Latest news with #sunpoisoning
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Traveler issues stark warning after two-hour tanning session leaves her with severe sun poisoning
A woman has issued a stark warning after she spent just two hours tanning and developed severe sun poisoning that left her bed bound for days. Shannon Armer, 25, from the UK, was on a five-day all-inclusive holiday in Portugal with her family. But what should have been a relaxing and fun trip soon became an agonizing experience after a short session laying in the sun left her in severe pain. On the first day, Shannon explained that she applied SPF 30 sunscreen and spent roughly two hours lounging by the pool. But the next morning she woke up in horrific pain and noticed her legs were extremely swollen and red. Thinking it was just a bad sunburn, she bought some cooling spray from a pharmacy and tried to go on with her day. However, the pain only worsened, eventually leaving her unable to walk and bed bound for the rest of the trip. 'It was so painful,' Shannon told Need to Know recently. 'I couldn't even walk. I didn't realize how bad it was until the next day. She was on a five-day all-inclusive holiday in Portugal with her family when she got a bad sunburn on her legs 'I'd only been laying in the sun for two hours and I was wearing SPF 30. The holiday was ruined because I was bed bound. 'I was just trying to get a tan but ended up burnt instead.' Upon returning home, Shannon's burns still hadn't healed so she decided to go to the hospital, where she learned she had sun poisoning. Doctors wrapped her burns in bandages and prescribed her antibiotics. 'Even the doctors were shocked,' she continued. 'They said they'd never seen a case like it.' Shannon had to wait until she got back to the UK to go to hospital because she didn't have travel insurance. And she issued a warning to others, saying, 'I didn't have insurance so I braved it until we got back to the UK. 'People should 100 percent get travel insurance as you never know what could go wrong on holiday. 'I didn't think anything like this would happen to me which is why I didn't get it.' According to WebMD, sun poisoning is 'a severe sunburn that seems similar to an allergic reaction.' 'It's a burn that doesn't just redden or darken your skin - it makes you feel sick and intensely uncomfortable,' it added. It can cause blistering or peeling skin, severe rash, severe pain, swelling, painful, gritty eyes, lip blisters, headache, fever and chills, nausea, and dizziness. In May, another woman went viral after she shared her horrific experience with sun poisoning. Ashlei Bianchi, 23, from New York, had spent the afternoon soaking up the sun with her family near a pool in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. But by the time she came inside, she 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, Ashlei 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 she woke up on the final morning of the holiday to find one of her eyes had swollen shut. Once she reached home, Ashlei began taking steroids and by the fourth day, her face to finally return to its normal shape.
The Sun
26-06-2025
- Health
- The Sun
I fell asleep in the sun for two hours – people say I have irreversible skin damage – don't make my mistake
SUMMER has arrived, bringing with it longer days, warmer weather, and the irresistible allure of basking in the sun. But as we embrace the sunny season, it's more important than ever to prioritise protecting our skin with SPF. The sun may feel glorious, but it can cause serious damage if we're not careful. Helen Flanagan, known to her TikTok followers as @ haleigh_flanigan, recently went viral after sharing a video of her painfully sunburnt face. Just two days after posting, the clip amassed 7.7 million views. In the video, Helen candidly addresses the camera, her face an unmistakable shade of red. "Say a prayer for this sunburn," she begins. "Because I fell asleep today in the sun for two hours and the UV was at a solid 10. And at this point, I'm afraid I have sun poisoning." Wearing suncream is essential for protecting your skin from the harmful effects of the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays. While the sun offers warmth and light, its rays can cause significant damage to your skin if left unprotected. Wearing suncream is crucial for protecting your skin from the harmful effects of the sun. It prevents painful sunburn, which can damage skin cells and lead to redness, swelling, peeling, and even sun poisoning, with symptoms such as blistering, fever, and dehydration. Suncream also reduces the risk of skin cancer, including melanoma - the most dangerous form - by acting as a protective barrier against harmful UV rays. How to reverse sun-damaged skin Additionally, it slows premature ageing caused by sun exposure, helping to prevent wrinkles, fine lines, and age spots, while maintaining your skin's youthful appearance. Helen's relatable experience struck a chord with her TikTok followers, as many rushed to the comments section to share their thoughts. One wrote: 'You need to go to the hospital.' A second added: 'As a nurse, please go to the hospital.' While someone else warned: 'That is a life changing sunburn. Schedule/keep up with regular skin checks.' And another commented: 'Oh mannnnnnnn the long term effects of this ain't gonna be a good girl.' We previously revealed how a woman's dream holiday quickly turned into a nightmare after severe sunburn caused her face to swell so much that even her mum didn't recognise her. Ashlei Bianchi, 23, was enjoying a sunny getaway in the Dominican Republic when disaster struck just two days into her trip. After spending the afternoon lounging by the pool with her family in Punta Cana, she began to notice unusual swelling on her face and forehead by the evening. Although she had applied suncream, Ashlei initially brushed it off as a mild reaction to the sun. The importance of sun cream in your skincare routine Dermatologist and skincare enthusiast Andrea Suarez - known as Dr Dray - revealed why you should wear suncream. The one thing you can do that will make the biggest difference - and this matters for all ages - is protecting your skin from the sun, Andrea stressed. "The vast majority of external aging is due to exposure to ultraviolet radiation," she continued, not because you're "not using some jazzy serum or layering 90 different things on your face everyday". "If you're not doing in your 20s, get on that now." But she said the use of sun cream alone doesn't go far enough. Andrea urged that you also wear sun-protective clothing like broad-brimmed hats and long sleeves, on top of not staying out too long in the sun. Doing this over your lifetime - and all year, not just during the summer or on sunny days - "will reduce the visible signs of photoageing", Andrea said. Those are wrinkles, muddled pigmentation and sagging skin. 2 Hoping to soothe her skin, the New York native applied aloe vera gel and carried on with her holiday. However, by the end of the four-day trip, the swelling had worsened dramatically. Her face became so puffy that her own mum, Michelle Bianchi, 52, didn't recognise her during a FaceTime call.
The Sun
20-06-2025
- Health
- The Sun
I laid on the beach for just ONE hour but was brutally sunburnt & I looked like a wasp-stung dog – don't make my mistake
A WOMAN'S dream holiday turned into a horror story after one hour in the sun left her face so swollen she 'looked like a dog with a wasp sting'. Brandy Lovering was on a getaway with her boyfriend, Kyle, when the nightmare unfolded on the first day of their week-long trip. 9 9 9 What was supposed to be a relaxing break quickly spiralled into a medical emergency – with the 24-year-old's face blistering and swelling so badly she could barely open her eyes after she suffered sun poisoning. The unlucky tourist shared her ordeal to TikTok, where it has racked up a whopping 1.6m views. 'I was honestly thinking, what if I lose my eyesight or what if my face never goes back to normal?', Brandy told NeedToKnow. 'I was so embarrassed leaving the hotel room, that I told my boyfriend I would never complain about a pimple or anything minor on my face ever again. 'My boyfriend said I looked so different, it was strange, but he was really sweet and a good sport about it which I appreciated. 'My friends thought I looked insane and they thought it was hilarious. 'I also got so many comments about my face [online], mainly from people saying I looked like a dog that had been stung by a wasp and how terrifying it was. 'I've also had an insane amount of negative comments on my TikTok about my stupidity and how it made me look.' Brandy, who admits she never wears suncream, can recall her face feeling a little warm at first. But soon, redness kicked in and small blisters started forming. Met Eireann in major alert as they warn 'sunburn index' is high Brandy, who was holidaying in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, said: 'Two small blisters on my forehead progressed into large blisters. 'Then I woke up with swelling on my face, mostly on the right side by my eye. The following day, both my eyes were completely swollen. 'The third day was the worst when my eyes were swollen shut. 'I knew immediately when I woke up that it was bad. 'My whole face felt tight and stretched out like a balloon. 'The pain wasn't bad – it was just the tightness and uncomfortable feeling around my eyes. 'It didn't feel like sunburn, that's why it was more shocking. 'My family were worried and wanted me to fly home ASAP. 'I tried to ride it out, but once my eyes were swollen, we had a doctor come to the hotel room. 'He gave me some medication and cream and a shot in my bum to alleviate the swelling. 9 9 9 'I wasn't wearing sunscreen, which is honestly my fault, but I had never worn sunscreen prior to this, which is also my fault. 'I've since started wearing sunscreen every day.' The holiday-goer's recovery included several days of cold compresses, creams and rest. Brandy, who hails from Vancouver, Canada, said: 'It honestly just felt like a long game of waiting it out. 'Luckily, I had no lasting damage which I'm so grateful for. 'I was worried there would be a tonne of scarring. 'I think because I was constantly reapplying the cream, it helped with that. 'Looking back, I 100% would have worn sunscreen and a hat. 9 9 9 'I now do not start my day without applying SPF50. 'Luckily I kept in good spirits the whole trip and tried to laugh it off. 'I'm happy I'm able to spread awareness about the importance of wearing sunscreen.' The importance of sun cream in your skincare routine Dermatologist and skincare enthusiast Andrea Suarez - known as Dr Dray - revealed why you should wear suncream. The one thing you can do that will make the biggest difference - and this matters for all ages - is protecting your skin from the sun, Andrea stressed. "The vast majority of external aging is due to exposure to ultraviolet radiation," she continued, not because you're "not using some jazzy serum or layering 90 different things on your face everyday". "If you're not doing in your 20s, get on that now." But she said the use of sun cream alone doesn't go far enough. Andrea urged that you also wear sun-protective clothing like broad-brimmed hats and long sleeves, on top of not staying out too long in the sun. Doing this over your lifetime - and all year, not just during the summer or on sunny days - "will reduce the visible signs of photoageing", Andrea said. Those are wrinkles, muddled pigmentation and sagging skin.
Daily Mail
27-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
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.'
