# I need help with an evil leg sunburn **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 23, 2014, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-with-an-evil-leg-sunburn/693861 "2014-07-23T19:07:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-with-an-evil-leg-sunburn/693861/1 "2014-07-23T19:07:43Z")
I’m moving a few states away and I’m staying with a friend for a few days. We went kayaking and apparently didn’t apply our sunscreen well enough, we have really bad burns. I have to drive today and move in tomorrow, but my burn is all over my legs and it hurts to move my foot (meaning: push the gas pedal), and standing up hurts like hell. Sometimes I can’t bear it and have to sit right back down. It’s okay if I get to walking, though I have a little limp, but if I stand still it hurts like hell. Does anyone have any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-with-an-evil-leg-sunburn/693861/2 "2014-07-23T19:34:17Z")
Aloe vera gel. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-with-an-evil-leg-sunburn/693861/3 "2014-07-23T19:46:19Z")
A good strong analgesic can’t hurt. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-with-an-evil-leg-sunburn/693861/4 "2014-07-23T19:54:36Z")
I swear by Desitin Creamy for sunburn. Now it’s called “Rapid Relief Cream” - that’s the only one of the 3 kinds of Desitin that has Aloe in it. It is for diaper rash and you buy it in the baby section. It helps me every time with the pain (as does Aleve and PLENTY OF WATER), and I feel like it helps it heal more quickly. I never get sunburn so bad I can’t move, so I just slather it on once a day, before bed. IMHO if nothing else it would help you with a nice layer of goo between your clothes and your skin. And the aloe would be soothing at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-with-an-evil-leg-sunburn/693861/5 "2014-07-23T19:55:00Z")
I can sympathize – I was canoeing on vacation last week, and picked up a pretty good sunburn on my legs. Interestingly, we take the canoe out every weekend (25 separate paddles last year!) but, generally, we are on the water before 7 and off by 9, before the power boats show up. On vacation, we were out at the noon hour, and I got fried! ---
**Author:** ![Butterscotch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dc4da7/32.png) [@Butterscotch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Butterscotch)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-with-an-evil-leg-sunburn/693861/6 "2014-07-23T20:08:12Z")
Aloe gel, keep it in the fridge for extra effectiveness. It can be brutal going on cold, but really soothing once you’re over the shock of the cold! ---
**Author:** ![Sarabellum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarabellum/32/3492_2.png) [@Sarabellum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarabellum)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-with-an-evil-leg-sunburn/693861/7 "2014-07-23T20:09:39Z")
Take a damp washcloth, squirt some “After Sun” or cooling aloe vera gel on it and squeeze to distribute it throughout the washcloth. Put it in the freezer for 15 minutes. Make a few of them, and toss them in a cooler with some ice for on the go. Wrap it around the burned foot while driving. The aloe will soothe and the cold will numb the pain and itch, at least temporarily. I can sympathize. I burn easily, and earlier this summer I burned the tops of my feet. (I slathered on the sunblock but apparently it either wore off or I missed a spot.) They were so painful that I couldn’t wear shoes for a week. ---
**Author:** ![HipGnosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/76d3ee/32.png) [@HipGnosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HipGnosis)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-with-an-evil-leg-sunburn/693861/8 "2014-07-23T20:53:20Z")
Vitamin E You may have to buy it in capsules. If so, separate the capsules and pour it on the area. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-with-an-evil-leg-sunburn/693861/9 "2014-07-23T20:58:11Z")
Original Barbasol brand shaving cream. Smooth it on, let it sit for 20 minutes or so and then rinse it off with cool water. I have no idea why it works so well, or why Barbasol works and others don’t, or why Barbasol Original works and other Barbasol varieties don’t. But it’s an old First Aid trick and it never fails. You can do aloe after the Barbasol if you like, but you probably won’t need to. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-with-an-evil-leg-sunburn/693861/10 "2014-07-23T21:59:30Z")
> [@HipGnosis](#): > > Vitamin E > You may have to buy it in capsules. If so, separate the capsules and pour it on the area. That’s for after to prevent scarring or damage. During the painful period, Aloe Vera, as **Gary T** and other have said. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2014, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-with-an-evil-leg-sunburn/693861/11 "2014-07-29T07:15:12Z")
Thanks for the help guys. All that helped, but it turns out the reason it was so painful was that both shin sunburns got infected. I’m swimming in antibiotics now. I got a bit concerned when it was only barely better after a week and the rest of my sunburns were 95% healed so I went to urgent care.