Why do sunburns...

[XMEN Ashaman DTM]

Get all nasty?

I saw a lot of sun this last week when I went to eastern Washington to watch my brother play in a baseball tournament. I got a tan, but my shoulders got burned pretty badly. I didn't realize it until today when I was taking a shower (just before writing this actually), when I looked down and noticed that there were shreds of skin just sloughing off of my arms.

The weird part is that the skin came off, but there were parts that had not yet, and they were all bumpy and had fluid under them. I'm thinking this fluid is either sweat (it's been kind of warm here), or it's puss (white blood cells guarding against infection). Now the fluid is clear, not all nasty looking. But the skin came off for the most part, and I'll have to sleep with what is remaining still stuck to my body. That's not that bad, BUT, the skin underneath is starting to get bumps too (still don't know if it's sweat or puss), so that will come off.

It's kind of weird since I never burned except once when I was younger, and stayed outside with no shirt all day in Yakima. BUT the areas that were burned had not seen the sun in a few years. Basically not since football season in highschool (about 6 or 7 years ago).

It was just so weird to look down in the shower and see HUGE pieces of skin moving to the drain. Shreds that were about 6 inches long and a half inch wide at the biggest.

Weird...



Anyways, it's more of a gripe than anything. I feel like an insect, molting.

[Cerberus]

uh, dood, you should go to the doctor. If you have puss, you need to go to the Doctor. (edit) I forgot, you decribed the stereotypical 2nd degree burn which is much more serious than a regular 1st degree sunburn, you may have some tissue damage. Was there no pain? Or just the typical irritation.

NExt time use sunblock nucklehead. ;p

Either way, see the doctor just to make sure you are getting the correct treatment.

[XMEN Ashaman DTM]

No pain. And I DID use sunscreen!

I didn't realize that it had worn off after only 30 minutes or so. (That's when my skin started to feel warm.)

Not really any pain, unless I stretch real good. It itches like crazy though, almost to the point of burning. I haven't scratched it or anything. And when I saw the puss, I put some antibiotic ointment on it. But I'll see the doctor too.

[Jode]

Ya sounds like a second or third degree burn.:(
It sucks because it does take awhile to heal too.

[Ghryphen]

Heya Asha we got sunburned while snorkeling! And did it hurt soo bad. I had a couple of small spots that did puss, but mostly my shoulders had the bumps with fluid which I am sure was sweat. Most of the skin has peeled from my back and chest accept for the tops of the shoulders which is now really crusty!:barf

[XMEN Ashaman DTM]

Hey! Then you have what I have on my shoulders!

[Cerberus]

ew

[XMEN Ashaman DTM]

I haven't had a good nights sleep since it started itching insanely.

I keep waking up, thinking that I'll be scratching, but I never am. Just kind of rubbing my shoulders.

And I got some moisturizing lotion for it. Seems to help a lot, but then it wears off or something.

[Ghryphen]

I had a bad neck a couple months ago and had some muscle relaxant and anti-inflamitory pills left over and I took them with me in case I got a stiff neck on those strange beds. Well because I could only lay on my back my neck started to hurt, I decided to take an anti-inflamitory to help that, then I woke up about 1 am and took a couple Tylenol PM to get through the night. When I awoke I was on my side and realized that I was on my shoulder and I felt much better.

Tylenol PM caplets got me through most the painful nights uninterupted.

We went up to see some 500 foot water falls one day and had to walk about 1000 feet to see em through a rainy rain forest and the drops were coming out of the trees and landing on my shoulders and felt like bombs landing on me. Nearly brought me to my knees a few times...that sooked...but the waterfalls were sweet :cry :lol

[Spinning Hat]

see, that's why I always wear Jeans and a T-Shirt outside. I haven't worn shorts outside except for swimming for 9 years or so. (Little more I think, I don't remember wearing shorts at all in HS.

[Ghryphen]

Hehe same with me, that is why I burned :D

[Stang]

Should have had the cam on him walking thru that rainforest :D .

I cant believe he was able to do as much as he did after he got burnt. Didnt want to miss out on anything I guess. What great Husband, damn that sounds cool!!! :D

He got a lot of sweat under the skin after walking to the volcano, guess the high winds and warm air made a good mixture.

[Ghryphen]

:o

[Ambush_Bug]

Asha, sounds like you have second degree burns in a few places. Third-degree burns would be painless and would show all kinds of charring--since you got the itchies, it's probably second-degree.

If you're not going to see a doctor, then I recommend you grab some vitamin E capsules and use them on your skin. Hurts to rub the stuff in (it's very tacky and gluey, and pulls the skin) but once it goes in, within a few hours you'll start feeling a little better.

I'd still go see the doc, though.

[Spinning Hat]

I got them blisters too... I got them yesterday, from driving my friends' pickup to Denver and back.... Not very comfortable.

[XMEN Ashaman DTM]

It didn't hurt though. It only itched like the world was going to end tomorrow or something.

The doctor said it was a heat rash, and to "just put aloe on it and you'll be fine".