With summer now in full swing sunburns are, unfortunately, an all too common occurrence. More than 30 percent of adults and 70 percent of children and adolescents report at least one sunburn during the course of a year. The best approach for sunburn is prevention through sun avoidance or diligent use and reapplication of a sunscreen. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, we end up lobster red after a sunny day.

Sunburn is a self-limiting condition that usually resolves in a few days. There is nothing you can do to reverse the skin damage or speed up the healing time but there are some things you can do, and things you shouldn’t do, to reduce pain and further damage.

Do get out of the sun as soon as possible if you think you are starting to get burned.

Don’t just apply sunscreen over burned areas in an attempt to stay outside longer.

Don’t think that a “base tan” is healthy and that it will protect you from getting sunburned. Tanned skin provides an SPF of less than four. Any change in skin color is a sign of damage and increases your risk of premature skin aging and skin cancer.

Don’t underestimate the relief you can get from an over the counter anti-inflammatory medication such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve). These medications are especially helpful if you take them as soon as you notice pain, don’t wait until the pain gets really bad.

Do be aware that NSAIDs such as ibuprofen or naproxen will make your skin more sensitive to the sun while you are taking them so take appropriate precautions to avoid getting burned again.

Do use cool water to soothe sunburned skin. A cool bath, shower, or compress (a towel soaked in cool water) can give you some relief. If your shower water pressure is high it is best to opt for a bath or cool compress to avoid pressure on your burn.

Do drink plenty of water. Sun exposure and heat can cause fluid loss through your skin.

Do feel free to use aloe on intact sunburned skin. Keep commercially-prepared aloe lotion or gel in the refrigerator to make it extra soothing. You can also apply aloe gel directly from the plant. I keep an aloe plant on hand for such occasions and have found that it makes a great houseplant and is surprisingly easy to keep alive.

Don’t use petroleum jelly, butter, egg whites, or other home remedies on your sunburn.

Don’t be tempted to pop a blister if one develops. Popping a blister will increase you risk of infection. If a blister does rupture on its own then apply a bit of antibacterial ointment and keep it clean and covered with a bandage. Don’t remove the top layer of skin, it helps protect the tender underlying skin and will eventually come off on its own. If left alone blisters will generally heal without scarring in 7-10 days.

Do treat peeling skin gently. Keep the peeling area moisturized and don’t try to speed up the peeling with harsh exfoliants or scrubbing with a loofah.

Do come into the office if your sunburn is severe, blistering, and covers a large part of your body; if you have developed a skin infection from scratching sunburned skin, or you have a severe sunburn that does not begin to improve within a few days.

If you have a severe sunburn and also have fever, headache, confusion, nausea, vomiting, blurry vision, or fainting you may also have heat exhaustion or heat stroke. If you have any of these problems, you should go to the emergency department immediately.