Sunburn, exercise... then blisters everywhere? Help?

eclare87

I got a really nasty sunburn on Sunday at the beach. It's on my belly, back and legs. Somehow my upper chest and face escaped it? Maybe the water washed the sunscreen off my other body parts.

But anyhow. I took a few days off from exercising to let it heal but today I couldn't stand it any longer and did a short run (indoors since my skin is still red but not painful to the touch any longer) and then some strength training.

As I was finishing up working out I noticed my back seemed to have beads of sweat all over it. I touched it and realized they were a bunch of tiny blisters! I even have some on my belly and upper legs now. Some of them have popped naturally and the skin is still slightly pink underneath. Is this OK? Can I still workout or should I wait longer? I was planning on running tomorrow morning but I don't want my skin to get too crazy?

It doesn't hurt or anything but I don't want to get scars or infections or anything like that.

s1lence

Doing a quick search in wikipedia on sunburns and it looks like the blisters are just a normal reaction for some people. Keep yourself clean and you may be alright (not medical advice just an opinion).

crisanderson27

It's just the dead skin (that will eventually peel off) holding the sweat in.

Nothing to worry about.

eclare87

Should I still keep working out or take it easy?

crisanderson27

Should I still keep working out or take it easy?

I see no reason to stop working out because of it. I mean...I work out in the sun, and usually burn pretty badly at the beginning of the summer. I've had this happen in the past...and just kept working. No issues have come of it. The skin would come off on its own anyhow eventually.

Angie0rtiz

If you really worried about it I would see a dermatologist. In my opinion those little bubble could just be persperation trap under your skin.
My daughter had that problem on her arms. Just shower with a sponge or towel that can give your skin soft scrub, and dont use lotion (cream is better if you must use).

bathsheba_c

I once got a sunburn where I had blisters as a result. It turns out that sunburns are literal burns, so blisters = second degree burns.

I would have them checked out by a dermatologist. I had to have my sunburn treated with burn ointment!

shacky10

I noticed this exact same thing tonight after my P90X workout. I got a lot of sun on Monday and have been paying for it since... ouch! Tonight was my first night back full throddle so I thought it was just beads of sweat. Just like you said... trapped bubbles under the skin! My husband did some research while I was in the shower and said it was probably just sweat trying to escape but getting trapped behind dead skin. Some of the blisters have popped as my skin is beginning to peel. Also, after a few hours the other blisters have mostly gone away. I wouldn't intentionally pop them as the skin underneath is still trying to heal. Let nature take its course and be gentle after workouts!

eclare87

Thanks for the tips guys! I worked out again this morning.

piesbd

It's just the dead skin (that will eventually peel off) holding the sweat in.

Nothing to worry about.

Yep... been there... done that... the blisters are just full of sweat (gross). They will peel just like a normal burn will.

LilRedRooster

If you didn't aggravate the burn by getting in the sun again, i.e., got a worse sunburn, the blisters are just sweat that ends up trapped under the layer of epidermis that you haven't shed yet from the burn. If you made the sunburn worse, as in you burned it further, blisters are a sign of a second-degree burn, where you burned past the initial layer of epidermis, and although they aren't life-threatening on their own, they sure are painful, and can increase risk of infection if the burn is bad enough or covers a very large area. I actually still have scars on my shoulders from a nearly third-degree burn I got from being out in the sun one day, so they can be pretty serious. That's why I always wear sunscreen now, even for shorter periods, because burns of any kind increase your skin's risk for developing issues later on in life.

From your description, it sounds like you just sweat, and it got stuck. I wouldn't worry about it, because it will go away on it's own, though if you go outside again while it's still burned, cover up. Don't just wear sunscreen, because it will have no effect on dead or damaged skin cells. Literally cover it all up to keep it safe while healing.

eclare87

Yes I think it is just sweat. Some of them have popped (yuck) and I'm guessing it's just my sweat underneath. It's so hard not to rub the bubbles! Haha. I do want to get rid of them.

marlavillalobos61180

I had the same thing happen.I got a terrible burn on a Friday after cardio and weight training on Monday I was just still burnt. Tuesday after an hour of cardio and weight training the blisters appeared. There's no way it is sweat. I continued to heat from a second degree sun burn and on Tuesday it finally blistered. My Dr. is going to let me exercise but nothing in the gym can touch my back because of the extremely high risk of staff infections and other infections in the gym if the blisters were to burst. I also have to use burn cream twice a day. Even though it is a sun burn remember it's still a second degree burn over a large area on your largest body organ. I realize this thread is old but with weather warming I wanted to share the medical advice given to me by my Doctor.