Sunbed Shock

[SansaStark90]

I’ve been really stupid and gone on the sunbed for twenty minutes and the burns I’ve got - I’ve never seen skin as red. I’ve got like indents to my skin as though I’ve woken to stretch marks on my chest. Will these disappear? I’m in agony. I’ve never burnt and so didn’t know it could cause this kind of pain. I’m shaking shivering. I did this yesterday. Can someone reassure my health anxiety that these indents will all calm down?

This sounds so bad op

Do people still use sunbeds?

Doesn't the cancer or rapid aging put people off them anymore?

Exactly. So if she doesn’t know and wasn’t warned it makes sense

Use fake tan. My daughter looks amazing and very natural when she used it. Just have to use a glove to spread it so there are no streaks

Hey lovely @SansaStark90 another vote to say phone 111 and explain you’ve accidentally overdosed on the sun bed first time and you’re feeling very unwell and you skin is strange. They’ll tell you whether to see the out of hours GP (who can send you into hospital) or A&E

You absolutely need to ring 111 and very likely see an out of hours GP tonight at the very least.

I’ll be completely honest with you, if you are stable and have someone who can look after you (do you live with anyone?), I myself wouldn’t go to A&E unless you need to. I spend a lot of time in A&E (cancer) and it’s hellish if you truly can rest at home til the morning (I don’t really need to be there, but sometimes I need to get my blood tested at inconvenient times when the ward is closed, so they’ll send me to A&E at like 10pm). The trick is you need someone who can support you to make that call on when it becomes an emergency and not an OOH issue.

I’m flabbergasted that you can just go in a sunbed for however long you choose. Is that a thing?! I’ve only used a sunbed like 5 times, when I was going to South Africa to study in our winter and was panicked my pale Irish skin would burn to a crisp in the African summer sun. 😂 So wanted to get a base tan before I left. This was over 20 years ago and I remember signing in at the desk and the girl set the time for a few minutes. I put my goggles on, pushed the button, it turned on and started the timer and it clicked off after like 3 minutes or whatever. I couldn’t have stayed in longer if I’d wanted to. It was all centrally controlled.

I’m really starting to not like this forum, I don’t understand me doing an odd few sunbeds a year bother people on here so much and then they start with the insults 🙃

It's an emotive subject and the warnings have been around for years.

Yes. all the sunbed places near me are dealing heroin.

Phone 111 OP and also... Just don't ever go on another sunbed. I don't know why the bastard things are even legal. Get a spray tan if you must.

It’s pretty normal for sunburn to be very painful. Aloe vera aftersun in the fridge helps. For someone with health anxiety, stay well away from sun-beds, the increased risk of skin cancer is well known. Don’t put yourself at risk for the sake of a tan.

Good grief! NEVER EVER put oil on a burn like that!

She’ll literally be roasting her skin underneath it. The heat won’t be able to dissipate and may cause even more pain and damage.

Get medical advice first! But I would run a lukewarm bath (body temperature) and lie in it, or run a lukewarm shower to soothe your skin. Not too cold though because you can go into shock. I got a very bad scald on my leg some years ago from boiling water (not sun) and ran lukewarm water over it for almost an hour. I was in agony for weeks but it didn't scar.

If they are money laundering they aren't likely to employ a receptionist who knows anything about sunbed use.

I just can't believe any sane person uses sunbeds any more or why this industry is still going.
We are talking years ago, even when the dangers were advertised, that a friend of our family who was an anaesthetist shared the horror stories of skin cancer due to sun beds...
It opened my eyes....

@SansaStark90 make sure you are aware of the dangers of going into shock after a burn. Make sure someone is with you and call 999 if you need to. Don't prat around with 111 if you feel you are slipping into unconsciousness.
www.nhs.uk/conditions/burns-and-scalds/complications/

Shocking isn't it. We have a sunbed place in the nearest town to us and it's ALWAYS busy. I was dropping DD off at work today and it had people waiting in a line outside at 11.30am. When I used to use them in the late 90s/early 2000s I hadn't got a clue they were bad and there were sunbeds all over the place. Gyms even had them. Now the information and evidence is out there but they are (apparently) increasing in popularity according to my niece 🤷‍♀️

You should definitely complain I am dark skinned and go on sunbeds sometimes even if I’m going regularly I always get forced back to 3 mins when I go somewhere else. They should not have let you have 20 mins this needs looking in to save someone else the same pain:

You have pale Irish skin and went on a sunbed?
Jeez.

OP I'm very fair and pale and unfortunately however careful I am with suncream etc I always seem to burn in the sun to the point where when I go abroad my only option is to cover up completely. Sun burn is incredibly painful and I've had it where I get shivers etc like you. The best things for the pain for me are lots of alo Vera gel, cold showers and ibuprofen for the swelling and pain. Also take the advice of others and keep an eye on your temperature and hr and go to a and e if you feel awful but you should be OK! Hopefully a lesson learnt for you about sunbeds! I'd advise staying away altogether if you can and maybe get a nice spray tan somewhere reliable x

You must be in so much pain. Please seek medical advice.

You are encouraging people to go on a sunbed for shorter time periods, but more regularly. The question stands.

God in Australia sun bed salons were banned ten years ago. Surprised the UK is still allowing this. The salon needs to be reported for letting you go on for that long.

OP I feel so sorry for you! I have been there myself and it’s a stupid mistake I’m sure neither of us will make again. I think the burning from what I can see from the photo looks like fairly standard if unpleasant sunburn. Yes it’s painful but im sure it will ease over the next few days. If you don’t feel otherwise unwell then just drink plenty of fluids, keep applying cream, keep clean if it blisters and ride out the storm, knowing this will pass!! Sending hugs xxx

I don't know anything about sunbeds as they've been banned here for many, many years. I'm shocked they're still legal anywhere!

But, I live in Australia, and can tell you that 'sunburn' is not a harmless bit of over indulging. You could have 2nd or 3rd degree burns, which need immediate treatment.

It's something to take seriously. Get help, and whatever you do, DO NOT PUT OIL ON THE BURN as suggested by someone else. It makes it worse. Get help, not home remedies.

And report that salon!