Managing Sunburns
If you can’t take care of your own skin, how can you take care of the needs of your guests? This is a question I’ve heard several times in reference to guide professionalism, and honestly there is merit to this statement. The devils in the details as they say and similar to stinking when you show up, being detail oriented about your hygiene goes a long way to establishing trust with a crew. The mark of the superior guide is to anticipate guest needs and have a plan in place beforehand. This includes preventing sunburn on yourself, but also making sure your crew doesn’t get burnt as well. So, let’s dive into what sunburn is as well as how to prevent it.
How does sunburn effect outdoor athletes?
Sunburn is a skin condition that occurs when you BBQ your skin under a baking sun. Excessive ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or artificial sources causes a burn that can actually be pretty nasty including causing severe burns. Here's how sunburn typically happens:
UV Exposure: When you spend time outdoors in direct sunlight, your skin is exposed to UV radiation. UVB rays are responsible for most of the sunburn effects, as they penetrate the outer layer of your skin (the epidermis) and cause damage.
Skin Response: In response to UV exposure, your skin tries to protect itself by producing melanin, a pigment that gives your skin its color. This melanin production is what causes your skin to tan. However, this process takes time, and if you're exposed to too much UV radiation too quickly, your skin may not be able to produce enough melanin to protect itself adequately.
Inflammation: When your skin is overexposed to UVB rays, it triggers an inflammatory response. Blood vessels in the affected area expand, and white blood cells rush to the scene to repair the damage. This is why sunburned skin can appear red, swollen, and warm to the touch.
Pain and Discomfort: Sunburn can be painful and uncomfortable. It often causes itching, burning sensations, and tenderness in the affected area. In severe cases, blisters may develop.
Peeling and Healing: In the days following sunburn, your skin may start to peel as it attempts to shed the damaged cells and replace them with new, healthier skin. This is a part of the natural healing process. It's important not to pick at or forcibly remove peeling skin, as it can lead to infection and scarring.
Sunburn can vary in severity, from mild redness and discomfort to more severe cases with blistering which may involve symptoms like fever, chills, and nausea. Severe sunburn should be treated promptly and may require medical attention.
The best way to prevent sunburn is to take precautions when exposed to UV radiation, such as wearing protective clothing, applying sunscreen with a high SPF, and seeking shade during peak sunlight hours. Remember that sunburn can have long-term effects on your skin, such as premature aging and an increased risk of skin cancer, so it's essential to protect your skin from excessive sun exposure.
The Bad Stuff from Sunburn
Over the long-term you’re gonna get some bad stuff happing if you don’t protect your skin, so here’s what you get to look forward to if you’re not looking out for your skin:
You will look like bacon: Excessive sun exposure and sunburn can lead to premature aging of the skin. This includes the development of fine lines, wrinkles, age spots, and a loss of skin elasticity. UV radiation damages collagen and elastin fibers in the skin, causing it to sag and wrinkle prematurely.
Big “C” Cancer: Prolonged exposure to UV radiation is one of the most significant risk factors for skin cancer. Continuous sunburns can increase your risk of developing skin cancers, including basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and the deadliest form, melanoma.
You like Yeast Infections? UV radiation suppresses the immune system in the skin, making it less effective at protecting against infections, including skin infections. This weakened immune response can persist if sunburns are frequent and if you are rafting bacteria and fungus can find a great foothold in your skin.
Eye Damage: Prolonged sun exposure without eye protection can lead to various eye conditions, including cataracts, macular degeneration, and photokeratitis (similar to a sunburn but affecting the eyes).
Lizard Skin: Sunburns can cause permanent changes to the texture of your skin, making it rough, uneven, and more prone to dryness. Continuous sunburns can lead to the development of actinic keratosis, which are rough, scaly patches of skin that can be precancerous and may require medical treatment.
Increased Risk of Sun Allergies: Prolonged sun exposure can sometimes lead to the development of sun allergies, such as polymorphous light eruption (PMLE) or solar urticaria, which cause skin rashes and itching upon sun exposure.
How to Deal with Sunburn
We all know that protecting our skin is important in the outdoors so let’s take a second to talk about some ways to do that. Sunscreen can help a lot, but not everyone likes the feel or the idea of putting chemicals on our skin. There is a ton of lightweight UV protective clothing on the market that works super well to protect your skin from sun damage. So, unless you’re a vampire that only can paddle at night one of these two methods, or a combination of both is going to go a long way to helping you prevent the bad stuff above.
Regardless of the mitigation methods that you use to help prevent sunburn or the management methods you use to deal with it after it has occurred, having a plan for dealing with sunburn is critical for boaters. It is a basic necessity and Personal Protective Equipment should be used to help deal with sunburn. After all it is hard to take a paddler seriously when they show up looking like a lobster. If you do end up getting a sunburn, the purest aloe you can get is ideal. Aloe is super easy to grow at home in a small pot, but there are some good products on the market that can help if you don’t have a green thumb…but seriously it’s a succulent so it needs less maintenance than your cat.
