Aloe vera with fresh leaves
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A burn from a tanning bed, like sunburn, is an injury that will take time to heal. However, there are a few things you can do to help your burn go away as quickly as possible and also minimize the pain and peeling.

Stay hydrated and keep your skin moisturized. Drink lots of water to help your body flush out the toxins from the burn, and apply lotion to your skin to minimize dryness, cracking and peeling. Try using Noxzema or a similar product to moisturize. It cools while hydrating your skin and will help your burn heal faster.

Take a baking soda bath. Add ½ cup baking soda to a warm bath and soak for a while. After you are finished, let your skin air-dry. Baking soda will help your skin retain moisture and will also cool the burn. Remember not to make the bath water too hot, as hot water will sting when it touches the burned skin.

Apply Aloe Vera. You can either squeeze the juice from an Aloe Vera plant or buy an aloe product from your local drugstore. Either way, the aloe can be cooled in the fridge before application to soothe the pain and treat the burn. If you do buy a gel or liquid from the store, make sure the only ingredient is Aloe Vera.

Apply witch hazel. Like aloe, witch hazel can be placed in the fridge and applied when cold to help your skin heal. Put the witch hazel on a cotton ball and swipe it across the affected area to ease the pain and reduce swelling; or soak a cotton cloth in witch hazel and let it rest on the burned skin.

Get plenty of rest. Your skin rejuvenates while you sleep, so being sure to get enough rest will speed the healing time for your burn. If the pain keeps you awake, take acetaminophen or ibuprofen to help you sleep.

Tips

  • In the future, be sure to tan for less time or use a bed that is less intense. Remember, burning in a tanning bed is just as damaging to your skin as burning in the sun, so it's important to be careful about overexposure.