I scrub with a washcloth). What is the best skincare product for healing quickly and avoiding a permanent scar or mark?
Over-the-counter treatments are preferred, but prescription treatments are welcome as well.
Thank you for looking at this!
Over-the-counter treatments are preferred, but prescription treatments are welcome as well.
Thank you for looking at this!
I find La Roche-Posay "Cicaplast" to be helpful when my skin has a problem like that. It's probably no different from Vaseline in terms of effectiveness, but it feels nice. You can get it at a normal drugstore, but it's in the "fancy skincare" cabinet (it's usually $15-20), so you can feel like you're treating yourself.
posted by dreamyshade at 9:09 AM on July 26, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by dreamyshade at 9:09 AM on July 26, 2022 [4 favorites]
I wouldn't put anything on damaged skin that's bleeding. There's nothing you can put in an open wound that's good. If you absolutely must, use some polysporin. You're very unlikely to get scarring from a sunburn, unless you don't leave it alone.
posted by AugustusCrunch at 9:28 AM on July 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by AugustusCrunch at 9:28 AM on July 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
To avoid scarring, put on a bandaid with antibiotic ointment, maybe overnight if it's too weird-looking.
posted by theora55 at 9:45 AM on July 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by theora55 at 9:45 AM on July 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
Something I learned recently: triple antibiotic ointments typically contain neomycin, which is a common cause of contact dermatitis (see "Medicines" on this page), so if you have an option, getting an antibiotic ointment without neomycin can reduce that risk.
posted by dreamyshade at 10:16 AM on July 26, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by dreamyshade at 10:16 AM on July 26, 2022 [3 favorites]
Aloe vera gel helps sunburned skin stay properly hydrated and helps soothe the pain.
posted by heatherlogan at 10:44 AM on July 26, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by heatherlogan at 10:44 AM on July 26, 2022 [5 favorites]
In addition, in terms of newish medical products that I've discovered and really liked, look for hydrogel type of bandaids/plasters, like these. It looks like a sheet of firmer ballistic gel with a sticky side that you can cut to size. It's really useful for injury that didn't scab over thick enough like lacerations or insect bites that becames worse because of scratching. Sunburns would be the same. The big plus is that it forms a barrier that still hydrates and subsequently reduces the appearance and likelihood of scars. It's basically a better kind of scabbing. I really do swear by them. And fwiw i tend to pair them with transparent plasters, and I'm not sure how to find the listing - it's just a roll of the thin transparent bandaid material without the fabric+antiseptic centre. Together they look fairly unobstrusive while healing.
posted by cendawanita at 10:59 AM on July 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by cendawanita at 10:59 AM on July 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
This is a wound, be tender and sweet to it. No scrubbing, just gentle irrigation. Don't reburn it with hot water, keep it out of the sun. Wear a hat, instead of rubbing in yet more goo.
posted by Oyéah at 3:05 PM on July 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Oyéah at 3:05 PM on July 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
If you aren't allergic to dust mites or mollusks, then
CosRx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence
can be quite soothing as a nighttime treatment and can expedite the healing of the skin on your nose. Apply generously over the burned area; allow to sink in, then apply another generous layer. Repeat as many nights in a row as necessary.
(Snail mucin -- oh, all right, snail snot -- is collected without cruelty to the snails. Jude Chao, aka Fiddy Snails of the skin care blog Fifty Shades of Snail, goes into detail here.)
posted by virago at 4:10 PM on July 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
CosRx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence
can be quite soothing as a nighttime treatment and can expedite the healing of the skin on your nose. Apply generously over the burned area; allow to sink in, then apply another generous layer. Repeat as many nights in a row as necessary.
(Snail mucin -- oh, all right, snail snot -- is collected without cruelty to the snails. Jude Chao, aka Fiddy Snails of the skin care blog Fifty Shades of Snail, goes into detail here.)
posted by virago at 4:10 PM on July 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
I found a product called SunBurnt at CVS. It has aloe, calendula, hyaluronic acid in it. They also have a product with lidocaine.
posted by Ella Megalast at 3:13 AM on July 27, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Ella Megalast at 3:13 AM on July 27, 2022 [1 favorite]
When I had the same problem, I used over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream. The Mayo Clinic's website recommends it for sunburn.
posted by wryly at 9:25 AM on July 27, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by wryly at 9:25 AM on July 27, 2022 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Thank you all for the help! That hydrogel stuff looks interesting. Will have to research that.
posted by panama joe at 8:32 AM on July 29, 2022
posted by panama joe at 8:32 AM on July 29, 2022
This thread is closed to new comments.
Also do not let the burn be exposed to sun, period.
You should wait at least a week before using chemical exfoliants or gentle manual exfoliation. Some dead skin may come off as you are gently cleaning with fingers, but don't pick or rub at it.
posted by Lyn Never at 9:00 AM on July 26, 2022 [4 favorites]