What it is
Sunburn is skin damage from ultraviolet light, and babies and young children burn faster than adults. Most sunburns are superficial and heal within a week. Blistering burns, or a sunburn in a baby, need more care, and repeated burns in childhood raise the risk of skin cancer later, which is why prevention matters.
What you might notice
- Red, warm, painful skin appearing a few hours after exposure and peaking at 24 to 36 hours
- Swelling
- Blisters, which mean a deeper burn
- Chills, headache or tiredness with a larger burn
What we can do on video
- Assess how deep and how widespread the burn is, and check for heat illness
- Set up a pain plan and topical care
- Decide whether blisters need in-person care
- Prescribe for severe inflammation when it's appropriate
Caring for them at home
- Cool baths or compresses
- Aloe or a plain moisturizer; no petroleum on a fresh burn and no numbing sprays
- Ibuprofen or acetaminophen dosed by weight
- Extra fluids and loose clothing; stay out of the sun until healed
- Leave blisters intact
Be seen in person if…
- Blisters over a large area, or on the face, hands or genitals
- A baby under one year with a sunburn
- Fever, chills or vomiting
- Confusion, dizziness or fainting, which point to heat illness
- Severe pain, or signs of infection
- Eye pain or vision changes
This information is educational and doesn't replace an evaluation by a clinician. Hugs is not insurance. Treatment is at the discretion of the clinician and limited to what can be safely assessed over video. Reviewed by the clinicians of LPMD Medical Group. Updated 2026-09-17.