Sunburn: Symptoms, Home Treatment & Prevention

What Are the Symptoms of Sunburn?

Sunburn symptoms include red, hot, painful skin that appears 1-24 hours after sun exposure. The skin may feel tender to touch, become swollen, and in severe cases develop blisters. Symptoms typically peak between 24-72 hours and gradually improve over 3-7 days, often with peeling skin.

Sunburn occurs when ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun damages the DNA in your skin cells. This damage triggers an inflammatory response, causing the characteristic redness, pain, and swelling. The severity of sunburn depends on factors including your skin type, duration of exposure, time of day, altitude, and geographic location. People with fair skin, light-colored eyes, and red or blonde hair are particularly susceptible to sunburn, though all skin types can be affected.

The symptoms of sunburn develop gradually rather than appearing immediately during sun exposure. This delay means many people don't realize they're getting burned until the damage is already done. Ultraviolet radiation penetrates the epidermis (outer skin layer) and reaches the dermis below, triggering inflammation that continues to develop for hours after you've left the sun.

Understanding the progression of sunburn symptoms helps you assess the severity and determine whether home treatment is appropriate or medical care is needed. Most mild sunburns heal completely within a week, but severe sunburns with extensive blistering may take two weeks or longer and carry risks of infection and scarring.

Common Sunburn Symptoms

• Red skin (erythema): The hallmark sign of sunburn, appearing 1-6 hours after exposure
• Skin feels hot to touch: The affected area radiates warmth due to increased blood flow
• Pain and tenderness: Ranging from mild discomfort to severe pain with any contact
• Swelling (edema): Particularly common on the face, hands, and feet
• Blistering: Indicates second-degree sunburn requiring careful treatment
• Peeling skin: Occurs during healing, typically 3-8 days after the burn

Sun Allergy (Polymorphic Light Eruption)

Sun allergy, medically called polymorphic light eruption (PLE), is different from regular sunburn and occurs when the immune system overreacts to UV light. Rather than simple redness, sun allergy causes an intensely itchy rash with small red bumps, blisters, or patches. The symptoms typically appear hours to days after sun exposure and are most common in spring and early summer when skin hasn't been exposed to sun for several months.

PLE affects approximately 10-20% of the population in northern climates and is more common in women than men. The rash typically appears on areas that have been covered during winter - the chest, arms, and legs - rather than on constantly exposed areas like the face and hands. Unlike sunburn, which correlates directly with UV intensity and exposure time, sun allergy can occur even with relatively brief sun exposure.

The distinguishing features of sun allergy include intense itching (sunburn itches only mildly or during peeling), the development of distinct bumps or papules rather than uniform redness, and a tendency to affect the same areas repeatedly. Some people develop sun allergy every spring until their skin gradually adapts to sun exposure over the summer months.

What Is the Best Treatment for Sunburn?

The best sunburn treatments include cooling the skin with cool water or compresses, applying aloe vera gel or moisturizing lotion, taking ibuprofen for pain and inflammation, using 1% hydrocortisone cream for itching, drinking plenty of fluids to stay hydrated, and avoiding further sun exposure until healed.

Effective sunburn treatment focuses on reducing inflammation, relieving pain, preventing infection, and supporting the skin's natural healing process. While there is no way to reverse UV damage once it has occurred, proper treatment can significantly reduce discomfort and help the skin recover more quickly. The key principles are cooling, moisturizing, and protecting the damaged skin while avoiding anything that could cause additional irritation.

Most mild to moderate sunburns can be successfully treated at home without medical intervention. Treatment should begin as soon as you notice symptoms developing, ideally while you're still in the sun - this means getting out of direct sunlight immediately. The sooner you begin treatment, the more effective it will be at reducing the severity and duration of symptoms.

The healing process for sunburn involves several phases. During the first 24-72 hours, inflammation peaks and symptoms are most severe. Over the following days, the inflammatory response gradually subsides, and the skin begins repairing itself. This repair process often involves peeling, as damaged skin cells are shed and replaced with new ones. Throughout healing, consistent care and protection from further UV exposure are essential.

Home Treatment Steps

Follow these steps for effective home treatment of sunburn. Consistency is important - continue treatment until the skin has fully healed to prevent complications and minimize discomfort throughout the healing process.

