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Although I didn't go to the doctor, I'm certain it was 2nd degree because I had a lot of wet blisters and the reddest, most painful burn I've ever had. I was also swelling mildly and my skin was very hot to the touch, and i was getting the chills for a couple of days, and could not move my shoulders. (Of course, I am very fair-skinned and on medication that causes photosensitivity)
Fast forward to the last few days, and the top layer of skin has been peeling off in large pieces for a couple of days. The skin underneath is now turning darker than my normal skin color, and has a scaly, very dry texture that I can only refer to as "lizard skin". I am using fragrance-free moisturizer and aloe-gel, but the dark and textured appearance of the skin is making me nervous. Is this normal after a bad sunburn? Am I ok moisturizing at home unless I develop other symptoms?
Appreciate any input!View Thread



Moisturizing with a fragrance-free lotion (like Curel or Eucerin) first thing in the morning, after every hand washing, and right before bed helps keep it from getting too dry. Almost every time I have a flare-up, it comes after I have been careless about moisturizing.
My doc gave me hydrocortisone 1% cream that I use whenever it is spreading or getting very irritated (usually need to use it about twice a month, less often if I moisturize a lot)
Another thing that really helps was finding out what kinds of skin allergies I have, as allergens definitely cause flare-ups. For me, I noticed that fragranced hand soaps and petting my cats was triggering outbreaks, so I buy fragrance-free skincare products/soaps and wash and moisturize my hands after petting my cats.
I hope this helps someone else that has the same thing... I know how annoying it is!View Thread

I would definitely have it looked at if it is bothering you - your doc can give you a higher strength cortisone cream to use regularly to prevent bad flare-ups.
The main thing you want to do, aside from get your doc to recommend something to treat it, and moisturize it frequently, is keep it very clean! I have had it happen twice now where the skin gets dry and cracks and lets an infection in, and both of my hands swelled up and had big orange blisters on them - like the eczema itself, but over my entire hands and times ten. I have been told by my doc that this is a fairly common complication of hand eczema, and that it can usually be prevented by treating the eczema with stronger cortisone so it doesn't flare up and get so dry.
Good luck - I hope this helps. Unfortunately, if it is the same thing I have, it's not curable and it's very annoying - you can only treat it to keep it from getting aggravated.View Thread
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