Sunburnification

[Mike]

I only get sunburned when I go to the beach, everywhere else I just tan.

[Daniel Brim]

I don't tan... at all. Therefore I get very bad sunburns, including two blistery ones.

In the summer of 2000 I went to a waterpark; outside for 8 hours with no shirt on, and no sunscreen (stupid stupid stupid!). My shoulders were fried, and I had blisters. To top it off, it peeled too early and scabbed up.

In 2003 I went caving off of Santa Cruz Island on a kayak (one of the coolest things I've ever done, besides robotics). I put on sunscreen, but I was out for 5 hours plus, not counting cave time. I ended up with a full back sunburn (I could not stand up straight) and a sunburn on my ankles that ended up blistering. It hurt to walk for over a week.

Needless to say I learned my lesson. I use SPF 37 (Bullfrog gel, great stuff) or higher. When my family went to DC and other various east coast locales (see my who am I picture) I did not get sunburnt once (although I did get dehydrated... which is another story).

-Daniel

[sanddrag]

Oh, I thought you were asking for those FIRST-brewed remedies.

I hear white lithium grease works great!

I'm actually betting it does, but I wouldn't recommend trying it.

[Billfred]

I have a story about sunburns, alright.

It was the summer of 2003. I was attending the South Carolina AFJROTC Cadet Officer Leadership School. (Hard to believe with the hair, I know.) I was a cadre, meaning I was in charge of twenty-five cadets. Monday as I was loading in, I scratched myself and had to put on a band-aid.

Tuesday morning, I put on my uniform, ignoring the sunscreen. Biiiiiiiig mistake, as we would be outside all day at The Citadel (and if you've ever been to The Citadel, you know that shade isn't too available). That night, I took the band-aid off. While the rest of me was bright red, this one patch was my standard pale-as-anything.

For the remaining four days, it was sunscreen all over.

[MissInformation]

I can burn in 15 minutes, but it's been over 10 years since I've gotten a sunburn. I once had a sunburn so bad that I couldn't wear clothing for 2 days (yes, I had to stay in bed with just a sheet to cover me, the blisters were that bad). And ever since that sunburn, I've developed an allergy to sunlight and my arms and hands break out in an itchy rash if exposed to too much sunlight (an hour or more) even if I'm wearing sunblock, no matter how high the SPF is or how often I apply it. At least that was true until last year when I discovered Coppertone's Spectra3 (50 SPF for me). I used it all last summer and it seems to block whatever causes me to react to sunlight like that.

Not to lecture any of you but please don't dismiss the damage the sun can do. I take after my father, he burns just as easily. And after battling skin cancer once, he still doesn't use sunblock. And if any of you don't want to think of the health issues, think of the vanity issues: premature aging. Yes, a tan may look nice now, but it is taking a toll on your skin, and an occasional use of moisturizer is not going to reverse that damage.

But should you find yourself with a sunburn, Aloe is one of the best for keeping your skin from drying out. Noxema is also good, plus it feels soooooo good on a burn (that would be the camphor and eucalyptus oil). It's got a strong smell that some people don't like, but to me it always smells like comfort.

Heidi

i love my italian skin i tan within the first few seconds i hit the sun lol the only place i burn is uner my eyes and on my sholders and nose. other than that...i tan instead of burn up.

[Matt Attallah]

Sunburn? What is this sunburn that you speak of?

Can't quite say that I've gotten a sun burn - I've gotten browner - but I think thanks to my dad's heritage (being Arabic n' all) - I have quite a high tolerance to being sunburned!

[Katie Reynolds]

I'm mostly Irish, and some German.

I have *white* skin. I go out in the sun for 10 minutes and I start to get pink!! Luckily, after my second burn of the year I usually tan pretty well.

[Bill_Hancoc]

Last year my friend got badly sunburnified from the high octane "sunage" we recieved. We both went to school the next day and it hurt so bad! My friend brought a bottle of the green aloe vera gel and that was our best friend for the next few days (especially since everybody was touching our backs)

[Jessica Boucher]

Don't forget to sunscreen your feet - my first Nationals I forgot to sunscreen them, and I was wearing Birkenstocks...needless to say, foot sunburns are my least favorite.

[Bharat Nain]

Hey I'm brown. I don't even know what getting sun burned feels like.

[Arefin Bari]

Originally Posted by Bharat Nain

Hey I'm brown. I don't even know what getting sun burned feels like.

Not true B-rat. I get sun burn at the beach if I am there for half an hour... and it HURTS!!

[wilshire]

I think it just depends on your skin type. i know I can stay out forever and not burn at all. I also keep my tan all year long even though 99 percent of the time I am inside my dark dreary room.

[rocknthehawk]

i burn too...but then after the blisters and peeling go away i have a nice tan. i've had a few usnburns...at the beach bulding a sandcastle for 3 hours..no shirt...no sunblock...yeah...blisters on my back...ouch.

i've got a picture of one of my bad ones. i went to a big outdoor concert last september, and had my hat on the whole day (i usually wear it backwards....more comfortable for me). i guess i didn't even think about it until after...whoops like they say, a picture says a thousand words:

[Rohith Surampudi]

Originally Posted by Bharat Nain

Hey I'm brown. I don't even know what getting sun burned feels like.

ahaaha at last someone who agrees with me, same here no sunburn,