Sunburn can begin after just 15 to 20 minutes of being in the sun. However, you might not notice signs of sunburn (like redness and skin discomfort) for a few hours.

Sunburn may not seem like a big deal, but repeated burns can lead to skin cancer.

Possible signs of mild sunburn are:

• skin redness and warmth
• pain
• itchiness

Possible signs of a more serious sunburn are:

• skin redness and blistering
• swelling
• headache
• nausea
• chills

What to Do

If a child has sunburn:

• Take the child out of the sun right away.
• Apply cool compresses to the reddened areas as often as needed.
• Apply a cream that has aloe vera in it to soothe the child's skin.
• Ask the parents if you can give the child ibuprofen for pain.
• Call the parents right away if you think a child has a serious sunburn.

To help prevent sunburn:

• Don't let kids play in the sun between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., especially without the use of sunscreen.
• Use hats, sunglasses, and other protective gear on kids.
• Apply sunscreen that blocks both UVB and UVA rays and has a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30.
• Apply sunscreen on dry skin about 15 or 30 minutes before the child will be playing outside in the sun.
• Re-apply sunscreen every 2 hours while kids are in the sun or right after they've been swimming or sweating.

Reviewed by: Kate M. Cronan, MD
Date reviewed: May 2013