There’s a reason why doctors repeatedly stress the importance of wearing sunscreen and staying out of the sun during peak hours: sunburns suck. And one man is showing just how crazy the fallout from a bad sunburn can be.
Texan Cade Huckabay went on Twitter to share a series of selfies of his sunburn, which caused such severe swelling that he's now able to put a dent in his head with the mere touch of a finger:
Cade pointed out in the comments that the dent would stay there for a half hour every time he did it, and that the pain lasted for a week or so. Still, he didn’t see a doctor since Advil and ice “got the job done.” Other than the whole dent thing and swelling, he said he’s okay.
People also shared their own sunburn horror pics in the comments, and they’re pretty terrible.
Unfortunately, this is something dermatologists have seen before. “This can happen. We’ve seen faces totally blown up,” says New York City dermatologist Doris Day, M.D.
The swelling can happen with severe burns because those burns impact the dermis (the layer of skin below the epidermis, a.k.a. the top layer). “Swelling is a result of fluid rushing into the damaged tissue,” says Gary Goldenberg, M.D., assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. All that swelling and extra fluid can be pushed in with pressure, which is why someone can actually get a dent in their skin, he explains. Cade actually has what doctors call "pitting edema," says Cynthia Bailey, M.D., a diplomate of the American Board of Dermatology and president and CEO of Advanced Skin Care and Dermatology Inc.. "That is where fluids build up in the skin and you can push a dent into them with pressure," she explains.
Luckily, it’s temporary. The ability to dent your skin goes down along with the swelling, Day says. Still, the damage from a severe burn like that increases your risk of skin cancer, which obviously isn’t good.
If you end up with a bad sunburn, It’s a good idea to apply cool compresses to your skin to help with the inflammation, drink plenty of water, and take anti-inflammatory like Advil, Day says. A cool compress with milk or egg whites can also help calm the inflammation in your skin, says Joshua Zeichner, M.D., director of cosmetic and clinical research at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. After the first day, try using topical creams like Vaseline to help your skin recover, Goldenberg says.
If the swelling is really bad or you have it around your eyes or lips, see your dermatologist—they may need to give you a shot of the steroid prednisone to reduce the swelling. Ditto if you have open wounds as the result of your burn or raw skin, Zeichner says.
In conclusion: wear sunscreen, people. You so don’t want to have your own sunburn pic to share.