Did any of you get serious sun burn when you first arrived in TV from the north?

[senior citizen]

Just wondering if any of you, or your spouse, got a serious sunburn when you first arrived in The Villages (from the northern states)???

Obviously, we do not get all that much intense sunshine up here to worry about sunburn......but the truth hit home most recently when my husband's both arms broke out in a red blistering rash even though he sat under a beach umbrella and wore a white L.L. Bean "T" shirt the entire time......which was a good thing. (I had purchased rash guards for him but he didn't care for those shirts at all). I also brought the highest UV sun protection lotion but obviously it was not applied.

None of the children (who were already brown as berries) or the babies (who wore rash guard bathing suits....protected neck to wrists.....and slathered otherwise with sun block)..........had any problems with the sun...... thankfully.

It was Maine.....not a tropical climate. I'm just wondering how the Florida sun will impact husband's skin when he is living in Florida fulltime?
The red blistering rash was like nothing we've ever seen. He went out and bought two cans of solarcaine. But then stayed out of the sun as much as he could. His arms were red as a lobster....and blistering.
More like a purplish red.

I just researched this site which shows the zones and the UV rays, etc.
Keep scrolling down on it to the bottom...........to see the states as of today's date.

http://www2.epa.gov/sunwise/uv-index
http://www2.epa.gov/sunwise/uv-index


When our kids were little, we never used sunblock or rash guards back in the late 1960's or early 1970's at the Jersey shore nor the Maine or New Hampshire or Massachusetts shore........but I do know that all of our younger family members protect their little ones with HATS, SUNGLASSES, RASH GUARDS, UV PROTECTION CREAM....ETC. I think I need to get my husband a full body suit......or his discoid lupus might flare up again.
If it hasn't already.

Thanks in advance for any of your stories on sunburn in Florida.

Up here we have to worry about frostburn. There is a frost and freeze warning for us this evening into the overnight. Time to cover the tomatoes.

[kittygilchrist]

I recently had guests from TN and harangued them about sun protection adequately so none were burned. Since I grew up in FL, I had my share of serious beach day regrets. You develop an awareness and strategies but it takes living here to get it.
Kitty
ps don't forget the tops of your feet..ouch.

[jblum315]

The very first time I visited Florida (Miami Beach 1955) I got seriously burnt, worst top of feet and scalp. Learned my lesson. I stay out of the sun as much as possible and use a sunscreen moisturizer on my face every morning. However, I got burnt again in northern California sitting outside on a cool breezy day in June. Stupid.

[buggyone]

I have never heard of Rash Guards. What are they?

As far as getting a bad sunburn, I think most adults know now to apply frequent sunblocks to themselves.

I have not had a really bad sunburn in about 35 years. No skin cancers either - as of my last dermatology check.

[DonH57]

Rashguards are shirts or tops made to swim in and provide uv protection. A lot of surfers wear them. I wear them a lot for swimming, snorkeling. I think they were named rashguards because surfers refered to sunburns as a rash. You can find them in sporting good stores, Ron Jon and surf shops. I wear them and doo rags in lieu of sunblock.

[CFrance]

When we used to charter sailboats in the BVI in February, my husband would get a rash from the sun. (We were coming from the dead of winter in MI, so no tan buildup.) Not a sunburn, but a rash. A doctor in MI gave him a prescription for parsley pills (I'm being serious here) and told him to take them for a week in advance of the next charter. They worked. No rash.

We never did figure out what caused the rash. The doctor said he was having some sort of allergic reaction to the sun.

[DonH57]

We strive to go to the islands every year and do day trips on boats taking us to the BVI and around. On our very first trip we were snorkeling at Norman island at the caves. Not seeing the danger I encountered a portugese man of war jellyfish mostly on my left leg. Another young man from another boat got it across his back and shoulder. He had to be taken and airlifted somewhere. I can't describe the pain I endured for that whole hour. The very next day I bought a 3mm skin to wear. There wasn't enough rum and benedryl that day, I'll tell you.

[jnieman]

Just wondering if any of you, or your spouse, got a serious sunburn when you first arrived in The Villages (from the northern states)???

Obviously, we do not get all that much intense sunshine up here to worry about sunburn......but the truth hit home most recently when my husband's both arms broke out in a red blistering rash even though he sat under a beach umbrella and wore a white L.L. Bean "T" shirt the entire time......which was a good thing. (I had purchased rash guards for him but he didn't care for those shirts at all). I also brought the highest UV sun protection lotion but obviously it was not applied.

None of the children (who were already brown as berries) or the babies (who wore rash guard bathing suits....protected neck to wrists.....and slathered otherwise with sun block)..........had any problems with the sun...... thankfully.

