Sunburn: Fast Relief, How Long It Lasts and When It’s Serious

Sunburn is skin damage, not a tan that went too far. It usually heals in about a week, but each burn adds to your lifetime risk of skin cancer. Here’s how to ease the pain now and protect your skin next time, whatever your skin tone.

Imagine a long day at the beach or an outdoor event. You reapplied sunscreen once, maybe. That night your shoulders are bright red, hot and so sore that your bag strap feels like sandpaper. By morning you feel shivery and a bit sick. Is that normal sunburn, or something more?

How to soothe sunburn

• Get out of the sun and cool the skin with a cool shower or damp cloth
• Apply an after-sun or aloe vera gel, or a simple moisturiser
• Drink plenty of water, because sunburn draws fluid to the skin
• Take paracetamol or ibuprofen for pain, following the pack
• Wear loose cotton clothing and leave blisters alone

Avoid petroleum jelly and “-caine” numbing creams, which can trap heat or irritate burnt skin. On darker skin, sunburn may look less red but still feel hot, tight, itchy and painful.

But when is sunburn serious?

Get medical help if you have large areas of blistering, a high temperature, chills, headache, dizziness or vomiting, or if a baby or young child is sunburnt. Call your emergency number for confusion, fainting, a very high temperature with hot dry skin, or a seizure, which can mean heatstroke.

Preventing the next burn

• Use broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 30 or more, apply generously and reapply every two hours and after swimming
• Seek shade when the sun is strongest, often late morning to mid-afternoon; check the UV index
• Wear a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses and covering clothes
• Keep babies under 6 months out of direct sun

Sources: World Health Organization (Ultraviolet radiation), NHS (Sunburn), American Academy of Dermatology. This guide is for general information and does not replace advice from your own nurse, doctor or pharmacist.