MLD and Sunburn. As already mentioned earlier, MLD stands for Manual Lymphatic Drainage and is a great technique to treat sunburn. Indeed MLD is a technique that works with a gentle touch and has a multitude of benefits, including the healing from sunburn. Firstly, we analyse what sunburn is about. So, a sunburn is the skin’s reaction to too much exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. Here in Australia, the amount of UV radiation is higher than elsewhere in the world. As per result, in Australia, we have to be extra careful. If the sunburn reaches the 3rd degree of burn, medical attention is required immediately. During summer or even winter when we expose our skin to the sun. You can have a sign of sunburn within minutes from overexposure. The first symptoms are skin redness, burning sensation and pain to the touch. Long-term sunburn can lead to bad scar or even to skin cancer. If this post is talking to you, book your next massage session by clicking here. So, how can MLD help if I get sunburned? MLD, thanks to the light touch, firstly, will avoid the patients being in pain during the touch. Furthermore, by activating the suction effect of the Lymphatic System, MLD boosts the healing process. This is possible by removing the liquid from under the sunburned skin area. The lymphatic system would then clear up the excess liquid and would allow the skin to get oxygenated once again. Said so, when treating someone with sunburn, as therapists, we always have to look for possible skin infections and other absolute contraindications. If the skin over the sunburn area is cracked and infected, then we will have to wait for the infection to heal. In addition to this, if the sunburn is as bad as a 3rd-degree burn, we may don’t wanna touch the sunburn directly, but applying MLD in a close area can still help the lymphatic system to be activated remotely or in the affected area. In conclusion, remember always to put on sun cream before exposing yourself to sunlight. Put the cream on 30 mins before having a bath. Either in the sea or a swimming pool, in order for the cream not to be absorbed and not be washed away. Avoid the hottest hours. Check the UV exposure on the Victoria Government weather website (https://www.bom.gov.au/vic/forecasts/melbourne.shtml). Stay in the shade and drink plenty of water.
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