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?

I’ve never been a sunbed user but considering my naturally pale complexion, I was on a broken down Tuk tuk so was stuck with no suncream, the second day arriving in Thailand, was in the sun for five hours directly, and never burnt. I used to tan in the sun a lot.

I’ve never rang 111 as they will tell me to go to a&e to cover themselves.

Try not to over think it OP. (hard I know when you feel in pain)

I was obsessed with sun beds during my teen years (totally regret it now, but times were different then)

I done something very similar when I was about 15 I went to a tanning salon and had a 12 minute session, I met friends later on that night and went on again for 6 another minutes (obsessive I know)

That night I was in a lot of pain, I thought I would die lol

I had to fess us to my parents I had been on the sunbeds, they were furious as you can imagine

I missed school the next day, was bright red, blistered and my eyes were really swollen and puffy.

It was a big mistake but no long term damage (I know of) skin wasn’t damaged and is still relatively good for my age.

Plenty of rest, keep hydrated and take painkillers and apply some after sun lotion.

If you are still worried or anxious wouldn’t harm
going to the docs for a 2nd opinion, and there nothing to be embarrassed about x

Feel better soon OP 🤞

You NEED to go to A&E the risk of second or third degree burns and them becoming infected, heatstroke, dehydration... your entire system can literally be overwhelmed and give up

I cannot believe that people are still so ignorant about the damage caused by sunbeds. Every single exposure causes damage to the DNA of your skin.
There is zero 'safe' exposure. The myth of using sunbeds to 'prevent burning' is surely not still used as a reason? You'll get maybe a SPF of 3

A sunbed is more dangerous than the sun and I think people convince themselves it's ok because skin cancer can take YEARS to appear. Out of mind, out of sight but the damage is cumulative. I know people in their 70s and 80s constantly having skin cancers removed from (mostly) limbs.

Skin cancer rates are at an all time high in the UK and sunbeds definitely pay a part. The risk in increased even more if you start before 35.

Hi OP, I think on your body you'll be okay. I had terrible suburn on my face once and my eyelids were never quite the same afterwards but when I've had it on my body it all went back to normal, leaving some very premanent freckles.

My DB got wild sunburn once from falling asleep on the beach when he was on a camp america thing. He had to sit in the bath for a couple of days and then all the skin peeled off, but he was also fine after it all recovered. He also has the pale celtic skin.

This is the NHS guidance: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/burns-and-scalds/recovery/

Once had burns like this from putting my also pale Irish heritage/dark hair teenage skin on a beach in the mid day sun and deciding it wasn’t hot enough for sun cream. I passed out later that evening so take care, drink water. So much water. Rest. If it gets worse do seek medical advice. If it doesn’t, ride it out, it’ll settle, peel, and you’ll never do it again.

Hi OP

I wont comment on using sun beds, you are getting opinions on those.
What's done is done.
Two years ago we went on holiday. First day I felt sick (cruise seasickness). DS was 15. Said he was going to the pool. I shouted put cream on. He didnt and got burnt. Within 24 hrs his shoulders blistered and he was sore and red. I gave him paracetamol, covered him in after sun and light cotton clothing.
My fault for not checking he had cream but I felt so sick I couldn't stand. DS fault for thinking he knew best and didn't need cream.
Within 5 days the had popped and he was much better but lesson learnt.

I’m hardly the only person who has said as much.

Sunbed use has absolutely no benefits whatsoever - I’m surprised that, as someone with health anxiety, you didn’t do any research before lying on one for 20 minutes 🤷‍♀️

You can’t compare it to eating food and drinking alcohol.

I’m sorry but you can’t compare eating junk food to using to a sun bed. It was so bloody stupid of you.

My friend’s daughter died of skin cancer before she was even 20.

Sun beds should be banned.

I wish people wouldn’t keep posting about how they burned on sunbeds and have no lasting damage.

