Sunburn pain

Rate your pain on a scale of 0 to 10: 0 means no pain and 10 means the worst pain you have known or felt. Look below to find the number that rates your pain.

• 0 = No pain
• 1 to 5 = Mild pain
• 6 to 7 = Moderate pain
• 8 to 9 = Severe pain
• 10 = Worst pain possible

Most of the time sunburns are first-degree burns of the outer layer of skin. The first sign of a sunburn is the skin turning red. The red skin can hurt when touched. These sunburns are mild and can be treated at home.

Skin that is red and painful and that swells up and blisters indicates a more severe sunburn and might be a second-degree burn. Severe pain in sunburns may mean deep skin layers and nerve endings have been damaged. Evaluation by a health professional is needed.