Woman left with third degree burns after making this major mistake

Chasing a summer glow? You might want to think twice. 

A woman was hospitalized with third-degree burns and left unable to walk for a week after a sunny day spiraled into a nightmare — all because of one disastrous mistake.

“I most definitely will never forget this,” Taylor Faith (@.taylorfaith) said in a recent TikTok video detailing the painful experience. 

On her way to paddle board, the content creator realized she was out of sunscreen. Instead of stopping to buy more, Taylor chose to go without — assuming she’d just get a tan or, at worst, a mild burn.

But after eight hours baking on the water, her legs were severely scorched, forcing her to take a trip to the hospital. Doctors diagnosed her with a rare and dangerous third-degree sunburn, which damages all three layers of the skin and often requires emergency treatment.

“I neverrrr thought this would happen to me until it did,” Taylor admitted in a comment. “It’s so bad a couple days ago I was thinking I’d rather be [dead] than feel that way.”

Sunburns happen when too much ultraviolet (UV) light penetrates the skin’s deeper layers, causing cell damage over time, according to the Mayo Clinic.

The immune system reacts by increasing blood flow to the area, which leads to the inflammation we recognize as sunburn.

Most sunburns are mild and heal within days, but third-degree burns are a different story. They can damage nerve endings, blood vessels, sweat glands, hair follicles and deep tissue, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

People with third-degree burns are also at risk of heat illness, which has symptoms such as confusion, dizziness, exhaustion, rapid breathing, fever, headache, muscle cramps and nausea.

Taylor said she spent hours violently ill after her afternoon in the sun.

“My insides are severely damaged and all my blood vessels are as well,” she said in another comment. “I think this life lesson is gonna turn me into a sunscreen activist.”

While sunburns eventually heal, they can have negative lingering effects. Repeated sun exposure and burns speed up skin aging, causing wrinkles, sagging, discoloration, broken capillaries, uneven tone, and a rough, leathery texture.

Excessive sun exposure also increases your chances of developing skin cancer, including melanoma. Even sunburns sustained during childhood and adolescence can increase that risk later in life.

Anyone can get sunburned, but those most at risk include people who:

• Have light skin, freckles, blue eyes, or red or blonde hair
• Tan regularly or use tanning beds
• Live at high altitudes or near the equator
• Spend a lot of time outdoors playing sports, swimming or working

The good news? You don’t have to become a vampire to protect yourself from sunburn.

The FDA recommends limiting sun exposure between 10 am and 2 pm, when UV rays are strongest.

When outside, wear protective clothing and use broad-spectrum sunscreen — most experts urge using at least SPF 30.

Apply sunscreen generously to all exposed skin, paying special attention to the nose, ears, neck, hands, feet and lips. If you have thinning hair, cover the top of your head or wear a hat.

The agency recommends reapplying sunscreen every two hours — or more often if swimming or sweating. An average adult or child needs about one ounce of sunscreen (roughly a shot glass) to cover their body evenly.

“You can’t reverse sunburn damage, but once you have a burn, you can soothe your skin and give it time to heal,” Dr. Edwin Kuffner, chief medical officer for Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc, told the company.

He recommends cool showers or baths for relief and drinking plenty of fluids to stay hydrated. Most people can also use over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen to ease discomfort.

Kuffner stressed the importance of keeping burned skin moisturized to help it heal faster, like with aloe vera.

If you must go outside with a burn, it’s okay to apply sunscreen to the affected areas — so long as the skin isn’t blistered or raw, he noted.