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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Help got a situation in Tenerife!

158 replies

Allyg1185 · 01/04/2018 08:53

This isn't aibu but I'm needing help and know I will get a high response here.

Basically we are in Tenerife ( costa adeje ) for a week. Myself, dh and ds ( 6 )

Now I know I'm probably going to get flamed here but my ds has got a bit of sunburn along his shoulders and is feeling miserable, cold and shivery. I feel awful. I did the usual things, factor 50 on at all times and reapplied regularly, hat on even in the pool, had a tshirt on in the pool for most of the time, loads to drink etc. We have been to Turkey in double this heat and he was fine with the same measures.

Basically what I'm asking is if anyone knows this area and can recommend stuff to do in the relative shade and not involving water. We have already been to Jungle Park which would have been ideal today.

I don't need judged just helpful advice please.

OP posts:
HuskyMcClusky · 03/04/2018 10:29

How did he get burnt with all that protection!? No judging at all, just want to avoid for my DS this summer!!

You can get burnt through almost any amount of sun protection if you’re out at midday in certain parts of the world.

Not having a go at the OP at all, because it’s so easy to do, but you really have to stay indoors between 11 and 2 when it’s really hot.

Dungeondragon15 · 03/04/2018 10:31

You can get burnt through almost any amount of sun protection if you’re out at midday in certain parts of the world.

Well yes but OP isn't near the equator or anywhere that hot. I think it is only about 22 degrees in Tenerife so if factor 50 is regularly applied and water resistant there should be little chance of sunburn.

HuskyMcClusky · 03/04/2018 10:35

Oh yes, sorry - faur point! It does seem odd.

HuskyMcClusky · 03/04/2018 10:36

*fair

Fuck, this website makes me look semi-literate!

AhhhhThatsBass · 03/04/2018 11:42

Another one whose DC have just burnt through Factor 50 Nivea. I was applying it like a loon thinking it was a massive parenting fail on my part that she was burning. am relieved it wasn’t but am pissed off with Nivea. You think these things will work. They’re supposed to. And a potentially dangerous outcome when they don’t.

sirlee66 · 03/04/2018 11:53

Thanks husky and dungeon. OP, said DS had a t-shirt on most of the time in the pool - I didn't think you could get burnt when wearing clothes?

Dungeondragon15 · 03/04/2018 12:05

Thanks husky and dungeon. OP, said DS had a t-shirt on most of the time in the pool - I didn't think you could get burnt when wearing clothes?

You can, particularly very thin cotton.

Idontdowindows · 03/04/2018 12:12

Normal clothes don't block UV rays.

You can buy UV-blocking shirts and shorts though, I found them first in Australia, but they're becoming quite easy to find in the UK and mainland Europe too now.

halfwitpicker · 03/04/2018 12:17

Glad he's feeling better.

You'll be back home to the drizzle next week op just think of that BrewGrin

youarenotkiddingme · 03/04/2018 12:24

There's a sun cream company who are based in Los Cristianos. They generally visit hotels selling their (expensive!) lotions.

But they are totally worth it. Their creams are. It water based so soak into skin and they also do a sunburn one.

I always order it online before we go abroad as despite actually being born in Costa Adeje DS burns like a goodun!

Biblio78 · 03/04/2018 12:46

Stay indoors, buy diarolyte or what it's called. That will help prevent dehydration and get him checked over by someone. Sunstroke like that can lead to dehydration just keep his fluids up and get his checked for your own reassurance.

sirlee66 · 03/04/2018 12:54

Thanks so much dungeon and also OP for raising this! I would have thought factor 50 and a t-shirt would have been fine for my DS but after this thread, you have potentially saved another child from sunburn.

sirlee66 · 03/04/2018 12:56

Idontdowindows, I will look into UV blocking shirts. Thank you!

Ashspeed · 03/04/2018 16:13

Give him Aquarius to drink to replace his salts and see if any of the hotels have a Suncare Central rep selling goods. Not cheap but amazing results to heal the skin. Make sure it is a dark t shirt in water as white goes see through and offers no protection at all. Hope he feels better soon x

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 03/04/2018 17:04

"You can get burnt through almost any amount of sun protection if you’re out at midday in certain parts of the world.