1. Get out of the sun immediately - Move to shade or indoors at the first sign of burning to prevent further damage
2. Cool the skin - Apply cool (not ice-cold) water using a shower, bath, or damp cloth for 10-15 minutes. Repeat several times daily
3. Apply moisturizer - Use pure aloe vera gel or a gentle, alcohol-free moisturizing lotion while skin is still damp
4. Take pain relievers - Ibuprofen or aspirin (adults only) reduces inflammation and pain. Follow package directions
5. Use hydrocortisone cream - Apply 1% over-the-counter hydrocortisone to reduce inflammation and itching
6. Stay hydrated - Drink extra water and fluids as sunburn draws moisture to the skin surface
7. Protect the healing skin - Wear loose, soft clothing and avoid further sun exposure until completely healed

Products to Use and Avoid

Choosing the right products for sunburn treatment can make a significant difference in comfort and healing time. Some products provide genuine relief, while others can actually worsen symptoms or delay healing.

Recommended products: Aloe vera gel (pure, without added fragrances or alcohol), fragrance-free moisturizing lotions, over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream (1%), ibuprofen or aspirin, cool compresses, and gentle, soap-free cleansers. Look for products labeled "for sensitive skin" or "hypoallergenic."

Products to avoid: Petroleum-based products (Vaseline) which can trap heat, products containing benzocaine or lidocaine (can cause allergic reactions), alcohol-based products which dry and irritate skin, heavily fragranced lotions or sprays, and any harsh exfoliating products. Also avoid ice or ice-cold water directly on the skin, which can cause additional damage.

Treatment for Sun Allergy

If you have sun allergy (polymorphic light eruption) rather than standard sunburn, treatment focuses on relieving the intense itching and allowing the immune reaction to subside. Stay completely out of the sun until symptoms resolve, which typically takes several days to a week. Apply hydrocortisone cream to affected areas and take oral antihistamines to reduce itching. Cool compresses can provide relief, and loose, covering clothing helps protect the sensitive skin.

When Should You See a Doctor for Sunburn?

Seek medical care for sunburn covering a large body area, severe blistering, fever over 38.5C (101F), signs of infection, severe pain not relieved by home treatment, or symptoms of heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Children with significant sunburn should be evaluated by a healthcare provider.

While most sunburns can be safely treated at home, certain situations require professional medical evaluation. Severe sunburn can lead to serious complications including dehydration, infection, and in extreme cases, sun poisoning - a term used to describe severe sunburn with systemic symptoms. Knowing when to seek care helps ensure appropriate treatment and prevents complications.

Medical evaluation is particularly important for vulnerable populations including young children, elderly individuals, and those with compromised immune systems. These groups are more susceptible to complications and may require more intensive treatment. Additionally, anyone taking medications that increase sun sensitivity should be alert to unusually severe reactions that warrant medical attention.

Healthcare providers can offer treatments not available over-the-counter, including prescription-strength topical steroids, oral steroids for severe inflammation, and in some cases, IV fluids for dehydration. They can also properly evaluate and treat infected blisters, which require careful management to prevent scarring and more serious skin infections.

Signs of Infection

Sunburn blisters can become infected if not properly cared for. Watch for these warning signs that indicate infection requiring medical treatment:

• Increasing redness, swelling, or warmth around the blister or burn area
• Red streaks extending from the affected area
• Pus or cloudy fluid draining from blisters
• Increasing pain rather than gradual improvement
• Fever developing several days after the initial sunburn

What Causes Sunburn and UV Damage?

Sunburn is caused by ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun damaging skin cell DNA. UVB rays are primarily responsible for sunburn, while both UVA and UVB contribute to skin aging and cancer risk. Factors increasing burn risk include fair skin, midday sun exposure, high altitude, reflection from water or snow, and certain medications.

Understanding what causes sunburn helps you protect yourself more effectively. Sunburn results from a complex biological process triggered by ultraviolet radiation penetrating the skin. The sun emits several types of UV radiation, but two types - UVA and UVB - reach Earth's surface in significant amounts and affect human skin. Each plays a different role in skin damage, aging, and cancer development.

UVB radiation (290-320 nanometers wavelength) is the primary cause of sunburn. These shorter wavelength rays are most intense between 10 AM and 4 PM and are largely absorbed by the epidermis, the outermost layer of skin. When UVB penetrates skin cells, it damages DNA directly, triggering inflammation and the characteristic redness, pain, and peeling of sunburn. UVB intensity varies significantly with time of day, season, and latitude.

UVA radiation (320-400 nanometers wavelength) penetrates deeper into the skin, reaching the dermis where it damages collagen and elastin fibers. While UVA contributes less to acute sunburn than UVB, it plays a major role in premature skin aging (wrinkles, age spots, loss of elasticity) and significantly increases skin cancer risk. Unlike UVB, UVA intensity remains relatively constant throughout daylight hours and can penetrate clouds and glass.

When UV radiation damages skin cell DNA, the body responds with inflammation to help repair the damage. Blood vessels dilate, bringing more blood to the area (causing redness), and inflammatory chemicals are released (causing pain and swelling). The damaged skin cells eventually die and are shed, resulting in peeling. While this repair process is effective for occasional mild damage, repeated sunburns cause cumulative DNA damage that increases skin cancer risk.

