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Sunburn first aid

Overview Symptoms Treatment Prevention
First Aid:
  • Try taking a cool bath or shower. Or place wet, cold wash cloths on the burn for 10 to 15 minutes, several times a day. You can mix baking soda in the water to help relieve the pain. (Small children may become easily chilled, so keep the water tepid.)
  • Apply a soothing lotion to the skin.
  • Aloe gel is a common household remedy for sunburns. Aloe contains active compounds that help stop pain and inflammation of the skin.
  • An over-the-counter pain medication, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen may be helpful. DO NOT give aspirin to children.
Do Not:
  • DO NOT apply petroleum jelly, benzocaine, lidocaine, or butter to the sunburn. They make the symptoms worse and can prevent healing.
  • DO NOT wash burned skin with harsh soap.
Call immediately for emergency medical assistance if:

Call immediately if there are signs of shock, heat exhaustion, dehydration, or other serious reaction. These signs include:

Sunburn
Sunburn
Cheilitis, actinic
Cheilitis, actinic
Sunburn
Sunburn
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