What are the suggestions for sunburn care?

From the Guidelines

For sunburn care, it is essential to get out of the sun immediately and cool the skin with a cool bath or shower for 10-15 minutes, as this reduces inflammation and supports skin healing 1. To manage sunburn effectively, consider the following steps:

• Cool the skin with a cool bath or shower for 10-15 minutes to reduce inflammation, as suggested by the 2024 American Heart Association and American Red Cross guidelines for first aid 1.
• Apply aloe vera gel or moisturizer containing aloe several times daily to soothe the skin, which may be reasonable for small partial-thickness burns being managed at home 1.
• Take over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen (400-600mg every 6 hours) or acetaminophen (500-1000mg every 6 hours) to reduce pain and inflammation, as it is reasonable to give these medications for pain from thermal burns 1.
• Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water, as sunburns can cause fluid loss.
• Avoid further sun exposure until healed and wear loose, soft clothing to prevent irritation.
• Don't pop any blisters that form, as this increases infection risk.
• If you experience severe blistering, facial swelling, fever, chills, or dizziness, seek medical attention. After cooling, it may be reasonable to loosely cover a burn that has intact skin or an intact blister with a clean cloth or nonadherent dry dressing, while awaiting evaluation by a health care professional 1. Covering a partial- or full-thickness burn with a nonadherent bandage or clean cloth protects the wound and reduces pain while avoiding heat entrapment until the burn can be assessed by a health care professional 1.

From the Research

Sunburn Care Suggestions

• The current evidence suggests that conservative local symptomatic treatment with adequate pain control is the most effective approach to managing sunburn, as there is no consensus on a specific algorithm for treatment 2, 3.
• Topical corticosteroids have been shown to have little or no clinically important effect on the sunburn reaction, with some studies indicating no significant difference in response between steroid-treated areas and inert-base-treated areas 4, 5.
• Systemic and topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may result in an early and mild reduction of ultraviolet B-induced erythema, but their effectiveness in eliminating sunburn or decreasing healing time is limited 2.
• Aloe vera cream has been found to have no sunburn or suntan protection and no efficacy in sunburn treatment when compared to placebo 6.
• The most effective approach to acute sunburn is symptomatic treatment of UV light-induced symptoms, including erythema, pain, and pruritus, rather than relying on pharmacologic agents 2, 3.

Treatment Options

• Symptomatic treatment with pain control and local care is recommended, as it is the most practical approach to managing sunburn 2, 3.
• Topical corticosteroids may be applied before UV-B exposure, but their effectiveness in reducing sunburn is limited and may not be clinically relevant 5.
• Other treatments, such as antioxidants, antihistamines, and emollients, have been found to be ineffective or have shown only mild improvement in sunburn symptoms, with flawed study designs or methods 3.