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Bored Panda

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Akvile Petraityte 🇺🇦

50 Times People Posted Their Embarrassing Sunbathing Fails So You Can Learn From Their Mistakes

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.

#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 Never Underestimate The Power Of The Sun. Fun Fact: The Sky Was Cloudy Almost The Entire Day. The Reflective Snow Alone Was Enough To Burn My Face Completely

Image credits: exploreandremember

Imagine yourself in a sunny spot near a body of water; you’re relaxing as you listen to the quiet fuss of the people around you when you slowly drift asleep. You wake up a couple of hours later to see that your body is a soft shade of red crab.

This scenario has likely happened to many of us, but for some reason, we often fail to learn from our mistakes – come next summer, we’ll likely do it again.

#4 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

#5 Husband's Summer Tan Looks Like A Stranger's Hand

Image credits: IrisHopp

While the unfortunate tans on this list might look amusing, in reality, sunburn is far from funny. Not only does it usually hurt (and becomes itchy when healing later), according to Dr. Sherry Pagoto, it can increase one’s risk for melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer.

“Your risk is even worse if anyone in your family has had melanoma,” she said in an interview with Bored Panda. “Another thing to think about melanoma is that it is a very recurrent cancer. If you get it once, you are likely to get it again, so even if you beat it, you have to live with the fear of recurrence every day. That’s a worry you really don’t want, just ask someone who’s had melanoma!”

#6 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

#7 My Sock Tan Looks Like I Have Socks On

Image credits: IcyIsosceles

#8 Perks Of Having Red Hair: Free Cancer

Image credits: jessesewell

The expert continued to point out that melanoma is the most prevalent form of cancer in the US, however, its risk can be minimized by wearing photoprotection, such as sunscreen, which can also prevent burns and skin damage.

#9 Took My Boyfriend To The Beach Today, And He Fell Asleep In The Sun. This Is The Result

Image credits: be.my.serene

#10 Awful Sunburn. It Hurts

Image credits: Hillary0631

#11 Someone Didn’t Want To Ask For Help With Their Sunscreen

Image credits: thedeparted85

Discussing the damage the sun causes to our skin, Dr. Pagoto emphasized that it doesn’t need to be burnt to be damaged. “When the skin tans, it is a sign it has had too much exposure to ultraviolet radiation and that the skin is attempting to protect itself from further damage. Some people like the tanned look, but tanning negatively impacts the integrity of your skin which leads to premature aging and cancer risk. If you like the tanned look, I highly recommend sunless tanning products because they cause no harm to the skin.”

#12 The Difference Between My And My Brother's Tan

Image credits: YungTinkerbell

#13 Just A Friendly Public Service Announcement: Make Sure Your Sunblock Is Not Expired And You Actually Use It

Image credits: tammyroe20

#14 My Husband Got Scalp Edema From A Severe Sunburn

Image credits: hippy_potto

You might think that you’ve heard of other ways, other than sunless tanning products, to achieve a tanned look without having to cook in the sun like a potato in a fire. But chances are, the information you heard is not much more than a myth.

“The most common misconception is that a tan protects you from skin cancer,” Dr. Pagoto told Bored Panda, discussing popular sun- or tan-based myths. “Prolonged sun exposure damages the skin and can lead to DNA mutations that lead to cancer. We have to remember that the sun is emitting radiation, and radiation exposure is not healthy.”

#15 Well, It's Official, I'm An Idiot, And Summer Has Just Begun

Image credits: rkyrocrat

#16 Love My New Slip-On Vans, Hate The Tan Lines

Image credits: BlueMacaw

#17 I Forgot To Put Sun Block On My Legs During A Kayak Trip On The Lake

Image credits: Tekki

It’s unclear if being more aware of the damage the sun can cause deters people from sunbathing, but statistics from nearly a decade between 2011 and 2020 show that interest in sunbathing seems to be shrinking.

According to Statista, the number of people in the US who went tanning—be it once, a couple, or more than four times—in the last six months in 2020 was lower than the years before. For instance, while in 2012, close to four million people went sunbathing more than four times within the span of half-a-year, in 2020 the number dropped to roughly two million.

#18 My Cousin's Neat Tan

Image credits: wowwhatagreataudience

#19 Day In The Sun + Backwards Cap = Awkward Sunburn. Top Effort Dom

Image credits: kmarkham_golf_fitness

#20 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

If you’ve enjoyed browsing these pictures of some of the most unfortunate tans there are—or if you’re still not convinced that sunscreen is a good idea—continue to Bored Panda’s previous edition on tans-gone-wrong for more.