Ah, sun tans! They're the easiest way to let everyone know that we had some fun in the sun this summer. It's also a great way to get some vitamin D while you have a good old fashioned day at the beach.
But there are a lot of reasons why putting on SPF 30 (at least!) is a good idea. Aside from protecting the skin from UV rays that can cause premature aging and cancer, it's the best way to avoid some serious sunburn fails that will put the bummer in summer.
Don’t Sun Stick and Sunbathe
Sun sticks are like a lipstick for your face. But while they’re super easy to apply on your neck, arms, and ears, they don’t really work that great when applying to the back and chest areas.
The Last Airbender
Not sure if this guy intended to make an arrow that looks just like the one in "Avatar: The Last Airbender," but that's exactly what he got on the top of his bald head when he got tanned. Fortunately, it makes a great selfie for social media.
They Have Matching Feet
This guy wore his socks on when he went to the beach. Aside from this being a major fashion faux pas, he ended up with his feet matching the super white shade of his dog's paws.
His Skin Matches His Hair Color
This red head forgot to bring his SPF to the beach and ended up with pink skin all over his body. And now his skin matches the color of his hair. Hey, at least his tan is even unlike most of the folks on this list.
The Leggings Sun Burn Fail
Wearing those netted sports leggings while out on a jog might have seemed like a great idea at the time. But this jogger soon realized that the sun loves creating weird patterns every chance it gets.
She Has a Pattern on Her Chest
This poor girl looks like some kind of roped meat that's been in the oven for too long. But this is what she gets for wearing a strappy top to the beach. Next time, grab a tub, fill it up with sunscreen, take a dip in it, and THEN put on your bathing suit. Isn't that what dermatologists suggest?
His War Paint Ruined His Tan
This guy painted on some lines all over his bare chest, stomach and upper arms. And judging from the kilt, he was probably trying to channel his inner Mel Gibson from "Braveheart." But what he got when he washed the pain off were a series of lines where the paint stripes were. Hey, at least the paint was sun-proof.
They Look Like Lobsters
This couple did everything together, including forgetting to use some sunscreen at the beach. Well, they had some fun in the sun and now their skin is so red they look like lobsters. Judging from their facial expressions, those sunburns look pretty painful too.
Don't Wear Ripped Jeans
Ripped jeans should be illegal at the beach. Unfortunately for this woman, they're not and she has the sun burnt knees to prove them. Then again, who wants to lay on the sand with jeans?
Great Muscles, Bad Tan
This guy’s showing off what months of discipline and progressive overload can do to your body. But the only thing his buddy is pointing at are his legs and it's not because they’re muscular. He’s pointing at the severe sunburn only some aloe cream can alleviate.
He's Not Wearing White Socks
Talk about overdoing it! Let's clear a few things up. First of all, this guy's natural skin tone is white. Second of all, he's not wearing white socks. Yes, really! His feet were simply covered while the rest of his legs were getting tanned. Now that is one serious looking tan.
Here's Why Sunscreen Sprays Don't Work
There are two things to take away from this photo. One: Don't ever use a sunscreen spray to apply SPF protection. Two: Don't ever let someone else do it. The kid on the far right has the most protection, but it looks like whoever sprayed this family got lazier and lazier as they kept applying and the kid on the far left ended up with a strange sunburn pattern on his back.
The Tribal Tan
This interesting looking sunburn is eerily reminiscent of tribal tattoo patterns worn by Native Americans. So it’s a safe bet that he intentionally designed this tan by putting sunscreen on only certain parts of his back. Was he looking for his 15 minutes of fame on the internet? Who knows!
The Neapolitan Sunburn Effect
The Neapolitan sunburn effect isn't the latest insane beauty trend on social media. This guy just sunburned unevenly. It's safe to say that he was trying to even out his tan but ended up with three different shades on his leg.
She Wound Up with the Popsicle Look
This girl is covering her face in shame for a good reason. Someone in her family noticed that the uneven tan on her arms and legs look eerily similar to the two shades on a popsicle stick. Now she'll never look at a popsicle stick the same way again.
Everywhere But the Shoulders
Looks like this guy applied sunscreen on his neck and shoulders but he couldn’t reach his middle and lower back. So now he has a massive sunburn in one of the worst places in his body. We say this because it’s tough sitting down when you’ve got a sunburn like this.
At Least the Henna Tattoo Was Sun-Proof
Most people on this list can't say that their sun burn looked out of this world, but she can. She had a Henna tattoo on the side of her body that went all the way to the upper part of her rib cage. And when she tanned, the pattern turned into a terrifying looking alien.
A Tan on His Backside
This guy wasn't having fun at the beach. He was actually painting his deck outside and ended up showing his plumber's crack while bending down. Unfortunately, this led to an unsightly looking sun burn.
The Tan That Popped the Question
This guy wanted to ask someone out to the prom in a way that was unique. So, he had someone apply sunscreen in the shape of the letters “PROM” followed by a question mark at the bottom. Hopefully, their date said yes.
Tanned Back, Pale Legs
This guy should consider going to a tanning salon so he can get the skin on his pasty white legs to match his tanned back. There's no way that he's going to be able to even out his tan by just sitting on the deck.
His Smile Won't Last
Oh sure! This guy may have plenty of reasons to smile given that he has a nice home and some killer abs. But he also has a really intense sun burn. And when that tan starts stinging, that smile will turn into a frown.
Batman Burns
No need to ask who this guy’s favorite DC hero is. The evidence is sunburned all over his chest. Maybe he should have bought himself one of those temporary Batman tattoos that wash off after a few days to avoid the risk of skin cancer.
