Do I keep her home tomorrow? Doctor? Sunburn

[AimeeM]

When is sunburn bad enough to keep a kid home from school?

 

The school took the children to spend the entire day at the lake (one of the kids' parents have a lake house). My daughter has red hair, and very fair skin. I sent her with baby 75+ spf sunscreen, which was applied liberally throughout the day, but she is still very, very, very burnt. We've never had her spend an entire day out like that, in this kind of heat, so I didn't think to expect this. The most she usually banks is an hour or two at a pool or local lake.

 

She has a headache, is hurting so badly that she can barely walk, and any type of pants hurts (even loose pajamas).

 

First question:

 

Should I keep her home tomorrow? I mean... she can't sit on her rear end without hurting (they were tubing so her... er... backside got a lot of sun), she can't really wear pants, and the child is seriously, seriously burnt.

 

Second question:

 

At what point is sunburn worthy of going to the doctor? I've never seen the child this red. I've never seen any child this red.

 

 

I went and purchased solarcain, but it isn't helping the pain.

 

[Terabith]

I think with the information you've posted, I would keep her home and take her to the doctor.  The amount of pain and the headache would worry me.  Depending on what my gut says, I might even take her in tonight.....  :grouphug:  Hope she feels better!

[fraidycat]

I'd keep her home. And right now, toss her in a tub of vinegar. White or apple cider.

 

Ack. Phone posting.

 

Anyway. The vinegar in tepid water should help to relieve the pain. Also a tylenol or advil for inflammation, and tons of water - she's probably dehydrated.

 

I might take her in, but I'd loathe forcing her to get any clothes on to leave the house, so would try all at home remedies first.

[Dana]

Vinegar baths used to help me some. Cool water, add a lot of vinegar.

I never went to the doctor for sunburn although I did burn, blister, and peel most summers.

Sleeping with a damp towel may be helpful.

 

If it were my child, I'd give our pediatrician a call to see what her thoughts were about when to get checked out.

I would let her stay home tomorrow...my burns typically took a week to be better. It may be one or two days out before going back to school is possible.

[Aurelia]

Yes, keep her home. ACV bath, plus lavender oil and aloe vera, if you have it, can help with the healing. I'd give her ibuprofen or something for the pain. 

[fraidycat]

You could also get some colloidal silver gel if you don't have any. I have 3 jars at any given time, but know not everyone does. We use it on anything and everything. Burns, cuts, etc.

[busymama7]

I am sorry she is dealing with this :( I second the vinegar although we apply it directly with a cotton ball. Also aloe Vera gel helps as does lavender essential oil.

 

I have a red head too and several very fair children. Our best solution for long days out is covering up. Rash guards etc. next time you will know(she won't forget either!!) I hope she feels better soon. I wouldn't even hesitate to keep her home. I have never gone to the doctor for sunburn and probably only would if there were behavior signs that looked like heat exhaustion(headaches as you note would fall under that). Make sure she rehydrates very very well.

[AimeeM]

I have ibuprofen, regular aloe, solarcain (aloe and lidocain?). I'll toss her in a bath if I can - she's not feeling the idea of a towel.

 

ETA: she just asked for ibuprofen. You'd have to know her to know why that's indicative of a big deal. She hates pills with a passion.

[unsinkable]

If she starts to vomit or spikes a fever, she needs to go to ER because she could have sun poisoning.

 

Are you still nursing? breastmilk might help.

 

And if she is getting swollen, you can give Benadryl.

 

I'm really sorry! Poor little bunny!

[AMJ]

I think with the information you've posted, I would keep her home and take her to the doctor. The amount of pain and the headache would worry me. Depending on what my gut says, I might even take her in tonight..... :grouphug: Hope she feels better!

I agree. I once had a sunburn like that, and I felt sick for days. I had a cr*ppy doctor, too, who accused me of doing it deliberately to get out of work (he did not know me very well, grr), and refused to treat me. I wish I had had the knowledge I do now -- I would have gotten a second opinion elsewhere.

 

Keep her home and get medical attention. She needs to take special care of her skin, and to carefully rehydrate.

