‘Traumatised' mum watches doctors ‘peel' her screaming daughter's ‘erupting, bleeding skin' after SPF mistake

The Irish Sun

18-07-2025

A "TRAUMATISED" mum had watch doctors peel off her daughter's skin after the tot got so badly sunburned, her skin erupted in giant yellow blisters.
Lauren McMaster, 30, was enjoying the sun in her mum's back yard in Luton, Bedfordshire, while her six-year-old
Paisley
McMaster played in the
pool
on July 5.
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Paisley McMaster, 6, got badly sunburned while playing in the pool on July 5
Credit: Kennedy News
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The tot's skin broke out in large, pus-filled blisters
Credit: Kennedy News
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The tot was rushed to hospital where her blistered skin had to be 'peeled' off
Credit: Kennedy News
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Her mum Lauren McMaster, 30, said she was 'traumatised' by the experience
Credit: Kennedy News
Lauren said her daughter was running in and out of the house so she wasn't in the sun for too long, but the mum still made sure to
She even placed an umbrella over the pool when it got to midday, when the sun is the hottest.
Lauren normally dresses Paisley in a t-shirt to avoid the sun, but she let the youngster try out her new swimsuit - which exposed her shoulders to the sun's rays more than usual.
The mum chose
Read more on sun safety
Later that day, Lauren noticed the tot's shoulders, back and chest were red.
Early the following morning, a "horrified" Lauren woke up to Paisley screaming - her sunburn had worsened and she erupted in "painful"
The mum-of-two took Paisley to Luton and Dunstable Hospital the
next
day where doctors had to burst her blisters and "peel" her skin off.
She describes the ordeal as the "worst experience of her life" and is warning other parents to keep children covered up in the sun.
Most read in Health
"Put clothes on them, do your research," the mum said.
Lauren, from Glasgow, Scotland, said: "We were in Luton at my mum's, in the garden, and she was in and out, it wasn't like she was out all day.
I laid on the beach for just ONE hour but the sunburn was brutal and left me looking like a wasp-stung dog - don't make my mistake
"She was inside watching telly, playing on her iPad and then she was out in the pool with her cousins.
"She wanted to wear her new swimming costume and I said you can wear it for a little while but then she had a swimming top.
"I put sun cream on her every half hour to 45 minutes, because she's ginger. I've always been worried about this happening, but we've been on holiday to Spain and she didn't get like this.
"I put an umbrella over the pool around the middle of the day because I know that's the hottest time of the day.
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Paisley was 'hysterical and screaming' as she had her blistered skin removed
Credit: Kennedy News
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The tot begged to go home while it was happening
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She was later covered up in bandages
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It could take up to two years for Paisley's skin to recover
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"When she was in the shower, I noticed she was a bit red so I put some after sun on her and then got her ready in her pyjamas.
"She woke up at 4am just screaming in pain and the
"The next day the blisters started, very little, and the blisters started forming together to make a bigger blister.
"I called 111 and they called me back the next morning and told me to take her to hospital."
The mum watched horrified as medics removed Paisley's burnt and blistered skin.
"They literally just pinched [blisters] and pulled them from her skin.
"It was the most traumatic thing I've ever watched, it was horrendous.
"They had to rub her skin down, to scrape her skin off.
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Paisley's skin now looks like she has 'really bad eczema'
Credit: Kennedy News
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Lauren said the tot would be spending the rest of the summer indoors
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"She was hysterical, screaming. It was the worst experience of my life, I wouldn't wish that upon my worst enemy. She was begging for them to stop and go home.
"Even touching the sunburn was hurting her so scraping down her skin was the worst experience.
"They had to put plasters on her wounds because the air hitting them was making them worse."
The next morning, Paisley had to return to hospital and her skin started 'bleeding' as doctors reportedly continued to remove and wash her skin.
Sun protection tips
Sunburn increases your risk of skin cancer. Sunburn does not just happen on holiday - you can burn in the UK, even when it's cloudy.
There's no safe or healthy way to get a tan. A tan does not protect your skin from the sun's harmful effects.
Aim to spend time in the shade when the sun is strongest. In the UK, this is between 11am and 3pm from March to October.
Make sure you:
Spend time in the shade between 11am and 3pm
Never burn
Cover up with suitable clothing and sunglasses
Take extra care with children
Use at least factor 30 sunscreen
Most people don't apply enough sunscreen - adults should aim to apply around six to eight teaspoons of sunscreen if you're covering your entire body.
If sunscreen is applied too thinly, the amount of protection it gives is reduced.
If you plan to be out in the sun long enough to risk burning, sunscreen needs to be applied twice:
30 minutes before going out
Just before going out
Sunscreen should be applied to all exposed skin, including the face, neck and ears, and head if you have thinning or no hair, but a wide-brimmed hat is better.
It needs to be reapplied liberally and frequently, and according to the manufacturer's instructions.
This includes applying it straight after you have been in water, even if it's "water resistant", and after towel drying, sweating or when it may have rubbed off.
It's also recommended to reapply sunscreen every 2 hours, as the sun can dry it off your skin.
Source:
NHS
Lauren said: "I took her back and they took the plasters off and started ripping her skin off again, she started bleeding.
"They had to wash it and clean it, put different bandages on her.
"They then started to rip her skin off and she was screaming, she was begging for a break.
"At one point I had to say, I can't watch this anymore, you're really traumatising her."
The sun will never see her skin ever again
Lauren McMaster
Paisley was then referred to the Broomfield Hospital burns unit in Essex.
There, the tot was seen by a plastic surgeon who was able to remove her blisters using scissors.
"A plastic surgeon came and he got some scissors, made a little hole and just let the liquid pour out and then cut the blister with the scissors and she was much calmer that way."
The mum said Paisley is now doing better but it could take up to two years for her skin to return to normal.
How to care for sunburn safely
WE should all avoid getting burnt in the sun as it can cause skin cancer.
But if you do get burnt this summer, it's important to take care of your skin safely.
Your skin will likely feel hot to the touch, be sore and painful, and flake or peel after a few days. If your burn is severe, your skin may also blister.
According to the NHS, the best ways to ease
Get out of the sun as soon as possible
Cool your skin with a cool shower, bath or damp towel (take care not to let a baby or young child get too cold)
Apply aftersun cream or spray
Drink plenty of water to cool down and prevent dehydration
Take painkillers, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen for any pain
Cover sunburnt skin from direct sunlight until skin has fully healed
You should also avoid using petroleum jelly, putting ice or ice packs directly on sunburnt skin, popping blisters, scratching or trying to remove peeling skin and tight-fitting clothing.
Most of the time, sunburn can be treated at home. But you should ask for an urgent GP appointment or call 111 if you've been out in the sun and:
Your skin is blistered or swollen
Your temperature is very high, or you feel hot and shivery
You feel very tired, dizzy and sick
You have a headache and muscle cramps
Your baby or young child has sunburn
Severe sunburn can lead to heat exhaustion and
Source: NHS
"It looks like really bad
eczema
, she has to be out of the sun for two years, always protected.
"I said the sun will never see her skin ever again," Lauren said.
"She is just happy she can move and that she is not blistered."
Lauren vowed to keep Paisley indoors this
summer
to protect her skin.
"It's been hot and she's not allowed to go in the sun, she has to be covered up. We just stay in and play games," she said.
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Lauren warned other parents to take extra care with protecting their kids from the sun
Credit: Kennedy News
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Paisley 'is just happy she can move and that she is not blistered'
Credit: Kennedy News