How to prevent sun blisters on lips

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All parts of the body are susceptible to sunburn, but some more than others—whether it's because the sun hits the body area directly or because you didn't apply sunscreen. Your lips are a particularly vulnerable spot. Preventing sunburned lips should be a priority, not only so you avoid painful redness and swelling but because sunburned lips can raise your risk of skin cancer.

What Do Sunburned Lips Look and Feel Like?

If your lips get sunburned, they'll become swollen and redder than usual. They might also feel tender to the touch, and sometimes blisters will form, similar to the way blisters can form on sunburned skin on other body areas. Everybody reacts to sunburn differently, but sunburned lips symptoms typically last around three to five days—although it could be up to 10 days in severe cases.

Health Risks Including Lip Cancer

Besides causing painful swelling and blisters, sunburned lips can also increase your risk of lip cancer. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, the most common type of skin cancer is basal cell carcinoma, which can appear on the upper lip—particularly the outer part next to the lip rather than the lip itself. However, the majority of lip cancers appear on the lower lip, and they tend to be squamous cell carcinomas—another type of skin cancer that has a greater chance of spreading than other types. The leading risk factor for lip cancer is ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.

How Do Lips Get Sunburned?

If you don't protect your lips with SPF products, they have a greater likelihood of getting sunburned. "Many people lick their lips, so they lick the sunscreen off," New York City dermatologist Debra Jaliman, MD, tells Health. "And some people don't apply sunscreen because they have lipstick or lip gloss on and don't want to remove it. But harmful UV rays will penetrate the product if it doesn't contain sun protection, so a lip balm with SPF should be an essential part of your routine."

Besides protecting them with SPF, the easiest way to prevent sunburned lips is to keep your lips out of the sun, Connecticut-based dermatologist Rhonda Q. Klein, MD, tells Health. After a lip sunburn, precancerous inflammation called actinic cheilitis (AC) can develop, and that could lead to squamous cell cancer. In the early stages, AC might just look and feel like very chapped lips. But if you notice something on your lip that feels scaly, looks like a burn, or turns white, bring it to a dermatologist's attention.

How To Help Sunburned Lips

After a lip sunburn, take an anti-inflammatory pain reliever like ibuprofen to help ease tenderness and swelling. Dr. Jaliman also advises using a cold compress. "It reduces the inflammation and pain," she says. Simply rinse a soft washcloth in cold water or dip it in ice water, then hold it against your lips.

To speed healing, Dr. Jaliman loves Aquaphor Healing Ointment. The panthenol helps to retain moisture, she says, while the glycerin serves as a protective layer to prevent moisture loss. She also suggests L'Occitane Shea Butter Lip Balm Stick. "It's extremely moisturizing due to its natural vitamins and fatty acids," she says. "It also contains cinnamic acid, an organic compound known for its antioxidant and conditioning properties, making it great for lips that are irritated."

Dr. Klein's recommends Dr. Dan's Cortibalm for its soothing properties, and Vanicream Lip Protectant, which both hydrates and protects from further damage. Drinking water is another important part of the healing process. "Staying hydrated will help heal the sunburn," says Dr. Jaliman.

Finally—and crucially—avoid the sun until your lips have healed. Next time you go outside, remember to apply SPF for your lips and consider wearing a wide-brimmed hat, just to be on the safe side.

Sunlight is a proven trigger of cold sores. 1 But that doesn’t mean you have to spend your summer hiding inside. Using sunscreen and a lip balm that provide broad-spectrum sun protection with a minimum SPF of 30 can help protect you from cold sores. 2 Learn more about sun and cold sores below.

Find Your Spot in the Shade

Whether you’re running at the beach, hiking in the mountains or simply walking to the corner store, sun is an element we’re exposed to on a regular basis. Regardless of whether you live in a sunny location like L.A., or a cloudy location like Seattle, it’s important to protect your skin. Sun damage is possible on windy, cloudy and cool days.3 You may not be able to see the sun, but it’s still there.

Many of us love the sun, but it also has its risks when it comes to skin and lip health—including triggering cold sores. Read on to find out how to prevent and treat cold sores from the sun.

What Is a Cold Sore?

First things first, what exactly is a cold sore? Cold sores are small blisters around the mouth area.4 Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus (usually herpes simplex virus 1).5 The herpes simplex virus can lie dormant for years, so even if your cold sore outbreak clears up, you can still experience another outbreak in the future.6

Some people who have the herpes simplex virus don’t show any symptoms.7 If you do have any symptoms, they might include the following:8

• Tingling of the lips (usually felt before cold sores appear)
• Small blisters around the mouth area that may enlarge or burst
• Itching, dryness, soreness and irritation around the lips and mouth

Cold sore symptoms can vary from person to person. If you believe you’re experiencing an outbreak, consult your doctor for a diagnosis.

Can the Sun Cause Cold Sores?

Our answer: yes and no. Remember, the leading cause of cold sore outbreaks is herpes simplex virus 1. This virus is fairly common. In fact, according to the World Health Organization, more than two-thirds of the population under 50 have the herpes simplex virus.9 The sun cannot cause a cold sore on its own. However, if you do carry the virus, the sun can trigger a cold sore outbreak.10

Why Does the Sun Cause Cold Sores?

Sun and cold sores: what’s the link? Many people are familiar with the risks of UV exposure, such as sunburn. These UV rays responsible for sunburn are the same ones responsible for cold sores. UVR plays a role in recurrent cold sore outbreaks.11 Luckily, you don’t need to swear off fun in the sun for good. Just be sure to protect your lips to mitigate your risk of an outbreak.

How to Protect Your Lips from the Sun

SPF is your best ally when it comes to protecting your lips from the sun. Wear a lip balm with a SPF of 30 or higher to help prevent cold sores from the sun. Keep in mind that sunscreen’s effectiveness can be affected by wind, water, humidity, and altitude. Plus, you can sweat or lick your lip balm off without realizing it, so reapply it often.

Remember, cloudy days are not your ally in the battle against cold sores, because those are the times when you may forget to wear your lip balm and sunscreen. UV rays can penetrate clouds and even thick fog. In order to keep your skin and lips healthy, practice sun-safe habits each day, regardless of how many clouds there are.

Cold Sore Treatment

If you do experience a cold sore outbreak from the sun, consider Abreva. Abreva® can heal a cold sore in as few as 2½ days when used at the first sign.* Nothing heals a cold sore faster.**

Summer brings along vacations, as well as parties and late nights, which are great until you feel that dreaded cold sore tingle. Fight back by limiting your late nights to when you know you can sleep late the next morning—and carry a tube of Abreva Cream in your cosmetic bag, just in case.

*Median healing time 4.1 days. 25 percent of users healed within 2½ days.

**Among OTC cold sore treatments, Abreva contains the only OTC ingredient approved by the FDA to shorten healing time and duration of symptoms.

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