 

Oh, and my sister once had a bad sunburn from a school trip, and the skin that burned on that occasion has always been more susceptible to sunburn ever since. Ask the doctor to find out if your DD might be facing the same issue.

[melmichigan]

I would let her stay home and I'd be sure to call and make them aware of why.

 

Lots and lots of fluids.  In a pinch we used noxzema and lots of aloe vera gel.  Don't have her towel off, dab lightly or just air dry after the bath.

[unsinkable]

Other symptoms of sun poisoning:

 

Seek immediate medical care for these symptoms:

 

A sunburn that forms blisters, covers a large area, or is very painful

Facial swelling

Fever and chills

Upset stomach

Headache, confusion, or faintness

Signs of dehydration

 

 

http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/sun-poisoning

[Tammi K]

I'd keep her home. And right now, toss her in a tub of vinegar. White or apple cider.

 

Ack. Phone posting.

 

Anyway. The vinegar in tepid water should help to relieve the pain. Also a tylenol or advil for inflammation, and tons of water - she's probably dehydrated.

 

I might take her in, but I'd loathe forcing her to get any clothes on to leave the house, so would try all at home remedies first.

 

:iagree:   I have dark hair but fair skin and green eyes. So, while it looks like I would tan to a nice golden brown, I usually end up looking like some crustacean  found on a plate at the local seafood house.  Despite sunscreen, I've burned badly enough to blister.

 

Based on my experience:

 

The headache is quite likely for sun glare and dehydration. Push fluids. If she is burned as badly as it sounds, she might start to get little blisters which may first feel like rough raised skin and then start to get a bit sand papery in feel. Blistering burns don't start out with big blisters. Frequently it is rough sand-papery tiny blisters that join together to make the bigger ones. If her skin starts getting rough and raised, she will need even more fluids!!!  

 

I've been burnt so badly that I couldn't wear shoes because me feet have swelled. Don't be surprised if you find it happening to her.

 

Unless she is really feeling awful, won't drink, or can't kick the headache, I probably wouldn't bother with a doctor. But, I tend to be a 'try things at home' first kinda' gal.

 

Keep her skin cool, but note that she might find herself really cold this evening. I can remember being so hot to the touch but shivering with chills. A light sheet can be helpful as a bed cover. My guess is she is probably not going to be happy wearing clothing for the next few days. I would suggest soft cotton t-shirts and comfy bottoms and just let her stay as still as she needs to be.  Aloe can be really cool and soothing but it also gets sticky as it dries and that can make clothing irritating. You can also try spray on lidocaine sprays like Solorcaine. I found them fairly helpful.

 

Hugs to your poor baby. Even as a grown adult, I find sunburns a miserable experience.

[MiMi 4under3]

Give her an over the counter pain reliever like Advil to help with inflammation and pain.

[unsinkable]

:iagree: I have dark hair but fair skin and green eyes. So, while it looks like I would tan to a nice golden brown, I usually end up looking like some crustacean found on a plate at the local seafood house. Despite sunscreen, I've burned badly enough to blister.

 

Based on my experience:

 

The headache is quite likely for sun glare and dehydration. Push fluids. If she is burned as badly as it sounds, she might start to get little blisters which may first feel like rough raised skin and then start to get a bit sand papery in feel. Blistering burns don't start out with big blisters. Frequently it is rough sand-papery tiny blisters that join together to make the bigger ones. If her skin starts getting rough and raised, she will need even more fluids!!!

 

I've been burnt so badly that I couldn't wear shoes because me feet have swelled. Don't be surprised if you find it happening to her.

 

Unless she is really feeling awful, won't drink, or can't kick the headache, I probably wouldn't bother with a doctor. But, I tend to be a 'try things at home' first kinda' gal.

 

Keep her skin cool, but note that she might find herself really cold this evening. I can remember being so hot to the touch but shivering with chills. A light sheet can be helpful as a bed cover. My guess is she is probably not going to be happy wearing clothing for the next few days. I would suggest soft cotton t-shirts and comfy bottoms and just let her stay as still as she needs to be. Aloe can be really cool and soothing but it also gets sticky as it dries and that can make clothing irritating. You can also try spray on lidocaine sprays like Solorcaine. I found them fairly helpful.

