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 MonthsImage credits: Dr-Not-a-Milkman#2 My Son’s Sunburn Matches The Gradient Of His ShirtImage 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 CompletelyImage credits: exploreandrememberImagine 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 SunlightImage credits: rabbidplatypus21#5 Husband's Summer Tan Looks Like A Stranger's HandImage credits: IrisHoppWhile 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 My Sock Tan Looks Like I Have Socks OnImage credits: IcyIsosceles#7 The Hair On The Pale Part Of My Watch Tan Is Black, But The Hair On The Tan Part Of My Arm Is WhiteImage credits: jamaicanhopscotch#8 Perks Of Having Red Hair: Free CancerImage credits: jessesewellThe 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 ResultImage credits: be.my.serene#10 Awful Sunburn. It HurtsImage credits: Hillary0631#11 The Difference Between My And My Brother's TanImage credits: YungTinkerbellDiscussing 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 Someone Didn’t Want To Ask For Help With Their SunscreenImage credits: thedeparted85#13 Just A Friendly Public Service Announcement: Make Sure Your Sunblock Is Not Expired And You Actually Use ItImage credits: tammyroe20#14 My Husband Got Scalp Edema From A Severe SunburnImage credits: hippy_pottoYou 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 BegunImage credits: rkyrocrat#16 Love My New Slip-On Vans, Hate The Tan LinesImage credits: BlueMacaw#17 I Forgot To Put Sun Block On My Legs During A Kayak Trip On The LakeImage credits: TekkiIt’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 TanImage credits: wowwhatagreataudience#19 Day In The Sun + Backwards Cap = Awkward Sunburn. Top Effort DomImage 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 BubblesImage credits: wifi_is_fakeIf 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.#21 What Do You Think Of My Tan?Image credits: travelling__tales#22 New Rule: No Matter How Much The Sunscreen Costs (After You Drunkenly Lose The One You Brought) You Buy ItImage credits: emfordhall#23 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 NotImage credits: earthling1117#24 Oh Yeah. Now That's DifferentImage credits: dirtbagpoet.of.troy#25 I Work Outdoors, This Is The Color Difference Of My Hand And My FootImage credits: 420trainwreck#26 Husker Day Burns. OuchImage credits: aliciakadavy#27 My Sunburn Line Perfectly Follows My VeinImage credits: Grc280#28 My Friend's Crazy Tan LinesImage credits: sanjirou3#29 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 TimeImage credits: mat_brooks#30 I've Put Sunscreen On My Face And Wiped My Fingers On My ArmImage credits: Coperoni#31 Missed SunscreenImage credits: KarmaDeliveryMan#32 Thought I Would Get A Nice Base Tan Helping Out At My Customer's Farm For A Couple HoursImage credits: SnowboardingEgg#33 I Think I Missed Some SpotsImage credits: jcrawf05#34 I Came Across This Picture Of A Sunburn I Got When I Was 17 Years Old At A NASCAR RaceImage credits: June_Third_2024#35 The After Effects Of Spending All Weekend In The Pool Wearing SunglassesImage credits: meghanly86#36 Sunburn On VacationImage credits: MapleSyrupLover_#37 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 LongerImage credits: BirdieFive#38 Dude, Look At My Tan LinesImage credits: patrick_oleary_art#39 My Tanned And Untanned Skin Tones Are Drastically DifferentImage credits: CATNIP_IS_CRACK#40 The Duality Of Pale, Strongest Sunscreen, Most Time On The Shade, Avoiding Strongest Hours And Still This HappenedI am burning so much. I have 2 fans against me, and it's still not enough.Image credits: al3237#41 My Burn From A Few Years Ago. Still Remember The Horrific Pain, Worst Sunburn I've Ever ExperiencedImage credits: sarahdasgupta#42 Oh, Your Shoulder Is Sore? You Should Get It Taped, They Said. It Will Help With The Pain, They Said. Except No One Mentioned To Maybe Put On More SunscreenImage credits: fayenault#43 The Way My Bracelet Created This Tan LineImage credits: kgxdfrey#44 Today I Got A Raccoon Sunburn And My Chain Around My Neck Tan TooImage credits: deans_pix#45 I Recently Went To Hawaii And Got A Gnarly Sunburn As Seen Here. Ended Up Getting A Case Of “Hell’s Itch”, Which Was Genuinely The Worst Pain I’ve Ever ExperiencedImage credits: dragonxmother#46 Cook Until It StingsImage credits: baristabj#47 Forgot SunscreenImage credits: grpvideoproductions#48 Went To An Amusement Park And Forgot Sunscreen But The Paint They Marked Me With Left A Tan LineImage credits: judith-has-a-knife#49 The Sun Is My Greatest NemesisImage credits: Rose262#50 Went To A Music Festival, Got This Gnarly SunburnImage credits: TheBlitzkid46#51 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
Welcome to Billionaire Club Co LLC, your gateway to a brand-new social media experience! Sign up today and dive into over 10,000 fresh daily articles and videos curated just for your enjoyment. Enjoy the ad free experience, unlimited content interactions, and get that coveted blue check verification—all for just $1 a month!
Account Frozen
Your account is frozen. You can still view content but cannot interact with it.
Please go to your settings to update your account status.
Open Profile Settings