How to Sooth a Sunburn, Prevention, August 2025, 13-15.
The best protection against sunburn and increasing your skin cancer risk is sunscreen. However even with sunscreen, if misapplied you may burn. These steps may help smooth a burn:
1. Take a burn seriously and treat with care. Avoid popping blisters and picking at skin. Aloe vera, moisturizer or petroleum jelly may increase healing.
2. Heed red flags. If you have a severe burn and other issues pop up you may need medical attention. These include: fever, nausea and headache and may be signs of a heat related illness such as heat stroke. Heat stroke requires medical attention.
3. Try ibuprofen. This anti-inflammatory may help reduce pain so you heal more comfortably.
4. Take a chilly bath or shower. This will cool down your body rapidly. Don't forget moisturizer after to rehydrate dry skin.
5. Apply an ice pack. You can pop a cool damp wash clothe in the freezer for a few minutes to make one. Also a topical anti-inflammatory such as hydrocortisone may be helpful.
6. Check your medicine cabinet. If you are using sun screen and you are still burning there may be another cause. Certain medicines may increase risk. These include mental health medications, antihistamines, antibiotics, blood pressure medicines and others. If you take these medicines you may need to avoid the sun if possible.
