Woman's extreme sunburn left her hallucinating and looking like an 'alien'

09 January 2024 , 11:33

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Cas wants to warn others (Image: No credit)

A woman who was severely sunburnt said her legs looked like an "alien" as she started hallucinating from the pain of the blisters.

Cas Flynn-Troy, a boxing and pilates teacher, was out in the sun all day at the Beyond The Valley festival in Australia. Despite applying sun cream several times, she noticed her legs turning "bright red" and feeling "hot". She sought help from the medical tent where she was given painkillers and cold water for her legs. But the next day, she noticed blisters appearing and felt exhausted.

"My legs looked like something alien after extreme sunburn," the 22 year old said. Upon returning home, she went to Royal Melbourne Hospital where the blisters were drained. Now back home, she is recovering from the ordeal.

"It felt like an alien was on my legs. It was horrible. The blisters were huge. It was the worst pain I've ever experienced," Cas said. "We started sitting outside in our pyjamas. We put on sunscreen at the beginning of the day and reapplied a couple of times - but clearly not enough," she added. "I put on trousers and noticed my legs were a little sore - but I'd been dancing for three days straight."

The huge blisters on her legs (No credit)

Cas had fun on New Year's Eve but then started seeing things that weren't there and her legs hurt. She added: "I remember thinking 'why are my legs hurting?' They just felt hot and they were swollen. I was holding the material of my trousers away. My legs were tender."

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Cas' legs are bandaged after having her blisters drained (No credit)

Once home her family told her to go to the hospital the next day. "They drained the blisters. I wouldn't think this could happen. People say you don't burn your legs." Cas says she now always carries four suncreams now and makes sure her legs are covered. "Check the UV rays - even if it's raining. Even if you tan it's still damaging your skin."

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]

Emma Dunn