Woman Left With Huge Scab On Lip After Sunbathing Fail

In what is anybody's worst nightmare during the summer season, an unfortunate woman was left with a giant scab after her lip burned in the sun.

Ellie Jean travelled to Portugal for the Rolling Loud festival earlier this month and as anyone would, spent a week sunbathing.

The nursing student wore suncream on her body but did not think of wearing SPF lip balm and only used Vaseline, as she normally does.

Ellie soon noticed a painful burn had appeared on her bottom lip which she mistook for a cold sore. The 19-year-old tried to treat the burn with healing cream but unfortunately, the burn become soon more agitated.

Kennedy News and Media.

“The next morning it was more prominent and it started drying and cracking,” Ellie explained. “I just kept putting [skin healing] cream on it but it didn't really do anything.

"It felt like burning on my lip and whenever I tried to eat or move my mouth like to smile, all of it would crack and bleed and it was so painful.

"I got home the day after and I put on cold sore cream still thinking it was a cold sore but I think it must have made it a lot worse.

"They were all bleeding and cracking and I literally wouldn't leave the house without a mask, it was horrible."

Ellie, from Wigan, Greater Manchester, arrived home from holiday on 10 July and after almost a week of using different creams to try and heal her lip, she was forced to go to her doctor five days later.

Ellie believes her lip filler may have exacerbated the problem by stretching out the skin on her lips and making them more prone to burning.

Kennedy News and Media.

When she went to the hospital for treatment, Ellie claims the doctor said serious burns on lips are more common in people who have lip filler, leading her to believe her filler contributed to the problem by stretching and thinning the delicate skin.

"She said it's definitely more common to get it with lip fillers so I was thinking it must be because it stretches the skin out,” Ellie said.

"I'm still taking the antibiotics but the scab has come off now. When I stretch my lip I can see a bit of white still so I'm taking them until that clears."

She was prescribed a week-long course of antibiotics which she is still taking and thankfully her lips are healing gradually.

Ellie has now vowed to never forget to use SPF lip balm again and is warning others to remember areas they are prone to forgetting when applying sun lotion.

Kennedy News and Media.

Ellie said: "I know there's lip balms with SPF but I've never gone out of my way to buy one. I just thought it would be fine [using Vaseline only].

"I can see a bit of scarring but the scab only came off the other day so I don't know if it's just because it's only just fell off.

"I've been telling everyone to put suncream on your lips. I definitely will be from now on."

Vaseline owner Unilever confirmed their Lip Tins do not contain SPF and encouraged anyone in the sun to ensure they have adequate protection.

A spokesperson for Unilever, who own Vaseline, said: "Our Vaseline Lip Tins do not contain an SPF and we would advise anyone sunbathing to ensure they've got adequate protection.

"We hope Ellie recovers soon."

Topics: Life, Real Life, Health

Gregory Robinson

Gregory is a journalist working for Tyla. After graduating with a master's degree in journalism, he has worked for both print and online publications and is particularly interested in TV, (pop) music and lifestyle. He loves Madonna, teen dramas from the '90s and prefers tea over coffee.