Sun Burn Question

[PeaveyFury]

So, I went to the Badger game yesterday, and burn quite easily, so I put on tons of sunscreen and re-applied regularly, and for the most part came out without any issues. However, I didn't wear a hat, and managed to get burnt along my hairline where I had stopped putting sunscreen, as well as on the top back of my head where the small spot where my hair parts to different directions when gelled. (I apologize in advance for the gross-ness to come) Now, the sunburn looks fairly normal- it seems kind of red/pink, but nothing out of the ordinary. Last night, though, I noticed that a clear fluid was seeping from the burnt spot on the top of my head, as well as from a spot on the front of my hairline just behind the hair, and was still doing so when I got up this morning 7 hours later.

 

Has anyone else ever had something like this? I'm reasonably concerned (since oozing fluid is probably not a good thing), but have no idea what is up.

[dadofandrew]

Brain drain.

 

I would assume it's common blistering and draining. Aloe, and cool compresses.

[bullox]

I had that happen when I was 16, I never put on lotion when I was out on the top of the boat all day on a Bahamas cruise. I was seeping nasty liquid from my burns everywhere. It went away after a couple days and I never thought anything of it.

 

I think you'll live, but I really have no idea what it is besides the fact that I had it happen to me.

[hawing]

It would make a lot of sense for the fluid to be coming from sunburn blisters. I assume that, other than the sunburn pain, you feel more or less normal.

 

For more knowledgeable reassurance, if you have health insurance that includes an on-call nurse service or something like that, it couldn't hurt to call and ask. Tell them you'd hate to take up their time and yours on an actual appointment. They'll tell you if it really warrants more attention.

 

I've had sunburn along my part before, so I feel your pain. Maybe that green aloe gel they sell at Walgreens could double as a styling gel for you, for a few days. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[DHonks]

last spring I was on a field trip to San Diego. While at SeaWorld on a 50 degree, windy, overcast, sometimes rainy day, I received the worst sun burn of my life and was blistering and peeling. I learned a lesson. the clear puss-like stuff was part of the burn, I guess

[JumpinMacFlash]

About a month ago, I shaved my head and proceeded to spend the entire next day out in the sun without a hat. The entire top of my head was sunburnt. I had a little seepage, but I just put the aloe lotion on and it cleared up.

[PeaveyFury]

It would make a lot of sense for the fluid to be coming from sunburn blisters. I assume that, other than the sunburn pain, you feel more or less normal.

 

That is true. The odd thing is, that it really just looks like normal sunburn (ie, red but not absurdly red, no visible blisters, etc), so the seepage seems out of place. As I said before, I've been burnt before and had it look and hurt much more than this (though showering this morning hurt like hell), but the fluid is a totally foreign occurance.

 

But thanks for the reassurances that it just happens sometimes.

[UndraftedFA]

How old is your sunscreen? I read it loses its effectiveness after 1 year. After doing a chemistry experiment this summer, I would agree because even 50 SPF wasn't working for most people.

[PeaveyFury]

How old is your sunscreen?

 

Bought it yesterday.

 

I had no problems where I applied sunscreen. The problem was that I didn't apply sunscreen under my hair, as I apparently should have.

[valpocrewsader]

How old is your sunscreen? I read it loses its effectiveness after 1 year. After doing a chemistry experiment this summer, I would agree because even 50 SPF wasn't working for most people.

My sunscreen is like 5 years old and I'm pretty sure it's still effective.

[owbc]

I don't think the type of sunscreen or the SPF really matters. For the football game, we got cheap Walgreens SPF 15 sunscreen. I was out in direct sunlight for 4-5 hours and I was sweating. I didn't have any sunburn and I will never buy the expensive stuff again. For reference, I am really pale and white and haven't been in the sun much this summer.

[germanking]

Peavy,

I think what you are experiencing is something called "weeping." I do not know if that is a technical term or not, but from when I had it several years ago, it was explained to me as a natural thing the body does to help cool down the skin. What others have said about what to put on it should work. When it dries, does it kind of flake up or develop some orangish spots on your skin that clean away rather easily?

[dadofandrew]

The SPF would not matter this time of year, I don't think, we're not that close to the sun, or the angle, or whatever it is.

[PeaveyFury]

Upon closer review by a second party, my 'no visible blisters' comment has been reversed.

[PlayerHader]

I got a nasty sunburn on my back this summer. I was putting steel on a roof and took my shirt off. It was only for a couple of hours, but this was the first time in about 5 years that I had my shirt off out in the sun for more than a few minutes. Well, that afternoon I started feeling a bit achy and soon after had a full blown fever. Blisters on my back for about 4 days and the ensuing "oozing" with that. First time I've ever had a fever-inducing sunburn. 23 years old and not smart enough to put lotion on.

[BuckyTuba]

peavey, if it makes you feel any better, i'm peeling like crazy after 8 days of 2-a-days under leckrone and a badger gameday.

 

oh, and it was good to see you.

[PeaveyFury]

Yeah, you too BuckyTuba. Fortunately, I didn't discover the 2nd degree burns until late Saturday night, otherwise I probably wouldn't have been as cheerful as I was at the Big Ten. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[PeaveyFury]

One other question, as the seeping has stopped at this point, but how concerned should I be about infection? There really isn't a worse place to have blisters in terms of being able to treat, cover, and monitor for problems than on the back of the freaking head under my hair, so I'm somewhat concerned that if the blisters have burst and are seeping, that I have little way to see any redness or to band-aid them, etc if they get infected.

[hawing]

Well, if your hair is in the way, an adhesive bandage isn't going to help anyway.

 

Maybe that "liquid bandage" stuff could keep it in check without your having to stick something on your head or shave your head. Something like this (though I suppose not a product sold in Canada). Check a Walgreens. If there's a pharmacist on duty, ask for advice at the counter.

 

As for simply checking out your head, a hand mirror (that you can hold behind your head while looking in your bathroom mirror or something) might be useful. Either that or a patient and sympathetic neighbor. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif