Skin concerns
What should I do in the first 24 hours after a sunburn?
Get out of the sun, cool the skin, moisturize while damp, drink water and take a painkiller. Leave blisters alone. Fever, chills, confusion or blistering over a large area means medical care.
- First hourOut of the sun, cool the skin
- First dayMoisturizer on damp skin, water, a painkiller
- Warning signsFever, confusion, blisters over a large area
On this pageThe first hour: stop the dose4
Quick answer
The bottom line
The first hours decide how bad a sunburn gets. Move into shade or indoors as soon as you notice pink skin, because the burn keeps developing for 12 to 24 hours. Cool the area with a cool shower or damp cloths, pat dry and put a plain fragrance-free moisturizer on damp skin. Drink more water than usual. Take ibuprofen or paracetamol as the label directs for pain and swelling. Do not pop blisters, and keep the burn covered and out of the sun until it has healed. Fever, chills, headache, nausea, confusion, or blisters over a large area mean the burn or the heat needs medical care, especially in a child.
At a glance
Three things worth remembering
Section 01
The first hour: stop the dose
Skin looks only faintly pink while the damage is happening; the full burn shows 12 to 24 hours later. So the most useful single action is the earliest one: move into shade or indoors as soon as skin feels warm or looks pink, and cover any exposed skin if you cannot. Every extra minute in the sun adds to a burn that has not yet appeared.[2][1]
Then cool the skin. A cool, not cold, shower or bath, or clean cloths soaked in cool water and laid on the burn for several minutes, take heat out of the skin and ease the pain. Avoid ice directly on the skin.[1][2]
Section 02
The rest of the day: moisture, fluids and pain relief
After cooling, pat the skin dry and apply a plain, fragrance-free moisturizer while it is still damp; aloe gel is fine on unbroken skin if you prefer it. Drink more water than usual, because a burn pulls fluid into the skin and away from the rest of the body. Take ibuprofen or paracetamol as the label directs; ibuprofen also reduces the swelling.[1][2]
Skip petroleum jelly, butter and heavy oils on the first day, because they trap heat, and skip creams containing a numbing agent ending in “-caine”, which can irritate or cause allergy. Wear loose, soft clothing over the burn and keep it out of the sun completely until it has healed.[1]
Section 03
Blisters and peeling: leave them alone
Blisters mean a deeper burn. Do not pop them; the skin over a blister protects the wound underneath and lowers the risk of infection. If a blister breaks on its own, clean it gently with water, apply a plain moisturizer or petroleum jelly once the skin has cooled, and cover it loosely. Peeling a few days later is normal; moisturize and let it come away by itself.[1][2]
Signs of infection, such as increasing pain, spreading redness, pus or a fever, need a clinician.[2]
Section 04
When a burn, or the heat, is an emergency
Get medical help for blisters over a large area of the body, a sunburn in a baby or young child, severe pain or swelling, or a burn on the face or genitals. Separately, the same day in the sun can cause heat exhaustion or heatstroke: headache, dizziness, nausea, heavy sweating or hot dry skin, a fast pulse, confusion or a temperature of 40°C or more. Cool the person, give fluids, and call for emergency help if they are confused, have a seizure or do not improve within 30 minutes.[3][2]
Once the burn has healed, treat it as information. Each sunburn raises the lifetime risk of skin cancer, and the fix is habit: SPF 30 or higher at a full dose, shade in the middle of the day, clothing and a hat. Check moles for asymmetry, irregular borders, uneven colour, size over 6 mm or change, and have anything new or changing looked at.[4][5]
Your next step
Turn this into a practical plan
Choose the guide that best matches what you see. Each one starts with what to try, how long to wait and when to get help.