 

Hugs to your poor baby. Even as a grown adult, I find sunburns a miserable experience.

Tammi, you had all the symptoms of sun poisoning. You were really burned! Thank God you were OK.

[KungFuPanda]

I had sun poisoning ONCE. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I'd definitely take her to see the doc for pain relief if nothing else. As a fair redhead, I've had my share of bad childhood burns. My brother once went to the hospital for one and came home mummified. It's really no joke.

 

If your daughter burned that badly through SPF 75, it was either applied improperly (too thin), or not reapplied often enough, or your sunscreen has gone bad. Did you buy it new this year? The sunscreen should have given her SOME protection.

[Only me]

I would definitely keep her home. I have had sunburn like that and it is awful. A few years ago I went my son's early season baseball game. It was one of the first beautiful spring days of the season and in the 60's. I'm usually good about applying sunblock but i forgot and paid the price

 

I was actually vomiting I was so sick. Vinegar definitely helped as well as pure aloe. The other thing that helped tremendously was to continuously keep cool wash cloths on my skin. Several of them on my arms and legs especially My dear daughters took turns rewetting them every 20 min with cool water. It helped so much and helped the skin to stop burning. I also took Advil and Benadryl. The Benadryl somehow helped with the inflammation too and also allowed me to sleep. I would also give her Gatorade since it is easy to get dehydrated. I hope she feels better.

[ktgrok]

Happened to me as a kid, at field day at school. I'm also a redhead. Expect blisters tomorrow. 

 

Advil, a good heavy dose of it, and all the water she can stand. Her skin can't protect her body fluid right now, so she will need lots of fluids. Aloe, kept in the fridge, is nice to smear on. No pants. 

 

Yes, if she is that painful tomorrow, call the doctor. I had a friend actually get pretty sick from a sunburn. 

[Pippen]

I had sun poisoning ONCE. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I'd definitely take her to see the doc for pain relief if nothing else. As a fair redhead, I've had my share of bad childhood burns. My brother once went to the hospital for one and came home mummified. It's really no joke.

 

If your daughter burned that badly through SPF 75, it was either applied improperly (too thin), or not reapplied often enough, or your sunscreen has gone bad. Did you buy it new this year? The sunscreen should have given her SOME protection.

 

My extremely fair daughter and I were just talking about this. When she spends full days in the sun she applies aeresol sunscreen liberally. She says put it on  "until you feel gross." She's had very good luck with Walgreen's brand SPF 50 as long as she reapplies throughout the day. If we're at a beach she spends much of the day with a shirt and shorts over her swimsuit. Sunguard clothing worked well when she was younger, and back then I could also get her to wear a hat to shade her face.

 

I throw away all unused sunscreen at the end of the year. It's not worth a major sunburn to test whether the bottle is still good. I too had many bad burns while growing up and I think the op is wise to take it seriously.

[Joker]

 

If your daughter burned that badly through SPF 75, it was either applied improperly (too thin), or not reapplied often enough, or your sunscreen has gone bad. Did you buy it new this year? The sunscreen should have given her SOME protection.

 

I burn badly no matter what I do. I have applied exactly what doctors and dermatologists have told me to and have applied it often and I still burn to the point of blisters. I do not spend more than an hour in the sun in a bathing suit (including rash guard). I am the one fully clothed, wearing a hat, putting sunscreen on visible parts, and under an umbrella at the beach/pool/lake. My face will still usually end up red at the end of the day from my very few excursions out from under the umbrella. I have one dd (my red head) who is close to the same.

[AimeeM]

If she starts to vomit or spikes a fever, she needs to go to ER because she could have sun poisoning.

 

Are you still nursing? breastmilk might help.

 

And if she is getting swollen, you can give Benadryl.

 

I'm really sorry! Poor little bunny!

Okay. Definitely the ER if she starts vomiting. How do I tell about a fever? The sunburn itself feels hot - will a thermometer show a fever vs the sunburn being hot?

 

I am still nursing, but not enough to help her (youngest is almost 2; supply is dwindling).

