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Teenager Suffers Horrible Blistering On Her Legs After Day Out In The Sun

Teenager Suffers Horrible Blistering On Her Legs After Day Out In The Sun

Warning: Distressing images

Michael Minay

Michael Minay

The weather this week has confirmed what most Brits knew already, summer is over. Three-and-a-half days of sunshine and we're done.

However, one girl, who managed to catch the sun full on during that short period between spring and autumn, ended up in hospital after severe burning led to dozens of huge, orange blisters on her legs.

Hannah Hughes, 18, was on a week-long holiday in west Wales as part of celebrating the end of her AS levels.

With a stiff sea breeze, she didn't feel as if the sun was affecting her on her three-hour trip. But, later that evening, her skin turned red raw and she began vomiting.

Penny-sized sacs of pus began to grow on the back of her leg. They increased to the size of golf balls and resulted in a week-long hospital stay.

Warning: Distressing images

Credit: Mercury Press

"Stupidly, I decided not to wear sun screen that day," she explained. "It didn't feel all that warm because of the sea breeze, so I didn't realise I was getting burnt.

"We were only in Wales, which isn't the most exotic country in the world, so I didn't think twice about it."

All of her mates suffered from red, burnt skin, yet Hannah had it the worst.

She said: "When I got home I was stuck in bed for two days and that's when I started getting blisters.

"I couldn't get out of bed alone so mum had to help me up to go to the bathroom; it was humiliating."

Credit: Mercury Press

Credit: Mercury Press

Hannah was sent to North Staffordshire Hospital where simple tasks like having a wash or brushing her teeth became difficult.

She was offered two options. She could have the blisters sliced off, with risk of infection or scarring, or she could have her legs bandaged up.

"I decided on having them bandaged which was possibly my safest option and by letting them pop on their own," she explained.

"They had to change them [the bandages] quite often which was pretty painful and grim looking but it was a relief to know they were going away."

It took four weeks for her legs to recover, and it's safe to say Hannah has learned her lesson, which is something she wants to pass on to others as well.

Credit: Mercury Press

Her mum, Kerry, added: "Hannah wants to share these awful pictures to prove that the sun is just as strong here in the UK as it is abroad.

"It's not worth the pain, the stay in hospital or the embarrassment. I'm urging people to always use sun screen so they don't go through what Hannah did."

The power of UV rays is often underestimated. Ninety percent of UV can pass through light cloud, with altitude also having an impact. The higher you go, the stronger the UV rays.

Featured Image Credit: Mercury Press

Topics: Wales