How Do You Get Rid of Sunburn Pain?
Key takeaways:
Sunburn is skin damage caused by too much time in the sun without adequate protection.
Sunburn can cause red, painful, and swollen skin. Severe sunburn can cause skin blisters, headache, fever, nausea, and fatigue.
You can relieve sunburn pain by having a cool bath or shower, using aloe vera gel or moisturizers, or taking over-the-counter pain relievers.
Spending too much time in the hot afternoon sun does more than make unprotected skin red. A sunburn can cause painful symptoms that have the potential to quickly ruin a beach vacation, long-planned trip, honeymoon, family reunion, or other special event. And repeat sunburns increase a person’s lifetime risk of skin cancer.
Sometimes, you can soothe sunburnt skin with a cool towel, by applying aloe vera, or by taking a pain reliever. But, if you have a severe sunburn and become dehydrated or develop a fever, you may need to see your provider.
Three people who live in or regularly travel to sunny climates share their tried-and-true remedies for easing the aches and pains of less severe sunburn.
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A traveler’s tips: Cool baths, moisturizers, and even an umbrella
Whenever budget traveler Beverley Goodsell packs for an adventure, she includes sunscreen products and sun-protective clothing, especially if she’s traveling to a sunny location not known for having either in abundance.
“My challenge as a traveler is that I can get sunburned very easily, especially in tropical climates,” Beverley, a 40-year-old travel blogger, says.
“I’ve experienced a bad sunburn — once from a gap year in Australia and more recently in Sri Lanka,” she explains. “The burn in Australia was bad enough that my skin blistered. But it kind of died down after a couple of weeks, by taking good care of my skin, and I didn’t need medical treatment.”
If Beverley knows she’s going to be in the sun, she applies sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or 50 to prevent the effects of sunburn. “I also make a point of reapplying sunscreen on a regular basis,” she says.
But if the sun is too strong and she ends up with a red, itchy, and sore sunburn, she relies on cool baths and a moisturizing lotion. In some cases, she uses a gel or lotion with aloe vera, a medicinal plant thought to ease burn-related pain.
“After a couple of days, the pain and discomfort begin to reduce — and so does the red skin that I experience when I’m sunburned,” Beverley says.
Beverley also recommends seeking shade under an umbrella when there’s one available. She looks for shade and wears loose-fitting, lightweight clothing, a sun hat or baseball cap, and sunglasses when she’s in sunny climates.
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Just add vinegar
To uncover the origins of Jacqui DiNardo’s secret family potion for treating sunburn, you have to travel back several generations to her Irish family’s homestead in Canada.
“My great-grandfather was from Ireland, and he immigrated to Canada, where he owned a peanut farm,” says Jacqui, a 32-year-old foreign language teacher and blogger in Pittsburgh.
“He came from a very humble background, and they didn’t have money to spend on creams or any potions when they worked outside in the summer,” she adds. “It was obviously really hot, and whenever they got sunburned, they would put vinegar on their skin. I’m not sure where he came up with the vinegar trick, but that’s as far back as the tradition goes.”
Jacqui and her husband discovered firsthand how powerful that homegrown family remedy was when they experienced severe sunburns on their honeymoon in the Dominican Republic.
“It was overcast when we got there,” Jacqui remembers. “On the first day, my husband and I got the worst sunburns either of us ever had. We didn’t want to ruin the whole trip, and that’s when I remembered the family remedy.”
“But when you’re at an all-inclusive resort, it’s not like you can leave the resort and go to the store for vinegar. So, using my broken Spanish, I went around the resort from restaurant to restaurant at 10PM, asking for vinegar,” she says. “They were asking why I was asking them for vinegar. They thought I was crazy, but it saved the day.”
Jacqui followed her grandfather’s advice and moistened a paper towel with white vinegar, making it “damp, but not dripping.” She then placed the paper towel over her burned skin, applying medium pressure for 60 to 90 seconds
“You will actually feel the paper towel become hot as it absorbs the heat from the skin,” Jacqui says. “It’s really gratifying to feel that relief of the heat going into the paper towel.”
Shaking out the paper towel for 30 to 60 seconds between applications cools it again, she says. Then, it can be used three or four more times before it’s necessary to switch to a new paper towel.
