The whiff of blossoming trees, sunshine on your skin, the cool refreshing water as you jump into a lake, and an increase in vitamin D levels—all of these things and many more are what makes summertime – a happy time. (Especially for those living in places with distinct four seasons and loooong dark winters.)
But one of the things that make summer the best time of the year for many, can also make it the worst; for a day or two, at least. I’m talking about said sunshine on your skin, which can get pretty harsh.
It’s safe to assume that most people have been sunburnt at least once or twice; chances are, you have been, too, so you might know just how painful and inconvenient it can be. But for some people, in addition to all that, it’s also embarrassing—or funny, depending on how you look at it—because of the tan they are left with.
Well, to make you feel better about your own tan, if you’ve already experienced a tanning session gone wrong, or to simply remind you to properly apply sunscreen, we’re coming to you today with some of the worst sunburns the internet has ever seen. Our team has combed the online world and found quite a few unfortunate cases, so scroll down to find them, and use this chance to learn from fellow netizens’ mistakes.
On the list below, you will also find Bored Panda’s interview with a Professor in the Department of Allied Health Sciences at the University of Connecticut, Dr. Sherry Pagoto, who was kind enough to answer a few of our questions about sunburn and skin damage.
- Read More: 50 Times People Posted Their Embarrassing Sunbathing Fails So You Can Learn From Their Mistakes
#1 When I Was A Teenager I Found Some Tanning Foam And Put A Stripe On My Wrist. Liked It So Much I Did My Arms And Legs. Nobody Was Amused But Me. It Lasted A Couple Months
Image credits: Dr-Not-a-Milkman
#2 My Son’s Sunburn Matches The Gradient Of His Shirt
Image credits: hellotypewriter
#3 Took My Boyfriend To The Beach Today, And He Fell Asleep In The Sun. This Is The Result
Image credits: be.my.serene
#4 The Hair On The Pale Part Of My Watch Tan Is Black, But The Hair On The Tan Part Of My Arm Is White
Image credits: jamaicanhopscotch
#5 Perks Of Having Red Hair: Free Cancer
Image credits: jessesewell
#6 My Sock Tan Looks Like I Have Socks On
Image credits: IcyIsosceles
#7 I Was Working Inside, But Next To A Large Garage Door That I Had Open. I Was In "I'm Inside, Don't Need Sunscreen" Mode, Not Realizing That I Was Still Very Much In Direct Sunlight
Image credits: rabbidplatypus21
#8 Someone Didn’t Want To Ask For Help With Their Sunscreen
Image credits: thedeparted85
#9 Well, It's Official, I'm An Idiot, And Summer Has Just Begun
Image credits: rkyrocrat
#10 Love My New Slip-On Vans, Hate The Tan Lines
Image credits: BlueMacaw
#11 My Cousin's Neat Tan
Image credits: wowwhatagreataudience
#12 I Forgot To Put Sun Block On My Legs During A Kayak Trip On The Lake
Image credits: Tekki
#13 My Sunburn From A Few Days Ago Started To Peel. I Went For A Run Today And All The Sweat Got Caught Underneath The Dead Skin And Formed A Lot Of Sweat Bubbles
Image credits: wifi_is_fake
#14 I Went Kayaking In Florida Six Days Ago And Got The Worst Sunburn (Yes, I Put Sunscreen On). I Typically Don't Use The Spray Kind, So I Thought I Had Applied It Well, But Apparently Not
Image credits: earthling1117
#15 New Rule: No Matter How Much The Sunscreen Costs (After You Drunkenly Lose The One You Brought) You Buy It
Image credits: emfordhall
#16 My Friend's Crazy Tan Lines
Image credits: sanjirou3
#17 After All These Years, Still Trying To Figure Out How Much Sunscreen To Use 🥵😬 Usually I Don’t Get A Lot Of Sun Under My Hair. Well You Can Clearly See That Theory Didn’t Work For Me This Time
Image credits: mat_brooks
#18 My Sunburn Line Perfectly Follows My Vein
Image credits: Grc280
#19 Thought I Would Get A Nice Base Tan Helping Out At My Customer's Farm For A Couple Hours
Image credits: SnowboardingEgg
#20 I Came Across This Picture Of A Sunburn I Got When I Was 17 Years Old At A NASCAR Race
Image credits: June_Third_2024
#21 My Tanned And Untanned Skin Tones Are Drastically Different
Image credits: CATNIP_IS_CRACK
#22 Missed Sunscreen
Image credits: KarmaDeliveryMan
#23 Spent Two Days In The Glorious Sunshine Working Outside And Did Not Anticipate Getting A Tan. Guess I’ll Keep The Thumb Splint On A Bit Longer
Image credits: BirdieFive
#24 Sunburn On Vacation
Image credits: MapleSyrupLover_
#25 My Burn From A Few Years Ago. Still Remember The Horrific Pain, Worst Sunburn I've Ever Experienced
Image credits: sarahdasgupta
#26 Today I Got A Raccoon Sunburn And My Chain Around My Neck Tan Too
Image credits: deans_pix
#27 Forgot Sunscreen
Image credits: grpvideoproductions
#28 Cook Until It Stings
Image credits: baristabj
#29 Went To An Amusement Park And Forgot Sunscreen But The Paint They Marked Me With Left A Tan Line
Image credits: judith-has-a-knife
#30 The Sun Is My Greatest Nemesis
Image credits: Rose262
#31 Went To A Music Festival, Got This Gnarly Sunburn
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Image credits: TheBlitzkid46
