Too Much Sun

Symptoms of sunburn usually appear within a few hours after exposure, and up until 24 hours after exposure and peak within 2 to 3 days.

Most sunburns are first-degree burns that cause the skin to become red, warm and tender to the touch. Second-degree burns are a more serious burn and can cause severe swelling, reddening, pain and blisters. Blisters are a sign that the burn has gone deeper than just the surface layer of the skin and has caused damage and the release of fluids from the cells in the lower layers of the skin. This results in bad blisters and breaks in the skin where bacteria and other organisms can enter. This is not a good situation and a person with a burn this badly should get some medical attention.

See our Tanning page for the dangers of too much sun.

Symptoms

Pain, redness, swelling and occasional blistering. When a large area has been exposed, a sunburn can cause headache, fever, nausea, and fatigue.

Action

Take a cool bath or shower.

Apply an aloe vera lotion several times a day, many have lidocaine which will numb the pain.

Leave water blisters intact to speed healing and avoid infection. If they burst on their own, remove skin fragments, then apply an antibacterial ointment on the open areas. Cover with a sterile gauze bandage.

Take an over-the-counter pain reliever such as aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, naproxen.

Drink plenty of fluids, sunburn dehydrates the body. Eating high protein food will help with tissue repair.

Consider a product containing benzocaine (an anesthetic). Topical anesthetics can cause allergic reactions in some people -- not very common.

If your sunburn begins to blister, or if you experience immediate complication (rash, itching or fever), call your health care provider or if very severe, go to the emergency room.

Please be careful in the sun and wear a sunscreen!