 

:(

[AimeeM]

I had sun poisoning ONCE. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I'd definitely take her to see the doc for pain relief if nothing else. As a fair redhead, I've had my share of bad childhood burns. My brother once went to the hospital for one and came home mummified. It's really no joke.

 

If your daughter burned that badly through SPF 75, it was either applied improperly (too thin), or not reapplied often enough, or your sunscreen has gone bad. Did you buy it new this year? The sunscreen should have given her SOME protection.

 

The sunscreen isn't expired. My only guess is that maybe it washed off in the lake? Maybe she got too into what she was doing that she didn't reapply it frequently ENOUGH (well, and that maybe she didn't know how frequently she should; she didn't have anything on her to keep track of time, and they were in the lake literally almost all day - so I'm kind of doubting that it was applied as frequently as she says it was).

 

[AlmiraGulch]

I've had many, many horrible sun burns, and also sun poisoning on more occasions than I can count.  I was a child in the '70s.  No one used sun screen, and I'm quite fair.

 

Anyway, I also would not necessarily go to the doctor (I never have for a burn) as long as you can keep her hydrated and she is lucid.  

 

Hydration, as others have said, is crazy important.  Definitely push the fluids.

 

Ibuprofin for pain.  If it doesn't help, of course you can alternate it with tylenol.

 

A light slip is best for clothes, although she will likely have the I'm burning/I'm freezing alternating feeling someone else has said.  Limit or eliminate the elastic.

 

For external pain relief, vitamin E capsules work wonders.  No kidding.  It's sticky, but it works better than aloe or lidocaine or any other topical application, and also promotes faster healing of the skin.   Break open the capsules and spread a thin layer on the affected areas.  It does get a bit messy, so I'd just lay out a sheet you can easily wash and have her lay on that.  

 

And yes, keep her home.  She has no business trying to function in that much pain.  Plus, once she gets moving around she may not be full re-hydrated yet.  She should rest.  It could take several days to be 100%,  but the vinegar bath and vitamin E will help.  Trust me on this.  

 

Poor thing!  It's a horrible thing. 

[unsinkable]

Okay. Definitely the ER if she starts vomiting. How do I tell about a fever? The sunburn itself feels hot - will a thermometer show a fever vs the sunburn being hot?

 

I am still nursing, but not enough to help her (youngest is almost 2; supply is dwindling).

 

:(

:grouphug:

 

I'd take an oral temp because her skin will feel hot because it's burned.

[AimeeM]

It's official - I'm a crap mom.

Apparently I threw out the good sunscreen, and kept the identical EXPIRED sunscreen (I just double checked), which is what she took :(

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

I've had many, many horrible sun burns, and also sun poisoning on more occasions than I can count. I was a child in the '70s. No one used sun screen, and I'm quite fair.

 

Anyway, I also would not necessarily go to the doctor (I never have for a burn) as long as you can keep her hydrated and she is lucid.

 

Hydration, as others have said, is crazy important. Definitely push the fluids.

 

Ibuprofin for pain. If it doesn't help, of course you can alternate it with tylenol.

 

A light slip is best for clothes, although she will likely have the I'm burning/I'm freezing alternating feeling someone else has said. Limit or eliminate the elastic.

 

For external pain relief, vitamin E capsules work wonders. No kidding. It's sticky, but it works better than aloe or lidocaine or any other topical application, and also promotes faster healing of the skin. Break open the capsules and spread a thin layer on the affected areas. It does get a bit messy, so I'd just lay out a sheet you can easily wash and have her lay on that.

 

And yes, keep her home. She has no business trying to function in that much pain. Plus, once she gets moving around she may not be full re-hydrated yet. She should rest. It could take several days to be 100%, but the vinegar bath and vitamin E will help. Trust me on this.

 

Poor thing! It's a horrible thing.

Agreeing

[AlmiraGulch]

It's official - I'm a crap mom.

Apparently I threw out the good sunscreen, and kept the identical EXPIRED sunscreen (I just double checked), which is what she took :(

 

You're clearly not a crap mom.  It was an accident.  It's painful, but she'll be ok.  Just give her a ton of TLC, and maybe some popsicles to hydrate and make it up to her.  

