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Published: March 2025
We diligently protect our skin with sunscreen yet, we often neglect one of the most vulnerable areas: our lips. Sunburned lips can be more than just a temporary annoyance; they can be incredibly painful and lead to further complications. This article will explore the reasons why our lips are so susceptible to sun damage and more importantly, explain how to care for sunburned lips when it happens.
What do sunburned lips look like?
Your lips will start to show symptoms of sunburnapproximately five hours after the sun damage has happened, but it can develop over the next few hours and days. The extent of your symptoms will depend on the extent of the sun damage. Common symptoms of a sunburned lip include:
- More redness than normal
- Swelling
- Tenderness
- Heat radiating from your lips
- Chapped or cracked lips
- Sunburn blisters on the lips if the damage is severe
Our lips are sensitive to the sun’s UV raysbecause they have thin skin and less melanin to help protect from sun damage, meaning they are more prone to burning. Moreover, our bottom lips are more vulnerable to sunburn than our top lips because the nose offers some protection for the upper lip.
What does a sunburned lip look like on dark skin?
Sunburnt lips on darker skin tones look different to those on lighter skin tones because redness can be harder to see due to melanin levels and people with darker skin tones are more likely to have multi-toned lips, meaning that lip colour is likely to vary.
Instead, darker-toned sunburned lips can look like dark spots, uneven pigmentation and discoloration, particularly in the middle of the lips.
Sunburned lip vs cold sore
While more severe cases of sunburned lips can result in blisters, these blisters look different to cold sores.
Typically, cold sore blisters tingle, itch or burn and while they can be triggered by overexposure to the sun, they can also be triggered by other factors like illness or stress. These pus-filled blisters appear in small clusters, burst and scab over while healing.
On the other hand, sunburn blisterson the lips are small and white. They are also likely to be accompanied by signs of sunburn on other sun-exposed parts of the body. Learn more here.
How do I treat sunburned lips?
There are several things you can do, both in the short term and long term, to help heal sunburned lips. First, you should reduce your sun exposure while the skin heals to prevent further damage.
Here are other steps you should take to help treat sunburned lips:
- Soothe burning and redness by applying a cold compress or aloe vera to your lips (note that if you are using aloe vera, make sure it is 100% aloe in case it is ingested).
- Reduce inflammation by taking a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), such as ibuprofen or aspirin.
- Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water as sunburn can lead to dehydration.
Moisturising cracked, sunburned lips
Apart from soothing the initial burn and reducing inflammation, it's important to support the skin while it heals. Eucerin UreaRepair Acute Lip Balmprovides the hydrating, and reparative care your lips need to soothe dryness caused by sunburn.
Sunburned lips are often inflamed and painful, and this balm contains ingredients like Licochalcone A (from licorice extract) that help to reduce redness and calm irritation. Sun exposure also severely dries out the lips, and ingredients like Panthenol and Glycerol provide intense moisturisation to restore hydration and promote healing of the damaged skin.
Although your lips may become dry and flaky while healing, you should avoid picking or peeling them as this can cause further skin damage.
Licking your lips can also delay healing as saliva can dry out the lips and worsen the sunburn.
Sunburned lips: Complications
It's easy to underestimate the potential harm of sun exposure to your lips. While immediate discomfort is common, sunburned lips can also develop into more significant complications.
Can sunburned lips cause hyperpigmentation?
Sunburn is essentially inflammation caused by UV radiation damage to the skin, and this inflammation can trigger an increase in melanin production. When the skin is injured or inflamed, as it is with a sunburn, it can sometimes overproduce melanin as it heals. This excess melanin leads to darker patches or spots on the skin, a condition known as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
When to see a doctor
Most cases of sunburn on the lips can be healed at home, however you should see a doctor if you experience the following:
- Severely swollen lips
- A swollen tongue
- A rash
These could be signs of an allergic reaction to the sun.
Sunburned lips: FAQs (5)
- How can I prevent sunburned lips?
Preventing sunburned lips is as easy as preventing sunburnon the rest of your body. A lip product with SPFis essential to help protect your lips from sun damage. Be mindful to reapply frequently as eating and drinking can remove the layer of product from your lips.
- Can you put face sunscreen on your lips?
Although using regular sunscreen on your lips isn't strictly dangerous, it's often not recommended. It may not provide adequate protection for this sensitive area, and depending on the formulation, it might be unsuitable for lips due to taste or appearance (e.g., leaving a white cast). A dedicated lip SPF product is the preferred choice for optimal coverage.
- How long do sunburned lips last?
The length of your healing process will depend on the extent of the sun damage, but cases of sunburn usually last from three to five days.
- What should I avoid when healing sunburned lips?
While lip moisturisers are essential to help accelerate healing, it’s best to avoid products with harsh ingredients and fragrances to avoid skin irritation. You should also avoid lip products containing menthol as these can sting if they come into contact with broken skin.
For safety reasons, do not use products that list "-caine" ingredients such as lidocaine or benzocaine. These can cause skin irritation, allergic reactions, and should not be ingested.
- Should I exfoliate sunburned lips?
It is best to avoid exfoliatingsunburned lips because the skin is already damaged. Although your lips may be dry or flaky, its best to keep them moisturised and let the dead skin cells fall off when they're ready.
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