From the Guidelines
For severe sunburn, immediately take cool baths or showers to reduce heat, then gently pat skin dry and apply moisturizer containing aloe vera to affected areas, as this approach helps manage symptoms and promote healing. The treatment of severe sunburn involves a combination of self-care measures and medical interventions.
- Take over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen (400-600mg every 6-8 hours) or naproxen (220mg every 8-12 hours) to reduce pain and inflammation.
- Hydrocortisone cream (1%) can be applied 2-3 times daily to decrease inflammation.
- Drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration.
- For blisters, don't pop them but cover with sterile gauze if they break.
- Wear loose, soft clothing to avoid irritation. While preventive strategies such as reducing sun exposure, avoiding sunlamps and tanning equipment, and practicing skin self-examination are recommended 1, the primary focus for severe sunburn should be on symptom management and wound care. If the sunburn covers a large area, includes severe blistering, or is accompanied by fever, chills, confusion, or signs of infection, seek medical attention immediately, as severe cases may require prescription-strength corticosteroids or specialized wound care. Sunburn damages skin cells through UV radiation, causing inflammation and fluid loss, which explains the pain, redness, and potential blistering, and proper treatment helps manage these symptoms while the skin heals.
From the Research
Treatment Options for Severe Sunburn
- The current evidence suggests that systemic and topical corticosteroids have little or no clinically important effect on the sunburn reaction 2.
- Topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may result in an early and mild reduction of ultraviolet B-induced erythema, but their effectiveness is limited 2.
- A study on topical corticosteroids found that treatment with moderate-potency or high-potency corticosteroids does not provide a clinically useful decrease in the acute sunburn reaction when applied 6 or 23 hours after UV exposure 3.
- However, another study found that combining oral NSAIDs with topical corticosteroids may have a synergistic effect in reducing UVB-induced erythema and skin blood flow 4.
Symptomatic Treatment
- Due to the lack of demonstrated clinical efficacy of various medicines in eliminating sunburn or decreasing healing time, conservative local symptomatic treatment with adequate pain control is currently suggested until the sunburn naturally resolves 2, 5.
- Symptomatic treatment may include measures to alleviate erythema, pain, and pruritus 5.
Alternative Treatments
- Aloe vera cream has been studied for its potential in preventing and treating sunburn, but one study found that it has no sunburn or suntan protection and no efficacy in sunburn treatment compared to placebo 6.