Sunburn Care

> ⚠️ Ask your doctor or health care professional. This information is AI generated for education and NOT medical advice.

Sunburn is skin damage caused by overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, ranging from mild redness to severe burns with blistering.

Common symptoms

Red, warm, painful skin; in more severe cases, swelling and blisters; and — for extensive sunburn — fever, chills, headache, and nausea.

General self-care measures

• Get out of the sun and cool the skin with a cool (not ice-cold) compress or bath.
• Apply a moisturizing lotion (aloe vera-based products are commonly used) — avoid petroleum-based products, which can trap heat.
• Stay well hydrated, since sunburn draws fluid to the skin's surface and away from the rest of the body.
• Take over-the-counter pain relief if needed.
• Leave blisters intact if they form — they protect the healing skin underneath and reduce infection risk.
• Protect the area from further sun exposure while healing.

When to seek medical attention

• Sunburn covering a large portion of the body, especially with blistering.
• Signs of heat illness (see First Aid) alongside sunburn — high fever, confusion, or fainting — seek emergency care; see Urgent Emergency Care.
• Signs of infection in blistered skin (increasing redness, warmth, pus).
• Severe pain not relieved by over-the-counter measures.

Common pitfalls

• Popping blisters — this increases infection risk and slows healing; intact blisters protect the skin underneath.
• Using ice directly on sunburned skin — this can cause further skin damage; a cool (not ice-cold) compress is safer.
• Underestimating fluid loss from extensive sunburn — significant sunburn can cause meaningful fluid loss, similar in some ways to a mild burn injury; hydration matters more than for typical minor skin irritation.

Learn more

• Dermatology Assessment for related skin-condition assessment.
• First Aid for related heat-illness and burn first-aid guidance.
• Health Care for general navigation of health systems.