Sunburn treatment in Bang Tao
You did not feel it happening because there was a breeze and you were in and out of the water. By evening your shoulders are scarlet, radiating heat, and you cannot bear a shirt. Phuket sits close to the equator and the sun here burns fair skin in about fifteen minutes at midday. Sunburn treatment in Bang Tao matters most when there is blistering, or when the burn has come with heat illness.
First and second degree burns
First degree burns affect only the surface. The skin is red, hot and sore, and it settles over three to five days with peeling. Uncomfortable rather than dangerous.
Second degree burns go deeper and blister. These are genuine burns with a real risk of infection and scarring, and large areas cause fluid loss. Blistering sunburn across the shoulders and back should be seen rather than managed with aftersun from the hotel shop.
What to do in the first hours
Get out of the sun completely, for the rest of the day and ideally the next. Cool the skin with a cool shower or cool damp cloths for twenty minutes at a time. Never use ice or an ice pack directly on burnt skin — it causes further injury.
Drink more than you think you need, because burnt skin loses fluid. Take ibuprofen, which helps both the pain and the inflammation, provided you have no reason to avoid it. Apply plain aloe vera or a light moisturiser once cooled. Avoid anything greasy, and avoid the anaesthetic sprays sold locally, which frequently cause an allergic reaction on top of the burn.
Do not burst the blisters
Intact blisters are a sterile dressing that your body made. Opening them creates an open wound in a hot, humid, sandy environment, and infected sunburn is a genuinely miserable thing.
If a blister bursts on its own, keep it clean, leave the loose skin in place as cover, and dress it lightly — see wound dressing. Come in if the area becomes increasingly painful, red beyond the burn, or starts to discharge.
Sunburn with feeling unwell is different
Sunstroke and severe burn need medical assessment. Come in, or go to a hospital, if there is:
- Extensive blistering, especially over the back, chest or face
- Fever, chills or shivering after sun exposure
- Headache, nausea and dizziness
- Confusion or unusual drowsiness
- Fainting
- Signs of infection in a burnt area
Confusion after a day in the sun is heat stroke until proven otherwise and it is a medical emergency — see heat exhaustion. If you are dehydrated and vomiting, an IV drip settles it quickly.
Not burning again for the rest of the trip
The sun here is strongest between 10am and 4pm, and the UV index regularly reaches extreme levels. Cloud cover does not protect you, and neither does being in the water — you burn faster while swimming because water reflects light and you cannot feel the heat.
Use factor 50, apply it twenty minutes before going out, and reapply every two hours and after every swim regardless of what the bottle claims about being waterproof. A rash vest is more reliable than any cream for snorkelling, where the back of the neck and the backs of the legs burn severely. Burnt skin will burn again far more easily, so keep it covered for the rest of the holiday.
Frequently asked questions
How much does sunburn treatment cost?
A consultation with dressings for blistered areas is inexpensive. IV fluids for someone also dehydrated cost more and are quoted first.
Should I put ice on it?
No. Ice on burnt skin causes further damage. Use cool water or cool damp cloths instead.
Can a doctor come to my hotel?
Yes. A doctor hotel visit can assess a burn, dress blisters and give fluids in your room.
When will the pain stop?
First degree burns ease within two to three days and peel around day four or five. Blistered burns take one to two weeks and need to be kept clean throughout.
Can I fly with severe sunburn?
Usually yes, though it is uncomfortable. Extensive blistering with fever should be assessed before you travel, since infection and fluid loss are the concerns.
Come in, or we come to you
Take Care Medical Clinic Bang Tao is open open 24 hours, 7 days a week on Bandon Road in Cherng Talay, a few minutes from Bang Tao Beach and Laguna Phuket. Walk in without an appointment, call +66 81 718 9080, or message us on WhatsApp. If you would rather not move, ask for a doctor hotel visit and we will come to your room.