Sunbed Shock

Sunbeds are illegal in Australia. Very good reason -melanoma.

Eat loads of tomatoes. Put aloe vera and/or olive oil all over your skin. Drink plenty of fluids - if you have hydrating salts add them to your water. Keep warm - and dock and bay towel may be good if you have one. It keeps off the chill without overheating you.

Call 111. You have 2nd degree burns.

Good luck.

The shop should be reported tbh but you've enough on without doing that right now.

Burns are measured through skin loss, not redness. No one can say you’ve got
‘second degree burns’, that terminology isn’t even used in the UK. It’s all about the skin loss to assess depth and size. Either way, please go back.

Im Australian, we do tomatoes too. I remember mum doing it when my sister fell into hot bath. All over burns.

Being a debate lord who wants to minimise the negative effects of subbed is certainly an interesting choice.

Reading previous posts - OP - NO CREAMS!!! too heavy and Fragrances/too many ingredients will irritate. Skin needs to breathe and be clean/ hydrated, you need a GEL.

This. Apply every few hours. Will cool and soothe the skin. You've damaged your skin very badly and need to ensure it heals properly.

Cool baths/showers and a plain moisturiser like aqueous cream can help soothe your skin.

Aqueous should only be used as a soap, not a moisturiser.

Pls don’t go on them. You’ll regret it when you’re older. Hope you feel better soon. Put it down to a lesson in in life. I went on them as a teenager/early 20s and have had skin cancer. They shouldn’t be allowed.

@SansaStark90 PURE ALOE VERA GEL.
you can get it from boots/superdrug etc. this will help massively - creams will be full of fragrances etc. AG best thing you can use, avoid it on broken skin. it is antibacterial as well as cooling & hydrating.

electrolytes for rehydration too x

Has nobody suggested you take some diaralyte for rehydration. I'd have thought that would be helpful, along with the codeine for the pain and possibly a cool fan. Probably 48 hours resting in/on the bed.

Are you actually blistering or is it peeling bubbles.

It sounds most unpleasant and I can only imagine the discomfort having only burnt my shoulders or back previously.

You shoukd have had better medical care but I also think this is an example of when the NHS should levy a charge.

I am half Jewish (Ashkenazi mainly). Brown eyed but brown rather than dark hair and fair skinned. But I go very brown, very easily.

Sounds painful. I’ve had sunstroke before and what they suggest is to have a luke warm shower and then stand in the shower and let the water drip off you so you’re pretty much dry. I’m sure it’s supposed to lower the body temp. X

And please don't feel you can't go back to A&E if you think you need to. Doctors are not infallible.

I hope the pain eases up soon OP, this all sounds horrendous.

I did shudder at the tomato suggestion- tomato juice is acidic fgs.

Except that no-one knows how many of those 204 (or any of the people that get it but don't die) have actually used sunbeds. It is only one of many factors, including genetics with the biggest risk factor being exposure to the sun (whether you get burned or not), which people can't avoid any more than they can avoid roads making the comparison to RTAs perfectly valid! Not to mention most people who use sunbeds also tend to sunbathe a lot which also increases risk factors.

I know four people who've had melanomas- none of them ever used sunbeds!

The fact that UV light is categorised as a class 1 carcinogen by WHO is irrelavant to the risk levels. There are over 120 things on that list including tap water (because of natural arsenic levels and the risk of long term injestion), red and processed meats, the contraceptive pill and diesel engine fumes.

Yes - sunbeds are a choice (not one I would do by the way - I only have to be in the sun for 10 minutes without factor 50 on and I burn!) but it is a risk people can choose to take, in the same way they can choose to drink alcohol, smoke, take the pill and eat bacon knowing that all of those things could 'potentially' increase their chance of developing cancer.

I fully agree with being clear about risks and making sure people have the right information to make informed choices. But that means being clear about just how significant or not those risks are and not using hyperbole and over inflated statistics without context to spread fear.

You came on a thread where someone, who said they had health anxiety, was in pain and seeking advice, stated made up numbers and over dramatised the risk of metastasis.

Obesity and being overweight are also classed as a preventable cause of cancer and come with double the risk of cancer that UV radiation does - but I doubt you go posting on the weightloss board in the same way.

I find it very hard to believe that anyone would keep posting for advice on a serious medical condition on Mumsnet for over 24 hours!! This makes absolutely no sense!!!!!

I’m Also like this, so pale I look dead in winter, but I tan really easily and well and have never had sunburn even when I was a stupid kid slathering myself in baby oil. I always put it down to having a mother who is super pale and ginger-ish and a father who has super tanned skin.
it’s possible to be pale and olive toned.

I hope you’re ok OP. That sounds awful.

@SansaStark90

I had a quick look through your previous posts and notice that you have had a recent course of antibiotics.
Have you mentioned this to 111/A&E at all? Some antibiotics can cause increased photosensitivity. Many have warnings to avoid sun exposure. I am not sure exactly what the connection is, but it might also be applicable to sunbeds, so could be worth mentioning in case it changes their advice.

I'm very glad you went to A and E and am sorry the doctor wasn't great. Glad you're returning. You've been in my thoughts
. Please update when you can.

There is very little that can be done, it’ll take time for your skin to recover. Regular painkillers and stay hydrated. Only areas that actually blister or have skin loss need covering with dressings. Cool baths/showers and a plain moisturiser like aqueous cream can help soothe your skin.

Are they now an awful lot more powerful than they were in the 1980s? I’m sure I did 15 minutes and barely got a colour at all. I’m fair-skinned and never tan. I was 17 at the time and thought having a tan was everything.

I've read all of your posts, and I imagine the pain must be enormous. I don't know how you're typing so eloquently, well done! I really hope you get some relief soon, I can just imagine the pain from having had a few sunburns in my time (milky white Irish too), but never as bad as what it sounds like you have.

Anyway, I just wanted to say that the juxtaposition of your mum's heritage with a dad from Kildare was funny. You're doing brilliantly to have your sense of humour intact at the minute. When you can, please keep us updated, just for those of us who are concerned for you 😔

Can you go to a hospital that has a burns unit eg Salisbury?

OP I'm a bit worried about you. I hope you get heard at a+e this time. Do come back and tell us when things get better, and take care.