[aggie96]

One other thought, back in the day when I had a burn, I would wear the same swim suit/clothes that I burned in so that I could wear clothes but with the same burn lines.  Minimizes irritation that way but dressed.

[AmyontheFarm]

Oh AimeeM,  we have all made mistakes like that.  You are a good Mom.  Hugs for you and your dd.  My dd18 is nursing a blistered shoulder right now also, but that was her fault because she decided she didn't need sunblock.

[Miss Peregrine]

{{{{Aimee and dd}}}}

[AimeeM]

Crap. Crap. Crap.

She has a final on Wednesday and the awards ceremony :(

[AlmiraGulch]

Crap. Crap. Crap.

She has a final on Wednesday and the awards ceremony :(

 

Do the vinegar bath.  Do the vitamin E.  Push the fluids.  These will all promote healing.

 

Alternate the Tylenol and Advil.  This will help with the pain.  Then she can likely study, and she could likely be ok to go by Wednesday.  

[AimeeM]

Do the vinegar bath.  Do the vitamin E.  Push the fluids.  These will all promote healing.

 

Alternate the Tylenol and Advil.  This will help with the pain.  Then she can likely study, and she could likely be ok to go by Wednesday.  

 

Vitamin E - will do. Vinegar bath, will do. She's sleeping now, but I put a fresh glass of water on a chair next to her bed (she can't move enough to reach the dresser/nightstand).

 

She just took some advil and I'll set my alarm to get up in 4 hours to give her more or tylenol.

 

Thank you all for your advice.

[ktgrok]

One other thought, back in the day when I had a burn, I would wear the same swim suit/clothes that I burned in so that I could wear clothes but with the same burn lines.  Minimizes irritation that way but dressed.

 

that's genius!  I've never htought of that. 

[ktgrok]

Vitamin E - will do. Vinegar bath, will do. She's sleeping now, but I put a fresh glass of water on a chair next to her bed (she can't move enough to reach the dresser/nightstand).

 

She just took some advil and I'll set my alarm to get up in 4 hours to give her more or tylenol.

 

Thank you all for your advice.

 

advil will help more than tylenol. Advil actually helps with the inflamation, tylenol just tricks the brain into thinking it doesn't hurt. 

 

Hugs. 

 

Oh, and yes, benedryl should help some too, and help her sleep.

[AimeeM]

that's genius!  I've never htought of that. 

 

It is genius, really. I wish she hadn't left her suit in the school SUV (they were considering bringing out the slip n' slide).

 

I do have another suit here, though, that would have "almost" the same lines?

 

[jewellsmommy]

It's official - I'm a crap mom.

Apparently I threw out the good sunscreen, and kept the identical EXPIRED sunscreen (I just double checked), which is what she took :(

 

:grouphug: Accidents happen to everyone. I made a similar mistake on myself when I was younger. I ended up like your dd. I was burned so badly my skin was raw and bleeding on my upper chest. I'm quite pale and even with new, properly applied sunblock I will burn if in the sun half the day. I hope your dd feels better soon.

[Catwoman]

It's official - I'm a crap mom.

Apparently I threw out the good sunscreen, and kept the identical EXPIRED sunscreen (I just double checked), which is what she took :(

Please don't blame yourself. It was an accident and could have happened to anyone. You were trying to do the right thing. It's not like you intentionally sent her out with the expired sunscreen!

 

I hope she feels better soon, and please watch for any of the warning signs unsinkable posted about, because sun poisoning can be serious.

 

I'm so sorry for your dd. :(

[Tap]

Suggestions:

 

I grew up on a rafting river so I have seen some horrible sun burns from tubing on water. 

 

 

If she is petite and needs something simple to wear around the house, a mans t-shirt, worn like a dress can be nice and loose, with nothing tight to bind or rub.  The finer the fabric the better.  If you have an old one, cut off the shoulders to make it sleveless, taking the seams with it and cut off the collar.  