Risk Factors for Sunburn

Several factors increase your likelihood of getting sunburned or experiencing more severe burns. Understanding these risk factors helps you take appropriate precautions.

• Skin type: Fair-skinned individuals with light eyes and blonde/red hair burn most easily. However, all skin types can burn
• Time of day: UV radiation is strongest between 10 AM and 4 PM when the sun is highest in the sky
• Altitude: UV intensity increases approximately 10% for every 1,000 meters of elevation gain
• Reflective surfaces: Water, sand, snow, and concrete reflect UV rays, increasing exposure
• Geographic location: UV is more intense closer to the equator and at high altitudes
• Medications: Some drugs increase photosensitivity (see section below)

Medications That Increase Sun Sensitivity

Certain medications can dramatically increase your skin's sensitivity to UV radiation, making sunburn more likely and more severe. This photosensitivity occurs because these drugs interact with UV light to cause enhanced skin reactions. If you take any of the following medications, you need extra sun protection and should be aware of your increased burn risk.

Common photosensitizing medications include:

• Antibiotics: Tetracyclines (doxycycline, minocycline), fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin), sulfonamides
• NSAIDs: Ibuprofen, naproxen, ketoprofen (topical forms are especially photosensitizing)
• Diuretics: Hydrochlorothiazide, furosemide
• Diabetes medications: Sulfonylureas
• Heart medications: Amiodarone, some statins
• Psychiatric medications: Some antidepressants, phenothiazines
• Retinoids: Isotretinoin (Accutane), tretinoin

Check the package insert of any medication you take, or ask your pharmacist whether sun protection is recommended. If you experience an unusually severe sunburn while taking medication, seek medical advice.

How Can You Prevent Sunburn?

Prevent sunburn by seeking shade during peak UV hours (10 AM-4 PM), wearing protective clothing including wide-brimmed hats and sunglasses, applying broad-spectrum SPF 30+ sunscreen 15 minutes before sun exposure and reapplying every 2 hours, and being extra cautious near water, sand, and at high altitude where UV exposure increases.

Prevention is by far the most effective strategy for avoiding sunburn and its long-term consequences. While the body can repair some UV damage, cumulative exposure over a lifetime leads to premature skin aging and significantly increases skin cancer risk. Establishing good sun protection habits - especially for children, whose skin is particularly vulnerable - provides lifelong benefits for skin health.

Effective sun protection involves multiple strategies working together. No single approach provides complete protection, but combining shade-seeking behavior, protective clothing, and proper sunscreen use creates comprehensive defense against UV damage. The goal isn't to avoid all sun exposure - approximately 20 minutes of daily sun exposure during summer provides important vitamin D benefits - but to prevent the overexposure that leads to sunburn and long-term damage.

It's important to understand that sun protection is needed even on cloudy days. Clouds block visible light more effectively than UV radiation - up to 80% of UV rays can penetrate clouds. Similarly, being in water doesn't protect you; UV penetrates water to a depth of about 1 meter, and the reflection from the water surface increases exposure to parts of your body above water.

Sun Protection Strategies

1. Seek shade - Especially during peak UV hours from 10 AM to 4 PM. Use umbrellas, trees, or shelters when outdoors for extended periods
2. Wear protective clothing - Long sleeves and pants made of tightly woven fabrics provide excellent protection. UV-protective clothing (UPF-rated) offers enhanced protection
3. Wear a wide-brimmed hat - A hat with at least a 3-inch (7.5 cm) brim protects the face, ears, and neck. Baseball caps leave the ears and neck exposed
4. Wear sunglasses - Choose sunglasses that block 99-100% of UVA and UVB rays to protect your eyes and the delicate skin around them
5. Apply sunscreen correctly - Use broad-spectrum SPF 30+ sunscreen. Apply 15-30 minutes before sun exposure and reapply every 2 hours (more often if swimming or sweating)
6. Be aware of reflection - Water, sand, snow, and concrete reflect UV rays, increasing your exposure. Take extra precautions in these environments

Protecting Children from Sunburn

Children's skin is more sensitive to UV damage than adult skin, and sunburns during childhood significantly increase lifetime skin cancer risk. Babies under 6 months should be kept out of direct sunlight entirely. For older children, establish sun-safe habits early - these behaviors learned in childhood tend to persist into adulthood.

For children over 6 months, use broad-spectrum SPF 30+ sunscreen on all exposed skin. Choose mineral sunscreens (containing zinc oxide or titanium dioxide) which are less likely to cause skin irritation than chemical sunscreens. Dress children in sun-protective clothing including hats with brims that shade the face and neck, and ensure they wear sunglasses outdoors.

