@samanthaschneidermd Sunburn 101: It’s your skin saying ‘too much UV!’ ☀️😖 If you get one, cool down with aloe, apply cool compresses, use a gentle moisturizer, and drink plenty of water. If blisters pop up, don’t pick them—let your skin heal naturally! Avoid the sun and up your sun protection game going forward! 🧢🧴🕶️🏖️ Tell me your sunburn horror stories below 👇 #SunburnRelief #SPFIsKey #GentleMoisturizer #CoolCompresses #NoPicking #DermLife ♬ original sound - Samantha Schneider, MD

We’ve all been there: you wore sunscreen, maybe even reapplied once, but somehow ended up with a painful, red sunburn by the end of the day. If it happens to you (especially on vacation), don’t panic. Here’s what you need to know about what a sunburn really is—and how to treat it.

What Actually Happens When You Get a Sunburn?

A sunburn isn’t just redness or discomfort—it’s a sign of real damage to your skin.
When your skin is exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, the UV rays damage your skin cells, and in some cases, those cells even die. In response, your skin becomes red, inflamed, itchy, and sore. This inflammation is your body’s way of responding to the injury.

What Can You Do to Treat a Sunburn?

If you’ve gotten sunburned despite your best efforts, here are my top dermatologist-approved steps for soothing your skin and supporting healing:

1. Cool It Down

• Use cool compresses or cool towels on the affected area.

• Take a cool (not cold) shower to help relieve discomfort and reduce inflammation.

2. Hydrate Inside and Out

• Drink plenty of water—sunburn draws fluid to the skin and can dehydrate you.

• Apply a fragrance-free, gentle moisturizer or pure aloe vera to soothe the skin.

3. Don’t Pick or Pop

• If blisters appear, do not pop them.
  Blisters actually act like a natural dressing, protecting the new, healing skin underneath. Let them resolve on their own.

4. Recommit to Sun Protection

• A sunburn means it’s time to level up your sun safety game.
  Reapply sunscreen every two hours, seek shade, wear protective clothing, and don’t forget SPF on areas like your ears, scalp, and the tops of your feet.

Share the Knowledge

Know someone who always ends up crispy on vacation? Send this post their way!
Sunburns aren’t just uncomfortable—they increase your risk of skin cancer and premature aging. Taking care of your skin now can make a big difference later.

Stay safe, stay protected, and enjoy the sun responsibly!

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Want the transcript for this video instead?  

 Have you gotten a sunburn on vacation before? Let's talk about what a sunburn is and what you can do. If despite all of your best efforts at sun protection, you end up with a sunburn. I'm Dr. Schneider. I'm a board certified dermatologist. Let's talk sunburn. So what happens when you get a sunburn is the ultraviolet radiation affects your skin.

The cells get damaged, sometimes they even die, and then the skin in response turns red. It can get itchy and it can even hurt. Um, and that's mostly due to inflammation in response to the injury. So what can you do if you get a sunburn? How can you feel better? Well, the first thing that you can do is to use cool compresses or cool towels.

Take a cold shower that will help soothe the area. The key while your skin is healing is hydration, both by mouth, so drinking a lot of water and by moisturizing the skin. So using something like a fragrance-free, gentle moisturizer or aloe vera can help soothe the area. If you do end up with blisters, don't pop them.

Leave them alone. Let the blisters resolve themselves. They almost act like we call 'em biologic dressing. So once the blister pops and that dead skin is covering the baby skin underneath it is actually protective. So don't pick it off, let it be. And then certainly if you've gotten a sunburn, you need to up your sun protection game.

Send this to a friend who has questions about what to do when they get a sunburn.