It's summer! What was your worst sunburn?

ECBG · ‎01-08-2011

I've had about three before I totally swore off of the sun.

It was February, I was a senior in college, high in the mountains.

It got unusually hot for several days and we all got behind the dorms in the yard which had a few trees, and were out in the sun all afternoon.

Apparently, I had a sun stroke! I couldn't stand up with out passing out for three days! I ate crackers and drank water and stayed on the bed with my feet on the wall to keep from passing out again.

When I did get to my design class, we were designing clothes and I had to spray down with Solarcane so they could fit fabric to me before I had to be sprayed again!

Nonametoday · ‎03-09-2010

One July Fourth, I was skiing on the lake. I had skiied and slalomed for a long time, wondering why the driver of the boat would not take me. Clad in a bikini, I was extremely hot. The temperature was near 100 dg and very humid.

Later, I learned the reason was there was a nest of moccasin snakes at our landing that he had seen when he started to bring me but he kept circling the lake in hopes they would be moved out by a boat or some other activity.

After circling the lake many, many times, going out on the river, and on return the boat ran out of gas. I did not have a shirt with me. It was high noon. He pulled me in to where I could get in the boat.

We were rescued around 5 p.m. I was very, very sick by dark. I was having chills, vomiting, throbbing headache and could hardly walk. The next day, my skin peeled off on the sheets when I tried getting out of bed. I tried going to work but with no air conditoning in my VW (years ago), I had to stop and seek help as I felt I was about to pass out. When I reached the hospital, where I stayed a couple days, I was very ill. I have avoided long stretches of sunbathing or skiing ever since.

Moonchilde · ‎05-23-2010

My very worst?

I have pretty pale skin and burn at the drop of a hat. Back in the day when *no one* used sunscreen and it pretty much didn't exist, I had a couple of *very* painful sunburns with chills, nausea, blisters, etc. But the biggie -

I went to the beach all day with friends on the 4th of July. I wore shorts, and sometimes a t-shirt, and when I didn't I was covered in reapplied sunblock, 75 SPF. But - I didn't think much about using the sunblock on my ankles/tops of my feet.

The next morning I woke in excruciating pain and ankles like an elephant's. Drove myself to the ER, where my feet & ankles were packed in ice for 3 hrs and I was told I had sun poisoning. Blisters galore, 2nd degree burns. I was given a Rx for a very strong diuretic, and overnight lost 12 lbs - but my ankles approached normal thickness again. When I started to heal, if I scratched, however gently, my hand would be wet from weeping blisters. When I peeled it was in sheets of skin.

Life without Mexican food is no life at all

jaxs mom · ‎04-18-2012

That's easy, the US Festival 1983. ugh outdoors all day in the sun with my pale skin. It was horrible. Stupid teenager that I was.

Don't Change Your Authenticity for Approval

Brooklynny · ‎07-08-2010

I remember very well the three bad heat waves in NYC between July 17-29, 1964. When my father got his two weeks' vacation in the summer, we would immediately take the subway for the 20-minute ride to Coney Island beach. During one of those heat waves, we were on the beach sheltered by two rented beach umbrellas and lots of Coppertone, and I got a really bad sunburn on my back while I sunbathed to let my swimsuit dry. I remember coming home, taking a cool shower in much pain, and my mother applying cold Noxzema to my back. I had to sleep on my stomach for two nights the pain was so bad. I was 11 at the time, and I never did that again. Even though I visit Cape May every August, I spend very little time sunning on that beautiful beach.

beach-mom · ‎03-09-2010

I was in college. My mother, my brother, and I took a mini-vacation to a small resort. We just wanted to relax for a few days. My brother would have been in jr. high school, so he liked the great food that was offered!

We were all swimmers and lifeguards. They had an indoor and outdoor pool. Since it was a nice day, I grabbed my book and headed to the outdoor pool. I didn't know anyone, and I didn't have to watch anyone, so I just read and swam laps when I got too hot. I thought I had plenty of sunscreen - or suntan lotion - on, but I forgot to reapply when I came out of the water. After a day of this, that night at dinner I noticed I looked like a lobster!

Trying to sleep that night was awful. It was hot, and the air conditioner was running full force. I was sticky from aloe vera gel. And I was freezing - all night.

I knew better, and unfortunately, that wasn't the last of my sun worshipping, hope I can get just a little bit tan, days! But I don't remember having another sunburn that bad, and eventually I wised up to the fact that the sun may "feel" good on your body, but it is definitely NOT good for you!

SeaMaiden · ‎03-10-2010

I remember having several bad burns as a child on family vacations to Las Vegas....adults gambled while we the children spent the day at the pool. I was brown as a berry in the summer....lots of sun. I regret that now.....so far no issues with sun damage thank goodness.

HappyDaze · ‎06-13-2012

I have always shunned being in the sun without hats, sunscreen, glasses, etc. But one time when I was in Italy as a teenager, me, my sister and a friend were all laying on the beach. I was under an umbrella but I fell asleep. Well, while I was asleep, the sun moved positions and I was full on in the sun and got burned. I had sunscreen on but I was in the sun for quite awhile so I think it wore off (plus was sweating) That was the one and only time I got a sunburn. I don't even get tanned.

Even one severe sunburn can set you up for skin cancer later in life!

DiAnne · ‎09-22-2010

I have had too many to count! I was born in Pasadena but spent most of my youth on the sands at Newport Beach. I used to spend all day there. I often went to school smelling like a salad because my mother would put rags soaked in vinegar on me to take out the sting (I don't think that worked). My last really bad sunburn was in Las Vegas. I fell asleep on my stomach by the pool.

Hooty · ‎03-09-2010

In the 70's at Ft. Walton Beach, FL, I fell asleep on the beach and my boyfriend didn't come and wake me up!!! It was awful, I hurt so bad and had to ride 3 hrs. back home in a sports car with no AC!!! I think I actually had sun poisioning but didn't go to the Dr., actually hurt to wear clothes!