Don’t worry, we’re not here to scold you. Your skin has had enough of that if it’s begging for a soothing sunburn treatment right now. Instead, we’ll just drop in a gentle reminder that it’s worth slathering yourself in SPF every day during the summer to avoid the pain of getting caught out.

Because, while it’s easy to think getting frazzled skin can’t be that bad, it can cause long-term skin damage after the redness has disappeared. Think wrinkles, slack skin and uneven skin tone – all things we try to prevent with our pricey skincare routines.

More worrying still, research published by The Skin Cancer Foundation shows that having 5 or more sunburns doubles your risk for skin cancer.

“Sunburn is skin damage caused by ultraviolet rays, both ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B,” says skin cancer expert Dr Paul Banwell. When the skin absorbs these rays, it triggers an inflammatory response known as sunburn. “UVB rays cause redness while UVA rays can also cause cancer as well as ageing of the skin,” he adds.

Unfortunately, we don’t have a magic wand to reverse what’s already happened, but there are a number of ways to soothe and nourish your damaged skin, so we’ve grilled the experts for nine failsafe solutions. Pull up a spot in the shade and listen in…

HOW TO TREAT A SUNBURN

Step 1: Reduce inflammation

In the initial hours after you have a burn, your body is trying to respond to that external trauma by increasing blood flow to that area, which is why it goes very red.

With increased blood flow comes an increase of inflammation in that area, so you may want to take over-the-counter pain relief. “This can help reduce both pain and inflammation caused by sunburn,” says consultant dermatologist, Dr Anjali Mahto. “Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen are ideal (provided you are safe to take this type of drug) and should be continued for a period of 48 hours. Paracetamol can help with pain but will have very little effect on inflammation.”

If things are still painful, “you can use a mild steroid cream – 0.5-1% hydrocortisone – for 38 hours to help decrease pain and swelling caused by sunburn and speed up the healing process,” she says, although “this is best avoided in children.”

STEP 2: Cool down

At the first sign of too much sun, “apply a cool compress such as a towel dampened with cool water for 15 minutes, or take a cool bath or shower,” says Dr Mahto. “Aim to keep the temperature just below lukewarm in all three cases.  Make sure the shower has a gentle flow of water rather than being on full power.  If blisters are starting to develop, then a bath is preferable.  Do not rub your skin with a towel, but gently pat it dry when you get out.”

Don’t have a cool compress? Slather the area in cold plain yoghurt; the probiotics will help restore your natural skin barrier while soothing the skin.

STEP 3: Avoid actives

Sun damage will make your skin extra sensitive, so make sure you take a look at your current skincare routine and remove any actives or acids. And definitely don’t use any physical or chemical exfoliants for a few days as they’re too harsh on healing skin.

STEP 4: Use soothing skincare

In the few days after sunburn, you’ll want to lay off using too much skincare. The skin needs a chance to calm down, and using too much can be counterproductive.