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Patient education: Sunburn (The Basics)

Patient education: Sunburn (The Basics)

What is a sunburn? — A sunburn is skin damage that can happen when a person is in the sun for too long. The sun gives off "ultraviolet" or "UV" light, which is what causes sunburn. It is possible to get a sunburn even on a cloudy day, because UV light can go through clouds.

Another way people can get a sunburn is from a tanning bed. Tanning beds use UV light to give people a tan.

Why should I avoid getting a sunburn? — It's important to try to avoid getting a sunburn, because people who get a lot of sunburns have a higher chance of getting certain other problems. These include:

Skin cancer – There are different types of skin cancer. Most skin cancers can be treated easily. But sunburn increases the risk of getting a serious type of skin cancer called "melanoma."

Wrinkles and other skin changes that usually happen when people get older

Eye problems called "cataracts" that can cause trouble seeing

What can increase my chance of getting a sunburn? — Your chance of getting a burn from the sun increases if you:

Have pale skin and light-colored hair

Spend time in the sun without protective clothing or sunscreen

Are around snow, water, or sand, which can reflect the sun

Take certain medicines that can cause the skin to burn more easily

Babies and children have more sensitive skin, and are more likely to get a sunburn. For this reason, it's especially important to protect them from the sun.

What are the symptoms of a sunburn? — Symptoms of a sunburn happen 3 to 5 hours after being in the sun and include:

Redness (picture 1 and picture 2) – The redness is worst 12 to 24 hours after being in the sun and usually fades over 3 days.

Pain

Skin that feels hot when touched

In some cases, sunburns can be severe. Severe sunburns can cause:

Blisters

Severe pain

Swelling

Fever

Can I treat a sunburn on my own? — You can treat a mild sunburn on your own by:

Taking a pain-relieving medicine

Applying cool compresses or soaks

Using a lotion or spray made for treating sunburns – These products usually have aloe or a numbing medicine in them.

Staying out of the sun until the redness and pain go away

Should I see a doctor or nurse? — You should call your doctor or nurse if you have a severe sunburn. Depending on your symptoms, they will tell you if you can treat your sunburn at home or if you need to see a doctor.

Can sunburns be prevented? — Yes. You can prevent sunburns by:

Staying out of the sun in the middle of the day (from 10 AM to 4 PM), when the sun's light is strongest

Staying under a sun umbrella, tree, or other shady spot

Wearing sunglasses, a wide-brimmed hat, long-sleeved shirt, or long pants

Wearing sunscreen – Put sunscreen on all parts of the body that are not covered by clothes. Then reapply sunscreen every 2 to 3 hours, or after you sweat or swim. It's important to choose a sunscreen that:

Has an SPF of 30 or greater – SPF is a number that tells you how well a sunscreen protects the skin from UV light.

Protects against 2 types of UV light, called "UVA" and "UVB." (Sunscreens that offer both UVA and UVB protection are sometimes called "broad spectrum.")

Has not expired or is not more than 3 years old

Wearing lip balm that has an SPF of 30 or greater

Not using tanning beds

Remember that you can get a sunburn even if the weather is cloudy. You can also get it just from being outside during your normal activities, even if you are not sitting in the sun for a long time. This is why it's important to get into the habit of protecting yourself, especially if your skin burns easily. You can make this part of your regular routine, for example, by using a daily face lotion that contains sunscreen.

More on this topic

Patient education: Skin cancer (non-melanoma) (The Basics)
Patient education: Melanoma skin cancer (The Basics)
Patient education: Skin burns (The Basics)

Patient education: Sunburn (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Sunburn prevention (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Skin burns (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Melanoma treatment; localized melanoma (Beyond the Basics)

This topic retrieved from UpToDate on: Jan 02, 2023.
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