SUNBURN
Main Symptoms
- Red, painful skin following sun exposure
General Information
- Most sunburn is a first-degree burn that turns the skin pink or red. Prolonged sun exposure can cause blistering (a second-degree burn). Sunburn never causes a third-degree burn or scarring.
- The pain and swelling starts at 4 hours, peaks at 24 hours, and improves after 48 hours.
- Long-term sun exposure increases the risk of skin cancer and causes aging of the skin.
See More Appropriate Topic (instead of this one) If
- Chemical or thermal burn, see BURNS
WHEN TO CALL YOUR DOCTOR FOR SUNBURN
Call 911 Now (you may need an ambulance) If
- Passed out
- Difficult to awaken or acting confused
- Very weak (unable to stand)
Call Your Doctor Now (night or day) If
- You feel weak or very sick
- Blisters are present on face
- Large blister is present (more than ½ inch wide)
- Unable to look at lights because of eye pain
- Extremely painful sunburn
- Looks infected (e.g., draining pus, red streaks, increasing tenderness after day 2)
Call Your Doctor Within 24 Hours (between 9 am and 4 pm) If:
- You think you need to be seen
- Many smallblisters are present
Call Your Doctor During Weekday Office Hours If
- You have other questions or concerns
Self Care at Home If
- Mild sunburn (all triage questions negative)
- Sunscreen and protection from the sun, questions about
HOME CARE ADVICE FOR MILD SUNBURN
- Ibuprofen for Pain:
For pain relief, begin taking ibuprofen (e.g. Advil, Motrin) as soon as possible.
Adult dosage is 400 mg every 6 hours. If anti-inflammatory agents such
as ibuprofen are begun within 6 hours of sun exposure and continued for 2 days,
they can greatly reduce your discomfort. If you can't take ibuprofen, use acetaminophen
(e.g. Tylenol) instead.
- Do not take ibuprofen if you have stomach problems, kidney disease, are pregnant, or have been told by your doctor to avoid this type of anti-inflammatory drug. Do not take ibuprofen for more than 7 days without consulting your doctor.
- Do not take acetaminophen if you have liver disease.
- Read the package instructions thoroughly on all medications that you take.
- Steroid Cream: Apply 1% hydrocortisone cream ASAP and then three times a day. If used early and continued for 2 days, it may reduce swelling and pain. If you don't have any, use a moisturizing cream until you can get some. Read the package instructions thoroughly on all medications that you use.
- Cool Baths: Apply cool compresses to the burned area several times a day to reduce pain and burning. For larger sunburns, give cool baths for 10 minutes (caution: avoid any chill). Add 2 oz. baking soda per tub. Avoid soap on the sunburn.
- Extra Fluids: Drink extra water on the first day to replace the fluids lost into the sunburn and to prevent dehydration and dizziness.
-
Broken Blisters:
- For broken blisters, trim off the dead skin with a fine scissors. (Reason: these hidden pockets can become a breeding ground for infection.)
- Apply antibiotic ointment (e.g. Bacitracin) to the raw skin under broken blisters. Reapply twice daily for 3 days.
- Caution: leave intact blisters alone. (Reason: the intact blister protects the skin and allows it to heal.)
- Expected Course: Pain usually stops after 2 or 3 days. Skin flaking and peeling usually occur 5-7 days after the sunburn.
- Prevention - Reduce Sun Exposure: Try to avoid all sun exposure between 10 am and 3 pm. When you are outdoors, use a hat with a wide brim and cotton clothing with long sleeves.
-
Prevention - Use Sunscreen:
- Apply sunscreen to areas that can't be protected by clothing. Generally, an adult needs about 1 oz of sunscreen lotion to cover the entire body.
- You should reapply the sunscreen every 2-4 hours. You should also reapply after swimming, exercising, or sweating.
- A sunscreen with a rating of SPF 15 to 30 should be used. Sunscreens with ratings higher than 30 provide minimal additional protection.
- Sunscreens help prevent sunburn, but do not completely prevent skin damage. Thus, sun exposure can still increase your risk of skin aging and skin cancer.
-
Vitamins C and E: Vitamins C and E have anti-oxidant properties, which
means they help prevent sun damage to cells in your skin. Taking vitamins C
and E by mouth may partially reduce the sunburn reaction.
- The adult dosage of vitamin C (ascorbic acid): 2 grams by mouth once a day.
- Adult dosage of vitamin E (d-alpha-tocopherol): 1000 IU by mouth once a day.
- Caution: Prevention is the key. Remember to reduce sun exposure and use sunscreens.
- Read the package instructions thoroughly on all medications that you take.
- Call Your Doctor If:
- Pain becomes severe
- Pain does not improve after 3 days
- Sunburn looks infected
- You become worse or develop any of the "Call Your Doctor" symptoms.
Disclaimer: This information is not intended be a substitute for professional medical advice. It is provided for educational purposes only. You assume full responsibility for how you choose to use this information.
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