Soaking up the sun? Take caution not to over do it. Overexposure of the sun can not only cause the skin to burn, but can lead to aging of the skin, loss of skin elasticity, and skin cancer.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) considers a sunburn to be a trapping of heat combined with dampness. TCM treats these burns by releasing the heat with acupuncture and soothing the accompanying pain with topical herbal remedies. Further oral herbal therapy and diet recommendations are advised for long term healing.

Recommended Diet:

Avoid overeating. Consume cooling foods including watermelon, Napa cabbage, white radish, green beans, cucumber, honeydew, celery, pear, and apples. Drink a glass of water hourly.
Avoid greasy, spicy, and deep-fried foods. Alcohol and coffee dehydrate the body and should also be avoided during the recovery process.
Drink a cup of green tea to relieve headaches, dizziness and expel heat.
Recommended Lifestyle:

Apply a thin layer of plain yogurt or aloe vera to the burn area to cool and soothe the irritation.
Limit exposure to sun, especially between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Use sunscreen with an SPF factor of at least 30.
Wear a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and a wide-brimmed hat
Take vitamins D, B3 and omega 3 fish oils to help protect your skin and lessen the symptoms of a sunburn.
Avoid strenuous activities and further exposure to the sun and heat.

Heat Exhaustion
Summertime brings many to the outdoors. Whether it’s swimming, picnics or bike rides, summer seems to allow for countless activities. If not careful, it’s easy to get carried away and find oneself dehydrated, sunburned and exhausted. Prolonged exposure to heat and insufficient body fluid can result in heat exhaustion. Symptoms may include: heavy sweating, muscle cramps, weakness, dizziness, headache and nausea or vomiting.
Symptoms of a heat stroke may include: fainting, dark-colored urine, rapid heart rate, confusion, throbbing headache, red and dry skin. If you experience any of these symptoms, seek immediate medical attention.

If you find your case is not so severe, acupuncture and Chinese herbs can help dispel heat and cool the body.
Additional tips to beat the heat include:Carrying water with you everywhere and sip it throughout the day. Avoid drinks that contain sugar.
Pace yourself. Allow your body to adjust to the heat. Take it slow.
Schedule outdoor activities to avoid the hottest part of the day.
Take cooling baths.
Eat watermelon and other cooling foods.With all these tips you are ready to take on the summer!
Play safe and have fun. Summer always seems to go by too quickly, enjoy it!References:
Schweihofer, Stefan. Dwarf Peace Spring Garden Mood. 2016. Pixabay, Online. Web. 7 June 2016.<https://pixabay.com/en/dwarf-peace-spring-garden-mood-1336356/>.

Shing Ni, M. “Natural Treatments for Sunburn”. Tao of Wellness. Natural-Treatments-For.com, 2016. Web. 7 June, 2016

Shing Ni, M. “Sunburn”. Ask Dr. Mao – The Natural Health Search Engine. 30 June, 2011. Web. 7 June, 2016.