California sun can be painful, too

So when I was out in California a few weeks ago, I spent the good portion of an afternoon sitting in the sun because it wasn’t hot enough to broil me for the first time all summer. I neglected to administer any sunscreen, and was really pretty cocky about it, celebrating that the sun was nicer in California than in Arizona. Well, doesn’t the toppling of that idea just suck right out loud?
My chest got red and crispy, and while it wasn’t painful at all, it certainly was tight and red enough to keep me aware of it. I lotioned it as is prudent, and went about my business. It peeled the littlest bit last week, and I figured I was on my way to having a healthy chest of skin again. Over the last few days, it was still a bit bumpy, which I attributed to the peeling skin. So last night, I loofahed. Let me tell you, that was a bad idea. It felt okay in the process of the loofah, but the after effects have been troubling. My skin, and the bumps, hurt when I got out of the shower. I was in "skin pain," which isn’t horrible, but is enough to make you feel it. The actual skin was red again, and made me feel like it was being peeled away.
So I went downstairs and asked the doctor. His question, “Was there any liquid from the bumps? Did they break open and ooze?” No idea, as I was in the shower, but the question was enough to make me wonder for sure. “Second-degree burn would make you ooze, and if you broke open those bumps, that is what would be hurting you,” he said in explanation. I’m inclined to agree, even if the bumps weren’t as bad as so many burns you see on the internet or wherever. I suppose I should have gone to bed with a layer of Neosporin on my chest last night, but I just lotioned and rolled with the irritation. Believe it or not, it continues to hurt this afternoon.
Moral of the story: California sun is NOT nicer than Arizona sun.