Sunburnt Treatment

The treatment of a sunburn starts at home. For those of you who do not use sun screen and are not prepared, the following tips may help you get over your sunburn.

Out of the Sun: The first thing to do is get out of the sun. Once sunburn occurs, further sun exposure only aggravates the condition. The same applies to a tanning bed.

Pain relief can be obtained by over the counter pain medications

Cold compress: When the symptoms are moderate, apply a cool compress. Just a cool cloth is fine and change it every 10-15 minutes. Cover the exposed area with a loose dressing.

Aloe Vera: There are many lotions containing aloe Vera which can be applied to the skin. The lotion rapidly soothes the pain.

Do not apply ice cubes on the skin and keep all sunburnt skin away from fragrances, creams and perfumes.

Shaving or rubbing the skin only worsens the skin irritation

Have a cool shower and gently dry your self. Apply a light moisturizer cream

When all this fails to help and the sunburn is more severe, you may need to go to a doctor for medical treatment

Silver sulfadiazine: This burn ointment is excellent at treating moderate to severe cases of sunburn. It is applied as a thin film twice and day. it should be avoided around the eyes.

Corticosteroids: If the sunburn is severe, then an oral corticosteroid may be required for a shorterm. Topical corticosteroids are of no benefit in the treatment of sunburns.

Pain Relief: When over the counter pain medications fail to work, stronger pain medications can be obtained with a prescription.

Fluid: For those who are dehydrated and lethargic, IV fluids may be administered in a hospital or in some cases; the individual may even have to be admitted to a burn unit.



Itch: Most sunburnt skin starts to itch during the healing period. To stop you from scratching the new skin, it is best to take some oral antihistamines. Some of these are available without a prescription

Blisters: Do not break blisters as the chances of getting the underlying skin infected are increased. If the blisters do break on their own, apply a dry dressing over them

Do not apply any topical local anesthetic obtained from over the counter. They may cause a rash.

Sunburn is better prevented than treated. The best prevention it to avoid sun exposure in the afternoon, wear protective clothing and apply a sunscreen (SPF 30+).