- 1. Wash the skin with soap and water
- 2. Apply a cold compress
- 3. Apply sunscreen to the skin
- 4. Apply a repairing ointment
- 5. Avoid sunbathing
- What to do for older stains
- When it is necessary to go to the doctor
- Because lemon stains the skin
- How to prevent the lemon from staining
When you put lemon juice on your skin and shortly afterwards expose the region to the sun, without washing, it is very possible that dark spots will appear. These spots are known as phytophotomelanosis, or phytophotodermatitis, and happen due to the reaction of vitamin C and citric acid with the UV rays of the sun, which cause a slight inflammation of the site.
As with lemon, these spots can also appear when exposed to the sun after coming in contact with the juice of other citrus fruits, as well as other staining foods, such as parsley, celery or carrots.
It is always best to avoid getting spots on the skin, washing the area properly before exposing yourself to the sun. However, when the spots are already present, doing the treatment at home during the first few days may be enough to prevent the spots from becoming permanent. To do this you must:
1. Wash the skin with soap and water
This is the first step and serves to eliminate the juice that is on the skin, preventing it from continuing to irritate the skin. You should use cold water and avoid washing with hot water, as it can make inflammation worse. It is also important to wash with soap, making gentle movements, to ensure that all traces of the juice are removed.
2. Apply a cold compress
Placing a cold compress on your skin is a good way to reduce inflammation within minutes and soothe the stain. The ideal is to use a moist compress with ice water, but you can also moisten the compress with iced chamomile tea, for example, which has excellent calming properties.
3. Apply sunscreen to the skin
In addition to the compress, it is also important to apply sunscreen on the skin to prevent UV rays from continuing to burn the area and worsening inflammation. Ideally, use a high protection factor (SPF) like 30 or 50.
This step, in addition to preventing the stain from worsening, also prevents more severe burns from appearing on the spot.
4. Apply a repairing ointment
Ointments that help to repair the skin, such as hypoglycans or bepantol, for example, can also be applied to the skin after the inflammation has subsided, as they allow the skin to heal and prevent the appearance of more permanent stains.
These ointments can be applied 2 to 3 times a day.
5. Avoid sunbathing
Avoiding sun exposure from the stain should also be a basic care, since UV rays, even without the juice, can continue to irritate the skin. Therefore, it is advisable to cover the skin when it is necessary to go out into the sun, for at least 1 month.
What to do for older stains
In the case of lemon stains that have been present on the skin for several days or months, this treatment can only help to make the stain a little lighter, since it reduces any possible inflammation on the spot.
However, to completely eliminate the stain, it is best to consult a dermatologist to start a more specific treatment, which may include the use of whitening or even pulsed light, for example. See which treatments are most used to remove skin blemishes.
When it is necessary to go to the doctor
Although the lemon stain can often be taken care of at home, there are also situations where it is necessary to go to the doctor to start a more appropriate treatment. Some signs that may suggest that it is indicated to go to the doctor are:
- Blisters appear; Redness that worsens with time; Pain or burning very intense in the place; Stain that takes more than 1 month to clear.
In these situations, in addition to the home treatment indicated, the doctor may also prescribe the use of ointments with corticosteroids or even some aesthetic treatments to lighten the skin.
Because lemon stains the skin
The lemon can stain the skin and cause dark marks because it has substances, such as vitamin C, citric acid or bergaptene, which when they remain on the skin exposed to the sun, absorb UV rays and end up burning and inflaming the skin. This can happen even when the person is not directly in the sun, but under the umbrella using the lemon in a drink or food, for example.
Citrus fruits like lemon, orange and tangerine can cause skin burns when the person comes into direct contact with the fruit and then the skin is exposed to the sun. In this case, as soon as the person realizes that the skin is burned and burning, he should wash the place and follow all the guidelines previously indicated.
How to prevent the lemon from staining
To prevent the lemon from burning or staining your skin, you should wash your skin with soap and water right after using the lemon and be careful not to cut or squeeze that fruit when you are outdoors.
