27-05-2025
I made a common vacation mistake in Punta Cana... it deformed my face
A New Yorker's beach vacation soon turned into a horror story after she made a simple mistake that led her to 'look like E.T'.
Ashlei Bianchi, 23, had spent a March afternoon soaking up the sun with her family near a pool in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
But by the time she came inside, the youngster realized that she had developed a slight redness on her face despite covering herself in sunscreen.
By evening, her forehead and other parts of her face had begun to swell - which she later noted were the first signs of something sinister.
However at the time, Bianchi believed that she was suffering from a mild sunburn and wiped her face with an aloe vera gel while continuing her trip.
But things quickly went downhill when Bianchi woke up on the final morning of the holiday to find one of her eyes had swollen shut.
She recalled: 'I FaceTimed my mom, and she said I didn't even look like myself, then the family I went with said I looked like E.T. My face started getting worse, and that's when the swelling on and under my eyes happened.'
In fear of what may have happened, Bianchi decided to contact a string of doctors and realized that she was suffering from sun poisoning.
Sun poisoning is a term often used to describe a severe sunburn. It does not actually result in 'poisoning' but instead causes symptoms such as severe skin rashes, blistering and peeling skin that are more severe than a typical sunburn.
Bianchi later explained that her face most likely swelled up due to excessive sun exposure while lying and walking around in areas with no shade for long periods of time - causing her to develop sun poisoning.
She said: 'My face started getting worse, and that's when the swelling on and under my eyes happened. My doctor wasn't sure if it was sun poisoning, but I work at a hospital and asked a rheumatologist.
'She said it was sun poisoning so that's what I have been telling people it is.'
Sun poisoning usually occurs from prolonged sun exposure without any or inadequate protection such as sunscreens or shade.
It remains unclear which kind of sunscreen or other protections Bianchi has used during her trip.
The poisoning can also occur with even mild sun exposure in people who are more sensitive to the sun such as Bianchi, who are fair-skinned or have a family history of conditions such as skin cancer.
Some of the common symptoms of sun poisoning include dehydration, fever, chills, headache, nausea and vomiting, However in Bianchi's case, she developed severe redness and swelling.
By the end of the four-day trip, the young New Yorker's face had become so puffy that she feared she wouldn't be able to get through customs.
She said: 'I had to go on my flight and go through customs looking not like myself, and I was scared I wasn't going to be able to get back home. I'm so thankful I made it through.
'I wore my sunglasses the whole trip home, even when it was dark out, because I was so embarrassed.'
In fear of what may have happened, Bianchi decided to contact a string of doctors and realized that she was suffering from sun poisoning
In most cases symptoms of sun poisoning can be managed at home by taking in electrolytes and applying cool compresses as well aloe vera gel over rashes and peeling skin.
In cases of pain, over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen can help.
Desperate to find relief, Bianchi even stopped at a pharmacy at the Dominican airport and bought anti-inflammatory medication.
She also reached out to her doctor, who prescribed her an oral steroid to curb the swelling - but she couldn't start treatment until she landed back in the States on March 25.
Once she reached home, Bianchi began taking steroids and by the fourth day, her face to finally return to its normal shape.
She said: 'It wasn't painful, just more uncomfortable. It hurt when I had to close my eyes all the way.
'When I went to the pharmacy, the lady working had wide eyes and went, 'Oh my.'
'Then, when I went through customs in Boston, the guy was like, 'Too much sun?' and I was like, 'Yep!'
Now fully recovered, Bianchi is sharing her story as a warning about the dangers of sun exposure – even with sunscreen.
She said: 'I would say the dangers of sun exposure are real. I'm lucky my sun poisoning affected my face and not anything else.
'I had no symptoms besides swelling. It's very important to use your sunscreen and wear hats. I think that's where I went wrong.
'I really should have had something besides sunscreen protecting my face.
'But all in all, the sun is no joke, especially in the Caribbean where it's much more potent.'