Does Tanning Before Sun Exposure Provide Protection?

A common misconception is that getting a "base tan" before sun exposure provides protection against sunburn. In reality, a tan provides only minimal protection equivalent to approximately SPF 3-4, which is far below the recommended SPF 30+. More importantly, the tan itself represents DNA damage - it's the skin's defensive response to UV exposure, not a sign of healthy skin.

Indoor tanning beds do not provide safe preparation for sun exposure. In fact, using tanning beds significantly increases skin cancer risk, particularly for people who start using them before age 35. Many countries have banned or restricted tanning bed use, especially for people under 18. The World Health Organization classifies UV radiation from tanning devices as carcinogenic to humans.

What Are the Long-Term Risks of Sunburn?

Repeated sunburns significantly increase skin cancer risk - just 5 blistering sunburns before age 20 increases melanoma risk by 80%. Other long-term effects include premature skin aging with wrinkles and age spots, weakened skin elasticity, and permanent damage to collagen and DNA. Every sunburn contributes to cumulative damage.

While the immediate discomfort of sunburn resolves within days to weeks, the damage to your skin persists long after visible symptoms have disappeared. Each sunburn contributes to cumulative UV damage that affects skin health and appearance for the rest of your life. Understanding these long-term consequences provides powerful motivation for consistent sun protection.

The most serious long-term consequence of sunburn is increased skin cancer risk. UV radiation damages DNA in skin cells, and while the body has repair mechanisms, some damage escapes repair and accumulates over time. This accumulated damage can eventually lead to the uncontrolled cell growth that characterizes cancer. Both melanoma (the most dangerous form of skin cancer) and non-melanoma skin cancers (basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma) are strongly linked to UV exposure.

Research has demonstrated a clear dose-response relationship between sunburn history and skin cancer risk. A study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention found that individuals with 5 or more blistering sunburns between ages 15-20 had an 80% increased risk of melanoma compared to those with no blistering sunburns. Even non-blistering sunburns contribute to cancer risk when repeated over time.

Photoaging: Premature Skin Aging

UV exposure is the primary external cause of premature skin aging, a process called photoaging. While chronological aging affects everyone, photoaging adds additional changes that make skin appear significantly older than it should. Up to 90% of visible skin aging in fair-skinned individuals is attributed to sun exposure rather than chronological age.

Signs of photoaging include:

• Deep wrinkles, particularly around the eyes and mouth
• Leathery, rough skin texture
• Age spots (solar lentigines) and irregular pigmentation
• Loss of skin elasticity and firmness
• Broken blood vessels visible under the skin (telangiectasia)
• Thin, fragile skin that bruises easily

These changes occur because UV radiation - particularly UVA - damages collagen and elastin fibers in the dermis. These structural proteins give skin its firmness and flexibility. Once damaged, they cannot fully regenerate, leading to progressive loss of skin quality over time.

How Long Does Sunburn Take to Heal?

Mild sunburn typically heals in 3-5 days, with symptoms peaking at 24-72 hours. Moderate sunburn with more significant symptoms may take 5-7 days. Severe sunburn with blistering can take 1-2 weeks or longer to heal completely. Peeling usually begins 3-8 days after the burn.

The healing timeline for sunburn depends on its severity, your overall health, how well you care for the burned skin, and individual healing factors. Understanding the normal healing process helps you recognize whether your sunburn is recovering appropriately or whether complications may be developing that warrant medical attention.

Sunburn healing follows a predictable pattern. In the first 24-72 hours, inflammation peaks as the body responds to UV damage. During this phase, redness intensifies, pain is most severe, and swelling develops. After this peak, symptoms gradually subside over several days as inflammation decreases and the skin begins repairing itself. The final healing phase involves the shedding of damaged skin cells, which appears as peeling.

Several factors influence healing speed. Proper hydration, both internal (drinking fluids) and external (moisturizing the skin), supports faster healing. Avoiding further UV exposure during healing is critical - sunburned skin is especially vulnerable to additional damage. Nutrition also plays a role; adequate protein, vitamins C and E, and zinc support skin repair processes.

Managing Peeling Skin

Peeling is a normal part of sunburn recovery and typically begins 3-8 days after the initial burn. As damaged skin cells die and are replaced by new cells, the dead layer separates and peels away. While peeling can be unsightly and sometimes itchy, it's an important part of the healing process.

Do not peel, pick, or scrub peeling skin. Forcing skin to peel before it's ready can damage the new, delicate skin underneath and increase risk of scarring or infection. Instead, continue applying moisturizer to keep the skin hydrated, which helps the peeling process proceed naturally. Gentle exfoliation with a soft washcloth is acceptable only after peeling has mostly completed and the new skin is no longer tender.