 

If  sheets bother her when she goes to bed, sprinkle corn starch on the sheets. Rub it in lightly.  It helps to make them softer. (just make sure she isn't wet when she gets in there.  LOL  )  You can also apply it to the inside of her clothes, rub it in and then shake them out.  She will leave a bit of white dust around though LOL.  Desperate situations need desperate solutions.

 

If she gets too hot, you could try to get a sheet wet with cold water and put it through the spin cycle on the washer to ring it out as much as possible.  Have her lay down and lay it on top of her. The cold sheet cools the burn and makes for a cover from moving air.  

 

If she gets blisters DO NOT use solarcaine or any other medication with a -caine ending. If the skin has openings in it, it can make her sick.  

 

Have her take an anti-inflammatory like Motrin/Advil/Ibuprofen.  The Tylenol will help with pain, but the others will help with inflammation. 

 

She will still be red on Wednesday, but hopefully not peeling.  Let her stay home as much as possible until her other event.  She has damaged an huge organ on her body, and she needs to rest to heal it.  

 

It is unlikely she will want to, but do not allow her to be in the sun At All until she is healed.  The new skin will be very susceptible to burning.  It is hard to keep a kid inside but it is the best thing for her for the next week.  If she goes to school, make sure they fully understand she is not to go outside At All.(unless it is unavoidable)  No recess. No standing in line  in the sun for the bus. Nothing.

 

A silky nightgown may feel the best right now.  If you can get her one, it is a great treat with a sunburn.  A slip will do if you can't find a nightgown. If you don't have the money for that, you may be able to find a woman's silky t-shirt at a Goodwill and just cut it in to a take style tunic. 

 

Take the recommendations about Sun Poisoning seriously and take her to the doctor if you have any suspicions. Better safe than sorry.

 

PUsh the fluids (avoid caffiene). She will be loosing extra fluids due to the heat coming off and the body trying to cool itself.  Among the more common symptoms, constipation is a sign she is dehydrated that is sometimes overlooked. 

 

Use a sheet to cover couches or chairs that she sits on.  The couch fabric can be too rough, and leather can get sticky on the skin.

 

 

(((Hugs)))  It is hard to not feel guilty, but if the sunscreen was even close to being in date, it may not have been the problem.  It isn't like it magically expires on the date on the package. It slowly looses effectiveness but a 75 spf has a long ways to go in loosing effectiveness.  My thought would be that she wasn't sitting out of the water for the necessary 30 minutes, to let it dry in between applications.   Even if it was reapplied every hour, it doesn't block all the sun.  A person will still get burnt it if they are out all day and are prone to sunburn.  It is a hard lesson to learn :0(  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Tammi K]

It's official - I'm a crap mom.

Apparently I threw out the good sunscreen, and kept the identical EXPIRED sunscreen (I just double checked), which is what she took :(

 

Nah, you're a good mom with, unfortunately, crap sunscreen.

Don't beat yourself up. You thought you were doing the best you could. That's all any of us can do.

 

[zoobie]

Unless it was years and years expired, the sunscreen would've still provided some protection. You are not a crap mom! It's really hard to get good coverage on yourself while active like that. I would get her a rash guard for future outings. Red haired pale skin is hard to keep protected! I get sunburned just looking at pictures of the beach. ;)

 

Will you need to take her to the doctor to get a school excuse?

 

Coconut oil and aloe will help her skin heal. Burt's Bees makes an after sun lotion that's supposed to be good.

[LucyStoner]

Fair skinned green eyed gal here who burns up. I would take her to the doctor just to get some pain meds that are better than Advil for her. She might need something stronger just to get comfortable enough to sleep.

 

I would see if she can take a makeup test for the final.

[LucyStoner]

Wait a sec, you're the poster with the crazy school situation aren't you? I'd add them not supervising this a bit better to my list of "reasons why this is the crappiest school on the face of the earth".

[SunnyDays]

Oh honey, you're a great mom... any of us could have done that!!  And as was just said above, unless it was a loooong time expired, it still should have provided some protection. 

