A woman’s dream holiday turned into a horror story after just one hour in the sun left her face so swollen she “looked like a dog with a wasp sting”.
Brandy Lovering was on a getaway with her boyfriend, Kyle, when the nightmare unfolded on the first day of their week-long trip.
What was supposed to be a relaxing break quickly spiralled into a medical emergency – with the 24-year-old’s face blistering and swelling so badly she could barely open her eyes after she suffered sun poisoning.
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The unlucky tourist shared her ordeal to TikTok, where it has racked up a whopping 1.6m views.
“I was honestly thinking, what if I lose my eyesight or what if my face never goes back to normal?”, Brandy told Need To Know.
“I was so embarrassed leaving the hotel room, that I told my boyfriend I would never complain about a pimple or anything minor on my face ever again.
“My boyfriend said I looked so different, it was strange, but he was really sweet and a good sport about it which I appreciated.
“My friends thought I looked insane and they thought it was hilarious.
“I also got so many comments about my face [online], mainly from people saying I looked like a dog that had been stung by a wasp and how terrifying it was.
“I’ve also had an insane amount of negative comments on my TikTok about my stupidity and how it made me look.”
Brandy, who admits she never wears suncream, can recall her face feeling a little warm at first.
But soon, redness kicked in and small blisters started forming.
Brandy, who was holidaying in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, said: “Two small blisters on my forehead progressed into large blisters.
“Then I woke up with swelling on my face, mostly on the right side by my eye. The following day, both my eyes were completely swollen.
“The third day was the worst when my eyes were swollen shut.
“I knew immediately when I woke up that it was bad.
“My whole face felt tight and stretched out like a balloon.
“The pain wasn’t bad – it was just the tightness and uncomfortable feeling around my eyes.
“It didn’t feel like sunburn, that’s why it was more shocking.
“My family were worried and wanted me to fly home ASAP.
“I tried to ride it out, but once my eyes were swollen, we had a doctor come to the hotel room.
“He gave me some medication and cream and a shot in my bum to alleviate the swelling.
“I wasn’t wearing sunscreen, which is honestly my fault, but I had never worn sunscreen prior to this, which is also my fault.
“I’ve since started wearing sunscreen every day.”
The holiday-goer’s recovery included several days of cold compresses, creams and rest.
Brandy, who hails from Vancouver, Canada, said: “It honestly just felt like a long game of waiting it out.
“Luckily, I had no lasting damage which I’m so grateful for.
“I was worried there would be a tonne of scarring.
“I think because I was constantly reapplying the cream, it helped with that.
“Looking back, I 100% would have worn sunscreen and a hat.
“I now do not start my day without applying SPF50.
“Luckily I kept in good spirits the whole trip and tried to laugh it off.
“I’m happy I’m able to spread awareness about the importance of wearing sunscreen.”
