How to ease sunburn

What to do now

1. 1Go indoors or into shade as soon as you notice the burn. Start care straight away rather than waiting for redness to develop.
2. 2Take a cool bath or shower, or place a clean, cool, damp cloth on the skin. Repeat cool baths or showers for discomfort. Do not use ice or ice packs, and take care not to let a baby or young child get too cold.
3. 3Gently pat the skin dry. Apply moisturiser while the skin is still damp, and again whenever it feels uncomfortable. Choose an unperfumed moisturiser; aloe vera or soy moisturisers are also options for soothing skin.
4. 4Drink extra water and avoid alcohol. Sunburn draws fluid toward the skin's surface and away from the rest of the body, increasing the risk of dehydration.
5. 5For pain, consider paracetamol, also called acetaminophen, or ibuprofen. Follow the medicine leaflet. Do not give aspirin to children, and ask a pharmacist if you are unsure which pain medicine to use.
6. 6Wear loose cotton clothing rather than tight clothes over the burn. Keep the affected skin protected from direct sunlight until fully healed.

A moisturising cream can relieve discomfort; a dedicated aftersun product does not have exclusive rights to the job, despite having dressed for the occasion. Calamine lotion or a colloidal oatmeal bath can also soothe discomfort, without putting the sun in the product name. Aloe vera can feel soothing, but it does not speed healing and sometimes irritates skin. Stop using it if it irritates your skin.125

What should you avoid putting on sunburn?

Avoid butter, petroleum jelly and other oily products on ordinary, unblistered sunburn. Avoid numbing products containing benzocaine or lidocaine: they can cause allergic reactions and make the burn worse. Steroid creams are not a reliable first choice because their benefit for sunburn is uncertain.34

What if the skin blisters or peels?

Blisters indicate a deeper burn and need medical advice. Do not pop them or pull away the skin covering them. Keep blisters clean with mild soap and water; cover a ruptured blister with a moist, sterile dressing. Blister care differs from moisturising an ordinary sunburn, so ask a clinician which dressing or ointment to use. Leave peeling skin to come away naturally rather than scratching or pulling it off.123

How long does sunburn take to settle?

Most mild sunburn improves within about seven days. Symptoms can take hours to appear, and the full effect can take 24 hours or longer; pain is often worst between six and 48 hours after exposure. Peeling usually starts several days later. Deeper, blistering burns can take weeks to heal. On brown or black skin, redness can be hard to see, so warmth, soreness and tenderness matter too.146

Sunburn care relieves symptoms rather than undoing UV damage.5

When should you get medical help?

• Seek urgent medical advice for blistering, swelling, severe pain, fever, chills, headache, nausea or muscle cramps after sun exposure.
• Get help promptly for dizziness, extreme thirst, reduced urination, rapid breathing, or painful eyes that are sensitive to light.
• Have yellow crusts or other signs of infection assessed, and get urgent advice if a baby or young child has sunburn.
• Call your local emergency number for confusion, seizures or unconsciousness after heat exposure. Heatstroke is a medical emergency.

How should you protect healing skin?

Use shade and clothing, not sunscreen alone. On uncovered skin, use broad spectrum, water resistant SPF 30 or higher sunscreen. Reapply every two hours and after swimming, sweating or towel drying. Take extra care with sun protection if you use medicines such as doxycycline or retinoids, which can increase sun sensitivity.267