It was Maine.....not a tropical climate. I'm just wondering how the Florida sun will impact husband's skin when he is living in Florida fulltime?
The red blistering rash was like nothing we've ever seen. He went out and bought two cans of solarcaine. But then stayed out of the sun as much as he could. His arms were red as a lobster....and blistering.
More like a purplish red.

I just researched this site which shows the zones and the UV rays, etc.
Keep scrolling down on it to the bottom...........to see the states as of today's date.

UV Index | SunWise | US EPA (http://www2.epa.gov/sunwise/uv-index)
UV Index | SunWise | US EPA (http://www2.epa.gov/sunwise/uv-index)


When our kids were little, we never used sunblock or rash guards back in the late 1960's or early 1970's at the Jersey shore nor the Maine or New Hampshire or Massachusetts shore........but I do know that all of our younger family members protect their little ones with HATS, SUNGLASSES, RASH GUARDS, UV PROTECTION CREAM....ETC. I think I need to get my husband a full body suit......or his discoid lupus might flare up again.
If it hasn't already.

Thanks in advance for any of your stories on sunburn in Florida.

Up here we have to worry about frostburn. There is a frost and freeze warning for us this evening into the overnight. Time to cover the tomatoes.

When I moved he from Ohio I was not used to the sun at all. Spent the first couple of weeks at the pool every day. Ended up with the rash you are describing and didn't understand it since I had used sun tan lotion. The sport kind. Turned out I was allergic to the sun tan lotion. There are many chemicals in the lotion that I had never been exposed to before. Now I buy banana boat for kids spf 50 and for the face I use neutrogenia baby faces lotion. No problem since then.

[asianthree]

we have sun up north...it just hides alot...if you burn north you will burn in the south

[senior citizen]

Rashguards are shirts or tops made to swim in and provide uv protection. A lot of surfers wear them. I wear them a lot for swimming, snorkeling. I think they were named rashguards because surfers refered to sunburns as a rash. You can find them in sporting good stores, Ron Jon and surf shops. I wear them and doo rags in lieu of sunblock.

Don is right. Some have UVF 50 protection and perhaps higher.
Surfers and those snorkeling made them popular. They also keep you warmer.

I tried to find them again at the LLBean website but they were totally sold out and now into the new season of autumn and winter gear.

Our grandson , age 11, knew what they were and excited to get them as a gift.

He said they also wear them in water theme parks.......on the slides, etc. He's so tan from mountain biking, etc., he didn't really need it at the beach, but wore them as they are "cool".

I first saw them a few years ago and had no "clue" what they were, when our niece in Raleigh North Carolina began putting them on her first born and then her second child when they'd go to the outer banks to her inlaws place at the beach......and then in her neighborhood pool and also brought them to New Jersey to her parents' above ground pool. They had safari hats, sunglasses and long sleeved protective gear.

I bought some for our youngest.....aged 2 and also for the baby, nine months..........and they wore them........the sets also had regular tops if they wanted to take off the long sleeved ones. They both wore floppy hats. Were protected with sun block.

[senior citizen]

When we used to charter sailboats in the BVI in February, my husband would get a rash from the sun. (We were coming from the dead of winter in MI, so no tan buildup.) Not a sunburn, but a rash. A doctor in MI gave him a prescription for parsley pills (I'm being serious here) and told him to take them for a week in advance of the next charter. They worked. No rash.

We never did figure out what caused the rash. The doctor said he was having some sort of allergic reaction to the sun.

That's what I think it was. It was more than a sunburn.
It looked like an allergic reaction.

The skin was scarlett red.......but there were dark red dots all over on top of the rash......really severe ones.

He was diagnosed with Discoid Lupus in his younger years.....but everytime we'd go to Florida he'd be o.k. with some topical prescription from the doctor plus take his Plaquenil or Prednisone. Plaquenil I think is for Malaria....or was for Malaria back in the day.

Having very LITTLE to no sun in Vermont (I'm serious) it hasn't been an issue and we thought he had "outgrown it". He is naturally light skin with pale green eyes.......was a blonde child. So, between the Discoid Lupus and the pale skin, and NOT wearing the sunblock I provided.......I guess this was bound to happen.

When we were in TV he did not get any sunburn at all........but then he was in and out of the car.........and swimming under a birdcage.

But, yes, I think I would say it could be an allergic reaction to the sun.

I'm going to mention the parsley pills to him. THANK YOU.

p.s. The Discoid Lupus Erythematosis (sp?) presented as large raised red placques on his cheekbones and under his eyes,

[Bruiser1]

Just wondering if any of you, or your spouse, got a serious sunburn when you first arrived in The Villages (from the northern states)???

Obviously, we do not get all that much intense sunshine up here to worry about sunburn......but the truth hit home most recently when my husband's both arms broke out in a red blistering rash even though he sat under a beach umbrella and wore a white L.L. Bean "T" shirt the entire time......which was a good thing. (I had purchased rash guards for him but he didn't care for those shirts at all). I also brought the highest UV sun protection lotion but obviously it was not applied.

None of the children (who were already brown as berries) or the babies (who wore rash guard bathing suits....protected neck to wrists.....and slathered otherwise with sun block)..........had any problems with the sun...... thankfully.

It was Maine.....not a tropical climate. I'm just wondering how the Florida sun will impact husband's skin when he is living in Florida fulltime?
The red blistering rash was like nothing we've ever seen. He went out and bought two cans of solarcaine. But then stayed out of the sun as much as he could. His arms were red as a lobster....and blistering.
More like a purplish red.

I just researched this site which shows the zones and the UV rays, etc.
Keep scrolling down on it to the bottom...........to see the states as of today's date.

UV Index | SunWise | US EPA (http://www2.epa.gov/sunwise/uv-index)
UV Index | SunWise | US EPA (http://www2.epa.gov/sunwise/uv-index)


When our kids were little, we never used sunblock or rash guards back in the late 1960's or early 1970's at the Jersey shore nor the Maine or New Hampshire or Massachusetts shore........but I do know that all of our younger family members protect their little ones with HATS, SUNGLASSES, RASH GUARDS, UV PROTECTION CREAM....ETC. I think I need to get my husband a full body suit......or his discoid lupus might flare up again.
If it hasn't already.

Thanks in advance for any of your stories on sunburn in Florida.

Up here we have to worry about frostburn. There is a frost and freeze warning for us this evening into the overnight. Time to cover the tomatoes.

I always use 30 or 50 screen and it keeps me from getting burned. I wore a tank top ( to even out my "farmers Tan") and got burned a little.
My friends came to visit (from MInnesota) an tried to get a tan in one day.
They went to Miami and took a open deck tour w/o sunscreen.
They both got burned beet red. Sun is nothing to take for granted-plan accordingly:posting:

[butterfly sue]

When I was younger I would come down to FL and get my tan, but now that I am older I am tired of the heat and the sweating so avoid being out when I can. I miss the days of sitting under the shade of a tree in the backyard since we dont really have a backyard, or at least I don't.

I just had my first visit to the dermatologist and was not happy to have basal cell cancer and the treatment of that. It REALLY makes you think twice. Once you are in that office and look around at all the people being treated and all those bandaids etc, it makes one take a step back.

Look up the symptoms of skin cancer and if you have a supicious area, so get it checked EARLY. Anything the side of a pencil eraser that doesn't heal and/or is sore, go have it looked at! There are other symptoms too. My husband had a crusty area on top of his head. It is PRE-cancerous and they took care of it fast. They said that one would have been malanoma. His comb kept hitting it.

I think if people went into the Dermatologist office and saw how much money they make, maybe they would have second thoughts about that beautiful tan.

So get the sun block out and USE IT!!! Be PRO-ACTIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[senior citizen]

When I was younger I would come down to FL and get my tan, but now that I am older I am tired of the heat and the sweating so avoid being out when I can. I miss the days of sitting under the shade of a tree in the backyard since we dont really have a backyard, or at least I don't.

I just had my first visit to the dermatologist and was not happy to have basal cell cancer and the treatment of that. It REALLY makes you think twice. Once you are in that office and look around at all the people being treated and all those bandaids etc, it makes one take a step back.

Look up the symptoms of skin cancer and if you have a supicious area, so get it checked EARLY. Anything the side of a pencil eraser that doesn't heal and/or is sore, go have it looked at! There are other symptoms too. My husband had a crusty area on top of his head. It is PRE-cancerous and they took care of it fast. They said that one would have been malanoma. His comb kept hitting it.

I think if people went into the Dermatologist office and saw how much money they make, maybe they would have second thoughts about that beautiful tan.

So get the sun block out and USE IT!!! Be PRO-ACTIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

I agree with you a thousand percent. No desire to sunbathe like we did in our youth or when we had an inground pool at home when our kids were young..........

At this stage in our lives, in the shade, covered up makes more sense......

How he broke out was accompanying all the grandkids to the beach; even though covered up for the most part and sitting under a big umbrella, obviously he still was exposed...........not to mention when he went deep sea fishing on the boat or fishing off the jetties or rocks......

The weather was beautiful, in the low to mid 70's with very low humidity but full sunshine nevertheless........only about one day out of two weeks was it 90 degrees.....and that was the foggy day....

Florida sun is much more intense...........so he will have to be careful.

Thanks for sharing.......

