Health tips checked
Quark is supposed to help against sunburn – is that right?
Sunburn is not only annoying, but also carries the risk of black skin cancer.
© Marjan_Apostolovic / Getty Images
A few sunny hours spent in the garden or park and there it is: the first sunburn of the year. Some swear by quark for relief. What home remedies can do.
A common tip for reddened skin after sunbathing is quark. But can the milk product really relieve the symptoms? The main complaint of sunburn is inflammation, shown by skin redness, says Professor Peter Elsner. He is a dermatologist and spokesman for the German Dermatological Society.
Cooling the skin helps against pain or burning. Quark or quark wraps can also be a useful method. “However, none of the quark substances can penetrate the skin and fight the inflammation. It has a purely cooling effect.”
The lactic acid bacteria it contains ensure that the pH value becomes acidic and the protective acid layer of the skin is strengthened, but this has no effect on the inflammation caused by sunburn, explains Elsner. Alternatively, in addition to quark, gels, cooling wraps or cooling pads can also be used for cooling. Cooling pads should not be placed directly on the skin, but a cloth should be used in between. In the case of light sunburns, there is nothing to be said against the use of quark.
There is no longer any home remedy for severe sunburn
But if you meant too well with the sun, you should no longer just resort to home remedies. “If the sunburn causes severe pain or blisters, you have to go to a doctor’s office. Severe sunburn can also lead to large areas of skin peeling off, which can be dangerous. There is a risk of infection.” You should also see a doctor if you have a fever or chills from sunburn. A sunburn can be treated by the doctor with cortisone therapy, so that the inflammation caused is contained.
Peter Elsner advises: “A sunburn must be protected from the sun until it has really healed.” It is best to protect sunburn from UV radiation with textiles. “Sunscreen can also be applied if the sunburn is mild. If the skin is open or blistered, sunscreen should not be applied.”
care and lifestyle
Prevent premature skin aging: The seven best tips for healthy skin
Risk of black skin cancer increases
The following applies to the next sunbath: protect the skin from sunburn with clothing and a sufficiently high sun protection factor. From a dermatological point of view, the most important thing is always to avoid sunburn, says Peter Elsner. “We know that the number of sunburns – especially in childhood – has a significant impact on the risk of black skin cancer. This is the most dangerous skin cancer that can also occur in young people.”
In the case of a sunburn, the aggressive UVB radiation damages the epidermis. Reddening of the skin, tension and pain occur in the affected area or, in the case of severe sunburn, blistering. “Most of the damaged skin cells die, but some cells also retain damage in their genome, and this change can lead to skin cancer developing years or decades later. The skin doesn’t forget, any sunburn we have once gets us later once.”