Sunburn healing time depends on the severity of the burn:
- Mild sunburns typically last about 3 to 5 days. Symptoms include skin discoloration, slight inflammation, and tenderness. Peeling may start toward the last couple of days as new skin regenerates.
- Moderate sunburns usually take around 1 week to heal. The skin may appear red, swollen, hot, and painful. Peeling can continue for a few days after the redness fades.
- Severe sunburns, also called sun poisoning, characterized by painful blistering, intense redness, fever, chills, or nausea, can take up to 2 weeks to fully recover. Blisters can last 7 to 10 days, and peeling can last up to 10 days or more for severe cases.
In general, sunburn redness and pain peak within 24 hours after exposure and start fading within about 48 hours. Healing continues with peeling as the skin sheds damaged cells. So, mild to moderate burns heal within about a week, while severe sunburns may require up to two weeks to heal completely.