Skin cancers can take 30+ years to develop - being fine after 10 or 20 years is totally irrelevant. I know a shocking number of people in their 50’s getting multiple cancers removed because of sunbed use in their teens. One friend has had several melanomas removed and almost lost her nose from it. It’s horrendous how much damage can be done.

It's one thing to make some very silly decisions around the use of sunbeds, it's another level of profoundly stupid to ignore the quite clear medical advice

Your husband clearly lacks knowledge too!

Exactly. This kind of sunburn can kill people.

How are you doing now OP? Keep yourself hydrated and please ring 111 to get medical advice. They're a lot better than they used to be.

Sunbeds do not "prepare your skin" for sunbathing. They just damage it. The only way to protect your skin in the sun is a good high SPF - you'll still tan through it - and a hat and staying out of the sun at the hottest times of the day. Never a sunbed.

I'm not going to call you names. We've all done silly stuff but you really need to report that salon because they're going to kill someone.

OP, I really hope you’re okay. I would seek medical advice if I were you first and foremost.

Secondly, please make a complaint to the sunbed shop as 20 minutes is absolute madness. This picture was me after 5 minutes, I never used a sunbed again. This was 7 years ago and I thought I’d go a couple times a week for a few weeks before holiday to build a tan as you can see from my white bits I’m quite pale although dark haired.

I didn’t have any initial burn/pain, I went out for a family dinner that evening and literally felt myself burning up.

I hope you’re okay x

I too have burnt in the past ( natural sun not sun beds). The best advice is to try to take the heat out of it by lying with big wet bath towels / flannels over you. It really helps. You’ll maybe blister, then in a weeks time you’ll peel . Hope you are ok. It’s painful

I hate sunbeds never been on one.
I dont like the sun and also hate hot weather and holidays in the sun bathing.
I like my pale with a slight olive tone skin im brunette with hazel eyes so i dont burn quickly but i would never chance it..
The sunbed death scene in final destination scared me to blazes.

@SansaStark90 please call 111- their answer is not always to go to a&e they will advise what to do.

We all make mistakes and any professional you end up seeing will have seen something worse.

Please take care.

I’m in Australia and sun beds are actually illegal here because of the cancer risk. 20 minutes is a very long time, I think you should probably go to hospital to have the burns assessed. They may need to be property dressed to help avoid scarring.

I know it’s late but if you can get lots of tomatoes squeeze them and rub over your skin, will take the heat out. I was told to do this by an old Spanish lady when I got burnt years ago and it really helped.

I remember after I got burnt in the sun once the skin on my legs stopped being flexible for a couple of weeks and it was hard to walk because I couldn't bend my legs. That was weird.

It was in Scotland and we were so happy when the summer arrive that we sat out for far too long. Sun burn is to fiddly because the burn appears a few hours after the end of the sun exposure, when it is far too late to do anything about it.

OP maybe you could get an SAD lamp instead. They are safe and will give you all the happy sunshine feelings without getting you toasted.

OP, perhaps a cool shower & maybe a damp bed sheet over you while in bed & cold flannel on forehead . If you get too cold you can take it off of course. Do you have Any after sun or aloe Vera ? Stay hydrated .
i think this is just a one off so you shouldn’t need to worry too much I think. If you feel any worse your DP should take you to A&E. Sunstroke can be dangerous. Hopefully you can cool yourself down enough though

She has second degree burns all over her body - that’s very worrying and has the potential to be very dangerous.

This happened to me as a teenager 🙈 only i had rented a bed to the house. I was so badly burned my face was covered in blisters and my eyes were swollen almost shut 😵 chest was covered in blisters as well and I felt like I had the flu. No lasting scars at all but I've never used a sunbed since!

I mean if you’re a white person your lifetime risk of a melanoma is 3%. So it only increases it to 5.5ish? It’s not great but it’s not as alarming as your wording makes it seem. You’re not guaranteed to get skin cancer OP, take care of your burns first.

the OP has said she’s a worrier. Less of the alarmist language, it can wait.