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Sunburned Scalp - How To Prevent & Treat

Sunburned Scalp - How To Prevent & Treat

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Summertime is synonymous with sun and fun, but it can also mean sunburned scalps. If you're like me, you love spending time outdoors in the sun, but you don't want sun damage to ruin your summer. In this blog post, we will discuss how to prevent and treat sunburned scalps. We'll also share our favorite products to help soothe a sunburned scalp!

Image of a setting sun

Photo by Mathieu Bigard on Unsplash

Sunburned Scalp - How To Prevent & Treat

What is Scalp Sunburn?

Scalp sunburn is a type of sunburn that affects the scalp. The symptoms are similar to those of other types of sunburn, including redness, pain, and blistering. Scalp sunburn can be extremely uncomfortable and even painful—especially if you have to wash or brush your hair. And, when it starts to peel, the flakes can be an unfortunate sight.

 Woman checking her sunburned scalp in the mirror

How To Prevent Sun Exposure to Your Scalp 

There are a few ways to prevent sun exposure to your scalp. One is to wear a wide brimmed hat or scarf. If you wear a hat, you'll block out harmful uv rays. The most protective hats will be made from tightly woven fabric with as few holes as possible.

via GIPHY

 Sun hat resting on legs by the beach

Photo by Alex Kowalski on Unsplash

Another way to prevent sunburn, of course, is to use sunscreen. Apply sunscreen directly to the scalp exposed at your part, or wherever else your scalp is in direct contact with rays and reapply it every two hours. We also recommend using a mineral sunscreen, like our SPF 25 mineral body sunscreen, which is made with non-nano zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. These ingredients provide broad-spectrum protection against both UVA and UVB rays.

 Beauty by earth mineral body sunscreen, perfect to prevent sunburned scalp

Treating a Sunburned Scalp

Sooo, it happened. That's ok, it does. Now what? Well, here are some of our suggestions to speed along healing and take away some of that discomfort. 

via GIPHY

No, not like that.

To treat a sunburned scalp, we like to apply aloe vera gel and our after sun spray. First, apply the aloe vera gel directly to the sunburned areas of your scalp. Aloe vera is a natural soothing agent that can help to relieve the pain and discomfort of a sunburn.

Next, spray our after sun cooling spray all over your head. This refreshing spray contains organic ingredients like aloe vera, cucumber extract and peppermint oil that work together to cool and soothe sunburned skin.

Woman holding beauty by earth's after sun spray 

When showering, you'll also want to use cool water instead of hot water and gentle cleansers to avoid further irritation. Fun Fact: Cool water is actually much better for your hair cuticle, anyway! Cold compresses can also be used intermittently to reduce inflammation.

With a burnt, tender scalp, avoid heat styling with heat styling tools/hot tools like blow dryers (at least those with hot air, a cool setting wouldn't irritate so much) and curling irons. We recommend using a brush with softer bristles, such as our boar bristle hair brush, that won't cause more irritation or further damage to the affected area.

Woman laying with boar bristle hair brush 

If you follow these tips, we're sure you'll have a fun-filled summer with no sunburned scalps in sight! Do you have any tips for sun protection or treating sunburnt scalps? Share them with us in the comments below! And don't forget to stock up on our sun protection products before you head outdoors!

Be sure to stay sun-safe this summer. And, if you do end up with a burnt scalp, hopefully, these tips will help you find pain relief. Got sunburnt skin? Read up on this blog post next. Until next time, sun lovers.


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