Will sunburn make you swell?

When you get a sunburn, your skin turns red and hurts. If the burn is severe, you can develop swelling and sunburn blisters. You may even feel like you have the flu — feverish, with chills, nausea, headache, and weakness.

How long does it take for sunburn swelling to go away?

How long does sunburn swelling last? Swelling may persist for up to two days or longer for severe burns. You can take anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen or use a corticosteroid cream to help reduce swelling.

Is it normal for sunburn to make you swell up?

Swelling is normal with bad sunburns. “Typically, sunburn causes the skin to become red and sensitive, but depending on the degree of the burn, it can also cause blisters and/or swelling,” skin-care expert Renee Rouleau, told us in 2012.

Does sunburn cause water retention?

Causes of fluid retention

burns – including sunburn. The skin retains fluid and swells in response to burn injuries.

How do you reduce swelling from a sunburn?

How to treat sunburn
  1. Take frequent cool baths or showers to help relieve the pain. …
  2. Use a moisturizer that contains aloe vera or soy to help soothe sunburned skin. …
  3. Consider taking aspirin or ibuprofen to help reduce any swelling, redness and discomfort.
  4. Drink extra water.

What does a really bad sunburn look like?

Sunburn is characterized by erythema (Fig. 10-1) and, if severe, by vesicles and bullae, edema, tenderness, and pain. This image shows painful, tender, bright erythema with mild edema of the upper back with sharp demarcation between the sun-exposed and sun-protected white areas.

When should I be concerned about my sunburn?

The sunburn is severe — with blisters — and covers a large portion of your body. The sunburn is accompanied by a high fever, headache, severe pain, dehydration, confusion, nausea or chills. You’ve developed a skin infection, indicated by swelling, pus or red streaks leading from the blister.

How do you get rid of a swollen forehead from sunburn?

But the following tips might reduce your pain, swelling and discomfort:
  1. Take a pain reliever. …
  2. Cool the skin. …
  3. Apply a moisturizer, lotion or gel. …
  4. Drink water to prevent dehydration.
  5. Don’t break intact blisters. …
  6. Treat peeling skin gently. …
  7. Take an anti-itch drug. …
  8. Apply a corticosteroid cream.

Do sunburns turn into tans?

Do Sunburns Turn into Tans? After you heal from a sunburn, the affected area may be more tan than usual, but tanning is just another form of skin damage caused by ultraviolet radiation.

Can sunburn make you tired for days?

Besides feeling super painful, your burn is likely exhausting you, too. That’s because sunburn itself also raises your body’s temp and causes dehydration, too. One of the big symptoms is fatigue, says Dr. Levin.

Does ice help sunburn?

Do apply cold compresses An ice pack or cool, wet towel can relieve inflammation and reduce pain, but you should avoid icing the area for periods longer than 20 minutes. You should never apply ice or ice packs directly to skin, use a towel to wrap the cold compress and avoid over-cooling the skin.


Does vinegar take the sting out of a sunburn?

Applying a vinegar solution to sunburned skin is a tried and true sunburn remedy. A natural astringent, apple cider vinegar soothes the pain and speeds up the healing process.

What do you do for a really bad sunburn?

For severe sunburn, these simple remedies usually do the trick:
  • Get out of the sun.
  • Take a cool (not cold) shower or bath or apply cool compresses.
  • Drink extra fluids for a few days.
  • Take ibuprofen or acetaminophen to relieve pain.
  • Use aloe gel or a moisturizer.
  • Completely cover sunburned areas when going outside.