At Least the Necklace Was Sun-Proof
Wearing a metal necklace at the beach sounds so painful. Judging from the intense redness on her skin, she probably felt like she was being branded by the piece of jewelry around her neck. Next time, leave the jewelry at home, girl.
Don’t Croc and Tan
This poor person! He wore those funny looking crocs that are so comfortable but so not appealing. He also forgot that crocs have holes, so now he has tanned spots on the tops of his feet that make him look like a sci-fi alien.
The Pokémon Sun Tan Design
There's no way to know how this guy ended up with a sun-tanned Pokémon design this intricate on his back. But this may be the coolest tan so far. And it certainly keeps people from wondering why he's covered in mud. At least, we hope that's mud.
Nice Sun Burn Shades
Let this be a lesson to everyone! If you want a nice, even tan on your face, make sure that you take your glasses off before going out in the sun. Otherwise, you’ll end up like this gal who will probably switch to contacts after this experience.
Kim's Embarrassing Face Tan Line
Most people get tan lines in the oddest place, but in true Kardashian fashion, Kim went ahead and upstaged everyone by getting an embarrassing tan line on her face. Don't worry, she has since used many skincare products to look like her beautiful self again.
The Tanned Zebra Design
Here's another example of why spray sunscreens don't work when the person spraying you is too lazy. The spray needs to go on evenly. Spraying from left to right like someone's spraying insecticide in the air leads to tanned zebra stripes like this one.
His Shirt Isn’t Neon Pink
At a glance, it looks like this guy is wearing a neon pink shirt. But his tattoo proves otherwise. Yup! That's a serious tan right there and judging from the look on the guy's face, it must be really painful.
She's Got a Serious Chest Burn
Everyone will know exactly what she did last summer unless she wears a t-shirt. It's obviously that she was enjoying the sun just a little too much and didn't think twice about wearing any sunscreen on her upper chest.
The Tan That Turned Him In
This guy probably wishes that he had committed a crime wearing a face mask. That way no one would have given the cops the description of a bearded guy with a two-toned sun burn on his face.
This Guy's Epic Bikini Top Tan Line
The great thing about the beach these days is that people can wear whatever they want without a care. But in this case, the guy in the photo was wearing a bikini top when he was out in the sun. As a result, he ended up with a bikini top tan line that had heads turning. But he seems pretty proud of it.
X Marks the Spot
They say that X marks the spot on a treasure map, but this X shows this woman's poor judgment when it came to not applying any sunscreen before putting on her strappy bathing suit. Now she has a giant X across her chest.
The Safety Helmet Fail
This poor guy! He put on a safety helmet before going on a bike ride. But he forgot about skin safety. Now the top of his head looks like the top of Freddy Krueger's head from "A Nightmare on Elm Street."
The Sun Burn V Neck Line
Here's the downside to wearing a V-neck shirt when you're out in the sun too long. This guy should have applied some sunscreen to his face and neck. Now he looks like a cosplay character at a Comic-Con convention.
The S Stands for Stupid
This guy applied sunscreen in a specific pattern so that it would look like the "S" shield that Superman wears on his costume. When the rest of his skin tanned, the design became more visible, but the "S" looks like a 3-year-old drew it and skin cancer wasn't worth doing this.
Her Midriff Got Roasted
It's a good thing she doesn't have a belly button ring because she won't be showing her midriff any time soon. Just look at that sunburn. She must have been tanning in the sun for several hours.
She Left the Tags On
This young woman toasted in the sun while sporting her new bikini. How do we know that it was new? Her tan shows that she left the tags on. Well, at least now she can return this painful reminder of one of the worst tans of her life.
The Tanned Hat Outline
There are a lot of pros to being bald. For one thing, you never have to worry about having a bad hair day. Unfortunately, wearing a hat like this guy did can have some major consequences. The rest of his face is tanned but the top of his head is like a white dome.
He Didn't SPF His Chest
This guy must have been having a slow day when he went to the beach. He applied sunscreen to his entire face, neck and arms. But for whatever reason, he neglected to apply the sunscreen on his chest and stomach which are now tomato red.
He's Happy and He Knows It
This bandana wearing beachgoer is happy and he's not afraid to show it. So, he applied two blotches of sun screen on his chest and a crescent moon shape above his navel. And when he tanned his chest, he ended up with a happy face that's both cute and creepy.
It's Not a White Shirt
At a glance, it might seem like this woman is wearing a white shirt over her tanned skin. But the bottom part and the straps are actually the area of her back that were protected from the sun. The upper half is a serious case of sunburn.
The Painful Tanned Knot
Here's a reason why no one should wear a bikini top with a big knot on their back. This woman wound up with an uneven tan and a knotted pattern on her back. Guess she'll have to wait a couple of weeks before walking at the beach or the pool.
Never Sleep Outside with Cereal
This person fell asleep outside with a bowl of cereal between their legs and a spoon. What they weren’t banking on was this painful sunburn that left them with a reminder to never sleep outside after you eat.
He Has Farmer’s Burn
This guy got farmer’s burn because the sun scorched his neck and arms while working out in the field. But at least his chest, stomach and back were protected by the shirt he wore.
The Fried Tomato Look
He spent so much time in the sun that the skin on his face and neck are as red as a tomato. And it might just be a crazy coincidence but his hair looks like it’s pretty singed too. What happened, buddy?
An Un-Happy Birthday
She certainly looked happy celebrating her birthday. She even had the word "HAPPY" temporarily painted to her forehead. Unfortunately, she also spent time in the sun. And a couple of hours later, she discovered that her face had tanned everywhere except where she glued the word "HAPPY". But will she happily wait weeks or even months until it fades away? Doubt it.