How to treat or cure sunburn

There is no instant cure for sunburn - the skin must heal itself - but the right treatment cuts pain, speeds healing, and prevents the mistakes that make burns worse.

The treatment plan

1. Get out of the sun immediately at the first sign of burning. Every extra minute adds damage.
2. Cool the skin: cool showers or cool wet compresses, 10 to 15 minutes several times a day.
3. Moisturize on damp skin: plain fragrance-free lotion, calamine, or aloe vera gel.
4. Hydrate: extra water and fluids for the next few days.
5. Pain relief: paracetamol or ibuprofen as directed.
6. Protect absolutely: no more sun on the burned skin until fully healed - clothing and shade, not just sunscreen.

Blister care

• Never pop or peel blisters. If one breaks on its own, gently clean with mild soap and water, apply a light layer of plain moisturizer or petroleum-free ointment, and cover loosely with a clean non-stick dressing.
• Watch for infection: increasing pain, pus, spreading redness, fever.

What treatment must never include

• Butter, ghee, oils, or toothpaste on the burn
• Ice directly on skin
• Scrubbing, peeling, or exfoliating
• More sun to "even out the tan"

When to see a doctor

• Blistering over a large area
• Fever, chills, dizziness, or signs of heat illness
• Signs of infection in blisters
• Sunburn in a baby under 1 year
• Severe pain not controlled by paracetamol/ibuprofen, or no improvement in several days

The emergency: heatstroke

If sun exposure came with confusion, fainting, very hot skin, or seizures: call 112 immediately, move to shade, and cool the body while waiting.

Ayurvedic view (interpretive): Classical cooling care for sun damage matches the first steps above. The framework is interpretive and adds no faster cure; healing time is set by the skin, not the remedy.

Remember: Out of the sun, cool water, moisturizer, fluids, pain relief, and hands off the blisters - that is the complete treatment. Large blistering, fever, a burned baby, or confusion and fainting are doctor-or-ambulance territory.