Well yes but OP isn't near the equator or anywhere that hot. I think it is only about 22 degrees in Tenerife so if factor 50 is regularly applied and water resistant there should be little chance of sunburn."

Tenerife is on the same latitude as the Sahara Desert. It's as far south as the border between Morocco and Western Sahara. That makes the sun much stronger than it seems. Hence the UV index
www.weatheronline.co.uk/weather/maps?LANG=en&CONT=euro&REGION=0005&LAND=SP&LEVEL=130&WMO=60025&SI=kph&CEL=C&UP=0&R=161

Original poster
Allyg1185 · 03/04/2018 18:05

Another wee update. Followed the advice of the chemist and within a day my ds had improved alot and with regular application of cream his skin is back to normal.

However his nose is streaming and he says he has a sore throat. Im beginning to wonder if he has had a virus hanging around aswell as getting a bit to much sun.

Just spent the last few days hanging around the hotel. Found the kids club which is indoors and has a big soft play so he has been in there alot the last few days so out of the sun but still getting to play etc

Thank you all for your advice. Home to Scotland to the snow tomorrow

OP posts:
Dungeondragon15 · 03/04/2018 18:13

Tenerife is on the same latitude as the Sahara Desert. It's as far south as the border between Morocco and Western Sahara. That makes the sun much stronger than it seems. Hence the UV index

It's not that hot at the moment in Tenerife though so unlikely that OP's DD has sunstroke. More likely a virus.

gingergenius · 03/04/2018 18:16

@Missingstreetlife that's terrible advice. Oil, lavender or otherwise is NEVER recommended for burns.

specialsubject · 03/04/2018 18:45

The air temperature is completely unrelated to the sun strength. Ever been skiing????? Latitude, altitude, time of year, time of day.

Every year this godawful science comes up . together with the idiocy about how to treat burns.

Dungeondragon15 · 03/04/2018 18:47

The air temperature is completely unrelated to the sun strength. Ever been skiing????? Latitude, altitude, time of year, time of day.

It's not unrelated to whether you can get sunstroke!

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 03/04/2018 19:46

My post was in response to a comment on sunburn. DH is North African and the risk of burning is higher than the same temperature in a more northern latitude.

gingergenius · 04/04/2018 08:38

I've had sunstroke in the U.K. - so not sure about the whole 'it's not hot enough' weirdness!

Nakedavenger74 · 04/04/2018 10:27

The 'it's not hot enough' and 'factor 50 is sunblock' drives me bonkers.

The air temperature rarely gets above 25 here in NZ yet the sun is 20 times stronger than the Mediterranean and the UV is through the roof due to no ozone layer. Tenerife is V near equator so also much stronger sun and UV

Factor 50 lasts about 3 hours on a sunny winters day here.. much like being up an alp when skiiing. The key for kids and fair skin is to keep out of the sun as much as possible and cover up. Certainly around midday.

Dungeondragon15 · 04/04/2018 10:35

I've had sunstroke in the U.K. - so not sure about the whole 'it's not hot enough' weirdness!

Maybe the UK was hotter than 22 degrees at the time and/or maybe you were doing something that meant you got overheated. Anyway, I'm not saying as it is impossible but I thinking it more likely that it would be a virus if it isn't that hot.

Dungeondragon15 · 04/04/2018 10:41

The 'it's not hot enough' and 'factor 50 is sunblock' drives me bonkers.

My point was that the UV radiation in Tenerife wouldn't be so high at this point for someone to burn if they were applying factor 50 religiously. I am very blonde and really fair skinned as are my children. We have been to many countries where UV radiation is high including Tenerife and we have not got sunburned. Therefore I don't think I am totally clueless on this. If OP was applying it very regularly and her DC still burned then I think there was probably something wrong with the sun tan lotion or it wasn't being applied thickly enough.