Jenna Bush Hager reveals topless sunbathing once left her chest green — dermatologist reveals why
Jenna Bush Hager revealed this week that a trip to a topless beach in Spain during high school left her so scorched, her chest turned green.
'If you get burned, it's not pretty,' the 43-year-old 'Today With Jenna & Friends' co-host told actress Leslie Bibb on Tuesday's episode.
5 Actress Leslie Bibb appeared on the June 16 episode of 'Today With Jenna & Friends.'
NBC
When Bibb, 51, asked if her chest peeled, Bush Hager nodded — but then took things in a bizarre turn.
'They may have turned green,' the TV personality said. 'The opposite of the color wheel!'
'They turned green? Are you for real life?' the White Lotus star gasped.
'Oh, I don't think that's good,' Bibb added — and she's probably right.
Sunburns happen when you're exposed to too much ultraviolet (UV) light, which can penetrate into deep layers of the skin and cause cellular damage, according to the Mayo Clinic.
The body responds by increasing blood flow to the area, leading to inflamed skin we know as a burn.
'Signs that your burns are significant include painful redness, peeling and blisters,' Dr. Lauren Taglia, a dermatologist, told Northwestern Medicine.
In Bush Hager's case, her Elphaba-esque chest may have signaled something more serious going on beneath the surface.
5 Bush Hager's chest 'turned green' after a bad sunburn.
NBC
5 'Green!' Bibb exclaimed. 'That… makes me sick.'
TODAY with Jenna & Friends / TikTok
'When the skin barrier is significantly damaged from a bad sunburn, it's possible to develop a secondary bacterial infection,' Dr. Adarsh Vijay Mudgil, medical director of Mudgil Dermatology, told The Post.
Mudgil hasn't treated Bush Hager personally, but he speculated that her symptoms could be caused by impetigo, a common and contagious bacterial skin infection.
'This can lead to the formation of yellowish-green crusts, which would explain the green color she described,' Mudgil explained.
'Impetigo can be painful and requires antibiotics for treatment, either topical or systemic, depending on how widespread the infection is,' he noted.
Gross? Bush Hager agrees.
5 All skin types can burn, though those with a lighter complexion are more at risk.
Evgen – stock.adobe.com
The former first daughter said the experience was enough to scare her away from sunbathing for good.
'I try not, but this is years of sun damage,' she admitted, rubbing her arms and adding that she now gets regular skin checks.
She also offered some sage advice for viewers: wear sunscreen, especially when you're young.
'SPF babies, SPF! Get hip with it!' Bibb chimed in.
Dermatologists agree. For daily use, most experts recommend using sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30. If you're spending extended time outdoors, SPF 60 or higher is smart, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
For full-body coverage, aim for about one ounce of sunscreen — roughly a shot glass. And don't forget to reapply every two hours, or more if you're swimming or sweating.
Even if you're inside, you're not off the hook.
5 Hager Bush, a mom-of-three, wishes her younger self hadn't tanned so much.
Instagram/jennabhager
'Most ultraviolet (UV) rays can penetrate glass, so if you're working or relaxing near a window, you're receiving sun exposure,' Dr. Elisabeth G. Richard, a dermatologist, told the Skin Cancer Foundation.
The bright side: you won't have to reapply as frequently as you would outdoors, likely every four to six hours.
'Sun damage is cumulative,' Richard noted. 'So even if you're only exposed for a short time, it's important to have protection.'
Experts also recommend doubling up with wide-brimmed hats, sunglasses and protective clothing for extra coverage. When the sun's at its peak — between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. — your best bet is to head for the shade.
And if a green chest isn't warning enough, don't forget: Every sunburn — even a mild one — increases your risk of skin cancer, including melanoma, the deadliest form of all.
In fact, just one blistering burn in childhood or adolescence more than doubles your risk of melanoma later in life, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.
The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2025, 104,960 new melanoma cases will be diagnosed in the US — and 8,430 Americans will die from it.
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