 

I'd probably be a bit ticked at whomever was chaperoning this outing... I mean, these are middle school students, they're not always going to think about mundane things like sunscreen!!  If they noticed her burning, they should have made her reapply, sit in the shade, don a shirt, something... before it got THAT bad.  :glare:  (Yes, I know the worst of it doesn't always show up until later, but as bad as you describe, they should have noticed she was burning.)

 

Back in the day, I unfortunately had a couple blistering sunburns.  And the first one, I was about her age.  It was painful, so I completely sympathize.  Try all the soothing tips everyone else shared, and definitely keep her home tomorrow.  Hopefully she'll be comfortable enough to try to show up for awards on Wednesday!!

 

I'd tell you to give her a hug from all of us, but that would probably hurt too....  :grouphug:

 

[SunnyDays]

Wait a sec, you're the poster with the crazy school situation aren't you? I'd add them not supervising this a bit better to my list of "reasons why this is the crappiest school on the face of the earth".

 

Yes she is, and :iagree:

 

Totally.

[Katy]

The sunscreen isn't expired. My only guess is that maybe it washed off in the lake? Maybe she got too into what she was doing that she didn't reapply it frequently ENOUGH (well, and that maybe she didn't know how frequently she should; she didn't have anything on her to keep track of time, and they were in the lake literally almost all day - so I'm kind of doubting that it was applied as frequently as she says it was).

 

 

Expired or not, most sunscreens don't have a protection factor as large as their number, and most fair people can burn in just minutes. When I was growing up (in Florida) I remember hearing on the news that the average tourist burned in less than four minutes.  Even if you multiply the sunscreen factor by 2-4 minutes it would normally take her to burn, it won't protect for a whole day in the sun, and that's assuming it's applied and reapplied properly.  She probably reapplied it as often as she said.  Poor baby.

 

The doctor probably won't do much except check for signs she needs hospitalized for dehydration, pop and drain blisters, and wrap her up.

 

I'd do cold compresses or cotton ball application of vinegar as often as she can tolerate, and dose her with benadryl and ibuprofen every four hours.

 

Be aware that vinegar and aloe WILL make her skin have a tendency to make small blisters and to peel as the burn heals. 

 

Take her pulse every 4 hours.  If it is fast she's dehydrated, push more fluids.  If she starts getting nauseated switch to 7-up or sprite and have her suck on popsicles and ice chips.

 

If she spikes a high fever, starts throwing up every few minutes, gets diarrhea and stomach cramps, or starts looking jaundiced, take her to the ER.

[Incognito]

It has been years, but I remember as a kid being told to eat bananas after a bad burn - something about the potassium.  It helps with the shaking.  So if you have bananas, get her eating some.

[AimeeM]

Unless it was years and years expired, the sunscreen would've still provided some protection. You are not a crap mom! It's really hard to get good coverage on yourself while active like that. I would get her a rash guard for future outings. Red haired pale skin is hard to keep protected! I get sunburned just looking at pictures of the beach. ;)

 

Will you need to take her to the doctor to get a school excuse?

 

Coconut oil and aloe will help her skin heal. Burt's Bees makes an after sun lotion that's supposed to be good.

 

2012 expiration :(

 

I don't really care if they *want* a doctor's note. Unless she starts vomiting or something, I'm not going to force her into clothing ;)

 

The pharmacist did mention the coconut oil after it starts to heal a bit from the aloe/solarcain?

 

The headmaster called yesterday morning to tell us that he was going to surprise the kids with a lake trip. I was rushing and scrambling. No excuse, though, I still should have double checked the expiration date. Don't even get me started on the last minute thing. They didn't get back until after 4, and I had to (last minute) cancel our pup's vet appointment because of the timing. Don't get me wrong - the man does provide a *fun* school experience, but he's infamous for random, last minute trips, and it drives Tony nuts :glare: . Autumn gets in the car, yesterday, and tells me that he's planning to take the kids go-karting or something tonight; sure enough an e-mail this morning outlining plans for tonight (not go-karting, but something that will keep them out until around 8:30 pm). <----- she isn't going ;) But now I'm just venting, so I'll stop.

[readwithem]

Remind me again, WHY is you dd continuing with this school?

[unsinkable]

How is she doing, Aimee?

 

:grouphug: