Woman unexpectedly falls asleep for hours in the sun – then instantly regrets it

Knowing how to stay safe and protect yourself from the sun's harsh UV rays is crucial in order to help prevent serious illnesses and damage to you skin.

While many people will happily spend hours roasting in the sun in order to achieve their desired tan colour, most medical experts will be quick to warn against doing this as several studies have shown that spending increased amount of time in the sun can lead to skin cancer. Because of this, it's important to apply sunscreen and cover up your skin when you're planning on spending time outside in direct sunshine.

However, sometimes accidents happens and you end up spending more time in the sun than you might have indented. This was the case for Haleigh Flanigan, who took to TikTok to share the results of having falling asleep in the sun.

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"Say a prayer for this sunburn, because I fell asleep today in the sun for two hours. And the UV was at a solid 10," she told her viewers.

In the video, Haleigh showed off her intense sunburn, which was bright red all over her face and down to her neck.

She then went on to say: "And at this point, I'm afraid I have sun poisoning."

The video quickly racked up over 10million viewers, and viewers soon took to the comments to share their concerns about the sunburn, with many agreeing that it looked like sun poisoning.

"Girl that’s sun poisoning," one person warned. Another person said: "It only takes 5 severe sunburns your entire life to DRASTICALLY increase the odds of skin cancer."

"That is a life changing sunburn. Schedule/keep up with regular skin checks," a third person said.

What is sun poisoning?

Sun poisoning refers to a severe sunburn that often seems similar to an allergic reaction. The burn not only makes your skin redder, but also causes other symptoms such as feeling sick and intensely uncomfortable," WebMDreports.

Some common side effects of sun poisoning is blistering or peeling skin, a severe rash, pain, swelling, headaches, fever and chills, nausea, and dizziness. Some of these symptoms, such as the pain and blistering, are a direct result of the damage to your skin. Others such as headache, nausea, and dizziness result from dehydration, which can happen because the burn draws fluid away from the rest of your body.

If you start showing signs of sunburn, it's recommended to get out of the sun immediately. You can then get relief by having a cool shower or bath, drinking extra fluids, taking ibuprofen to ease the pain, and using aloe gel or a moisturiser to help sooth your skin.

According to the NHS, you should ask for an urgent GP appointment if your skin has started to blister and get swollen from your sunburn, and your temperature is very high, or you feel hot and shivery, while also feeling tired, dizzy and sick, or if you have a headache.

If your baby or young child has gotten sunburn, it's also advised to contact your GP or call 111 for advice.