Links:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3543289/
2. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/sunburn
3. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003227.htm
4. https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/injured-skin/burns/treat-sunburn
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537164/
6. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/sunscreen

Treatment of Minor Sunburns

1. Take frequent cool baths or showers to help relieve the pain. As soon as you get out of the bathtub or shower, gently pat yourself dry, but leave a little water on your skin. Then, apply a moisturizer to help trap the water in your skin. This can help ease the dryness.
2. Use a moisturizer that contains aloe vera or soy to help soothe sunburned skin. If a particular area feels especially uncomfortable, you may want to apply a hydrocortisone cream that you can buy without a prescription. Do not treat sunburn with “-caine” products (such as benzocaine), as these may irritate the skin or cause an allergic reaction.
3. Consider taking aspirin or ibuprofen to help reduce any swelling, redness and discomfort.
4. Drink extra water. A sunburn draws fluid to the skin’s surface and away from the rest of the body. Drinking extra water when you are sunburned helps prevent dehydration.
5. If your skin blisters, allow the blisters to heal. Blistering skin means you have a second-degree sunburn. You should not pop the blisters, as blisters form to help your skin heal and protect you from infection.
6. Take extra care to protect sunburned skin while it heals. Wear clothing that covers your skin when outdoors. Tightly-woven fabrics work best. When you hold the fabric up to a bright light, you shouldn’t see any light coming through.

 

Medications and other Agents that Increase Sensitivity to Light

Many medications and supplements contain ingredients that may cause photosensitivity, which is defined as a chemically induced change in the skin that makes an individual unusually sensitive to light.  An individual who has been photosensitized may develop a rash, sunburn, or other adverse effect from exposure to light of an intensity or duration that would normally not affect that individual.

Reactions to photosensitizing agents involve both photoallergy (allergic reaction of the skin) and phototoxicity (irritation of the skin) after exposure to ultraviolet radiation from natural sunlight or artificial lighting (particularly from tanning booths).  This photosensitization of the skin may be caused by creams or ointments applied to the skin, by medications taken orally or by injection, or by the use of prescription inhalers.

 

Primary Classes of Medications Responsible for Photosensitizing Reactions

(Examples by Generic Name)

1. Antihistamines
2. Coal Tar and Derivatives
3. Contraceptives, Oral and Estrogens
4. Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs
5. Phenothiazines
6. Psoralens
7. Sulfonamides
8. Sulfonylureas
9. Thiazide Diuretics
10. Tetracyclines
11. Tricyclic Antidepressants

 

 

 

1. Antihistamines   – examples:
Astemizole	Azatadine	Brompheniramine
Buclizine	Carbinoxamine	Chlorpheniramine
Clemastine	Cyclizine	Cyproheptadine
Dexchlorpheniramine	Dimenhydrinate	Diphenhydramine
Diphenylpyraline	Doxylamine	Hydroxyzine
Meclizine	Methapyrilene	Methdilazine
Orphenadrine	Pheniramine	Promethazine
Pyrilamine	Terfenadine	Trimeprazine
Tripelennamine	Tripolidine

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2. Coal Tar and Derivatives – examples (by brand name):
Alphosyl	Aquatar	Denorex Medicated Shampoo
DHS Tar Gel Shampoo	DOAK Shampoo	Estar
Ionil T. Plus	LAVATAR	Medotar
T/Derm Tar Emollient	Tegrin Shampoo	T/Gel Therapeutic Shampoo
Zetar Shampoo

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3. Contraceptives, Oral and Estrogens (birth control pills, female sex hormones) – examples:
Estrogens
Chlorotrianisene	Diethylstilbestrol	Estradiol
Estrogens, conjugated	Estrogens, esterified	Estopipate
Progestogens
Ethinyl estradiol	Medroxyprogesterone	Megestrol
Norethindrone	Norgestrel	Quinestrol

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4. NSAID: Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (antiarthritics) – examples:
Diclofenac	Diflunisal	Fenoprofen
Flurbiprofen	Ibuprofen	Ketoprofen
Meclofenamate	Naproxen	Phenylbutazone
Piroxicam	Sulindac	Suprofen
Tolmetin

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5. Phenothiazines (major tranquilizers, anti-emetics) – examples:
Acetophenazine	Butaperazine	Carphenazine
Chlorpromazine	Ethoproprazine	Fluphenazine
Mesoridazine	Methdilazine	Methotrimeprazine
Perphenazine	Piperacetazine	Prochlororperazine
Promazine	Promethazine	Propiomazine
Thiethylperazine	Thioridazine	Trifluoperazine
Triflupromazine	Trimeprazine

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6. Psoralens – examples:
Methozsalen	Triozsalen

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7. Sulfonamides (“sulfa” drugs, antimicrobials, anti-infectives) – examples:
Acetazolamide	Sulfacytine	Sulfadiazine
Sulfadoxine	Sulfamethizole	Sulfamethoxazole
Sulfasalazine	Sulfapyrazone	Sulfisoxazole

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8. Sulfonylureas (oral anti-diabetics, hypoglycemics) – examples:
Acetohexamide	Chlorpropamide	Glipizide
Glyburide	Tolazamide	Tolbutamide

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9. Thiazide Diuretics (“water-pills”) – examples:
Bendroflumethiazide	Benzthiazide	Chlorothiazide
Chlorothalidone	Cyclothiazide	Hydrochlorothiazide
Hydroflumethiazide	Methyclothiazide	Ploythiazide
Trichlormethiazide

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10. Tetracyclines (antibiotics, anti-infectives) – examples:
Chlortetracycline	Demeclocycline	Doxycycline
Methacycline	Minocycline	Oxytetracycline
Tetracycline

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11. Tricyclic Antidepressants – examples:
Amitriptyline	Amoxapine	Desipramine
Doxepin	Imipramine	Nortriptyline
Protyiptyline	Trimipramine