[senior citizen]

I always use 30 or 50 screen and it keeps me from getting burned. I wore a tank top ( to even out my "farmers Tan") and got burned a little.
My friends came to visit (from MInnesota) an tried to get a tan in one day.
They went to Miami and took a open deck tour w/o sunscreen.
They both got burned beet red. Sun is nothing to take for granted-plan accordingly:posting:


Miami is really hot and the sun can be fierce.

We were down there just once in 1965; drove down in a little French Renault with no air conditioning. Husband's arm which was hanging out of the window got totally burned.

I can just picture your farmer's tan......sounds like the kind Vermonters get.

[senior citizen]

When I moved he from Ohio I was not used to the sun at all. Spent the first couple of weeks at the pool every day. Ended up with the rash you are describing and didn't understand it since I had used sun tan lotion. The sport kind. Turned out I was allergic to the sun tan lotion. There are many chemicals in the lotion that I had never been exposed to before. Now I buy banana boat for kids spf 50 and for the face I use neutrogenia baby faces lotion. No problem since then.


Now that is a possibility except he didn't put any on. It was in the beach bag. I had brought several of them for each of the families......the others did use the sun block, but hubby did not.

However, that was a really good thought.....

His entire family does have sensitive skin......

[cquick]

I didn't need to move to Florida to get a sunburn.....I am a redhead and I am from Illinois....believe me, I have had plenty of sunburns! They hadn't even invented sunscreen until I was an adult.
:D:D

[jerseyvillager]

Whether on vacation or here to stay at TV. 15 minutes a side is MAX until you are ready to brown. Nothing ruins your time like a real burn.

[njbchbum]

senior citizen - as a jersey girl who LOVES her beach - i learned LONG AGO that one can develop a monster of a sunburn sitting under an umbrella just because of the reflection of the rays of the sun off the sand and the water! combine that with a day of deep sea fishing as well as just being out and about in the summer sun is a sure recipe for disaster.

long gone are the days of sunworshipping for this fair skinned and freckled beach bum! but i have not given up my love for sunshine - taken in appropriate doses! since we snowbird in the villages, i don't worry too much about a sunburn of any degree between jan and the end of april. lazy days are spent on the lanai - active days are spend washing the car/golf cart and/or shopping. the amount of sun exposure from either enables a gradual development of what i've heard called the 'natural' florida tan - the one picked up just from being outside doing the same things we do outside anywhere else.

were i to be a permanent resident - it's for sure i would have a wardrobe of hats for the summer/fall and an ample supply of spf 50 - 35 and moisturizer with vitamine and aloe! ;)

[senior citizen]

senior citizen - as a jersey girl who LOVES her beach - i learned LONG AGO that one can develop a monster of a sunburn sitting under an umbrella just because of the reflection of the rays of the sun off the sand and the water! combine that with a day of deep sea fishing as well as just being out and about in the summer sun is a sure recipe for disaster.

long gone are the days of sunworshipping for this fair skinned and freckled beach bum! but i have not given up my love for sunshine - taken in appropriate doses! since we snowbird in the villages, i don't worry too much about a sunburn of any degree between jan and the end of april. lazy days are spent on the lanai - active days are spend washing the car/golf cart and/or shopping. the amount of sun exposure from either enables a gradual development of what i've heard called the 'natural' florida tan - the one picked up just from being outside doing the same things we do outside anywhere else.

were i to be a permanent resident - it's for sure i would have a wardrobe of hats for the summer/fall and an ample supply of spf 50 - 35 and moisturizer with vitamine and aloe! ;)

You said it. Appropriate doses is the "key". Plus just getting the sun naturally without actively pursuing it. I know you are right about the reflection of the rays off the sand and the water.....plus the umbrella really not helping.

Thought you'd get a kick out of this.....our Jersey cousins from Westwood, Bergen County thought the Maine sand looked like "mud" compared to the soft whiter Jersey sand of Long Beach Island. Some of the pics she saw were of the grandkids digging a big hole right after "high tide".....so now, it's the competition of the war of who has better sand????

Obviously, it is New Jersey, our home state........that has the softer sand.

But Maine's seashores are pretty and quaint and what we've known for the past 43 years.......plus love the cliffs and the bold open ocean crashing against the rocks.......

[zonerboy]

What the OP is describing does not sound at all like a "normal" sunburn. In people with sensitive skin, exposure to sun for prolonged periods can result in a type of allergic reaction rather than a sunburn. This is characterized by red raised "bumps" on the exposed skin, which ate somewhat itchy and painful to the touch.
In addition, thre are a number of uncommon disease states which cause extreme reactions to bright sun. There are also a number of prescription medications which make the skin very, very sensitive to sunlight. Persons on such medications are often advised to stay out of any direct sun.
Please check with your doctor or dermatologist to be on the safe side. Do not rely on this website for advice on medical issues.

[Yung Dum]

No sunburn, but I did get a couple of skin cancers. Gotta be careful here.