In response to the question of how it works, Jacqui confesses: “I have no idea. But everyone I tell about it is a skeptic, until they try it. Even my husband — who can’t stand the smell of vinegar — will do this trick if he gets a sunburn, because it’s so effective.”
Some natural health providers and dermatologists say the acetic acid in vinegar helps reduce the swelling, itching, and pain associated with a sunburn. One method recommended by some providers is to use a 50-50 solution of vinegar and cool water, rather than straight vinegar.
Jacqui takes the precaution of avoiding her face and open sores or blisters when placing the vinegar-soaked paper towel. The vinegar will cause a stinging sensation and can get into the eyes and nose, she says.
“My mom continued the tradition with me and my sister, and I’m passing it on to my husband and kids,” Jacqui, who is a mother of two and a firm believer in sunscreen, says of the vinegar remedy. “It’s definitely going to the next generation.”
Hydrate from the inside out
Caio Bersot is the first to admit that he doesn’t worry much about sunburns during the months that he lives and works in Edmonton, the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta.
But he also lives by the seaside part of the year, in his home city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. And when he’s in Rio, he visits the country’s famously beautiful beaches as often as possible.
“In the ‘90s, when I was a kid, my parents didn’t teach us how to use sunscreen. They didn’t think it was necessary because of our darker-toned skin,” Caio, an editor of a Canadian product review and lifestyle website, says. “Obviously, we learned over time that’s not the case, and that everyone should wear it if they’re out in the sun.”
When Caio spends too much time in the hot summer sun, he relies on a routine that eases discomfort and keeps his skin as healthy as possible as it recovers.
“The first thing I do when I get home is take a cold shower. And I avoid hot showers for a few days after a sunburn,” Caio says.
“To keep my skin healthy and hydrated, I use a great aloe vera body gel that is super fresh on the skin, relieves a bit of the burning sensation, and protects the burned skin from breaking too much,” he adds “Aloe vera is really useful for cooling off the burned area, whether I get sunburn at the beach or burn myself in the kitchen.”
Caio also avoids moisturizers with acids, like citric acid, because of possible irritation. And he pays attention to what he wears as his skin heals. He prefers light, cotton clothing and avoids items — such as long-sleeved shirts, sweaters, and pieces made of scratchy fabrics — that might irritate the skin by rubbing or creating friction.
“Drink as much water as you can while you’re at the beach or the park, and even afterward,” Caoi also advises. “If you’re sunburned, you’re probably dehydrated on the inside, which can directly affect the health of your skin.”
Caoi recommends wearing a hat, in addition to sunscreen — especially for men who are bald or shave their heads.
“When it comes to prevention, it’s not only about applying sunscreen but also reapplying throughout the day,” he adds. “If you’re sweating or if you go for a swim, you need to reapply it. If you’re staying in the sun for long hours, you will have to reapply your sunblock multiple times.”
What does the doctor say?
Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH
Medical Editor
Sunburn is your body’s response to damage from ultraviolet (UV) light. Most people get sunburned from sun exposure. But artificial lights that give off UV light can also cause sunburn. UV light can be tough on the skin and the blood vessels under the skin, and it triggers the body’s inflammatory response.
This inflammation leads to the symptoms everyone associates with sunburn: redness and pain. Sunburn shows up as early as 3 hours after UV light exposure. But the inflammatory response lasts for about 72 hours after exposure. That’s why your sunburn seems to get worse over time, even if you stay out of the sun.
Once the inflammatory response dies down, your body starts to heal. Minor sunburns usually go away within a week, and it’s normal to feel much better after 3 days. But, in the meantime, there are things you can do to stay comfortable.
All of the stories above offer great advice on how to manage sunburn symptoms. A cool cloth, aloe vera, and, yes, even vinegar can help you feel better temporarily. You can also try over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin).
Make sure to treat your sunburned skin carefully until you heal: Sun-damaged skin is fragile. Keep away from irritating fabrics, lotions, and detergents. Most importantly, keep your sunburned skin safe from UV light exposure by wearing sunscreen and keeping the area covered with clothing.
If you start to form blisters or if you have sunburn over large areas of your body, it’s best to see a healthcare provider. More serious sunburns need extra care to make sure they heal properly.
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