A nursing student who forgot to wear SPF lip balm and only used Vaseline while sunbathing for a week was left unable to leave home without a mask - as her lip burned so badly it turned into a giant scab. Ellie Jean had gone to Portugal for the Rolling Loud festival earlier this month and spent a week sunbathing - using suncream on her body but she did not think of doing the same on her lips.
The 19-year-old says a painful burn appeared on her bottom lip that she mistook for a cold sore and so put some healing cream on it, hoping that would solve it - only to burn it more the next day. Horrifying photos show how almost her entire bottom lip became covered in painful blisters and a large black scab.
Ellie believes her lip filler may have exacerbated the problem by stretching out the skin on her lips and making them more prone to burning. She has now vowed to never forget to use SPF lip balm again and is warning others to remember areas they are prone to forgetting when applying sun lotion.
Vaseline owner Unilever confirmed their Lip Tins do not contain SPF and encouraged anyone in the sun to ensure they have adequate protection. Ellie, from Wigan, Greater Manchester, said: "I use Vaseline instead of lip gloss, I always have it on.
"I'd been sunbathing all the day before and then I woke up and I thought it was a cold sore at first because there was a lump. I put [a skin care] cream on it and then I wiped it off and went and sunbathed again. It was already blistered at that point but then it just got a lot worse.
"The next morning it was more prominent and it started drying and cracking. I just kept putting [skin healing] cream on it but it didn't really do anything. It felt like burning on my lip and whenever I tried to eat or move my mouth like to smile, all of it would crack and bleed and it was so painful.
"I got home the day after and I put on cold sore cream still thinking it was a cold sore but I think it must have made it a lot worse. They were all bleeding and cracking and I literally wouldn't leave the house without a mask, it was horrible."
The nursing student got home from holiday on Sunday July 10th and after almost a week of using different creams to try and heal her lip, she was forced to go to her doctor on Friday July 15th. Ellie claims the doctor said serious burns on lips are more common in people who have lip filler, leading her to believe her filler contributed to the problem by stretching and thinning the delicate skin.
She was prescribed a week-long course of antibiotics which she is still taking and thankfully her lips are gradually healing. Ellie said: "I thought the cold sore cream would sort it out but when I didn't I went to the doctor.
"I sent pictures to my GP and she replied and said 'that looks really painful, come in today'. She asked me if I have lip fillers and I do but I haven't had my lips done in a long time, since last November.
"She said it's definitely more common to get it with lip fillers so I was thinking it must be because it stretches the skin out. I'm still taking the antibiotics but the scab has come off now. When I stretch my lip I can see a bit of white still so I'm taking them until that clears."
The teen now vows to always use SPF on her lips and warns others to do the same as she recovers from the horrific burn. She hopes that the large scab won't leave a scar now that it has fallen off and her lip continues to heal.
Ellie said: "I know there's lip balms with SPF but I've never gone out of my way to buy one. I just thought it would be fine [using Vaseline only].
"I can see a bit of scarring but the scab only came off the other day so I don't know if it's just because it's only just fell off. I've been telling everyone to put suncream on your lips. I definitely will be from now on."
A spokesperson for Unilever, who own Vaseline, said: "Our Vaseline Lip Tins do not contain an SPF and we would advise anyone sunbathing to ensure they've got adequate protection. We hope Ellie recovers soon."
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