What a great question !

First, congratulations to your son on winning his game. :)

Next.. ouch, ouch, ouch....
Best help I've found is plain old white vinegar.It takes the pain away for a little while and seems to help a bit with the peeling. I still pealed but not the entire area if that makes sense. On a washcloth is fastest, but put it in a spray bottle works so well . I think your probably supposed to add some water to the bottle but I never did..I was always too busy screaming and desperate.

I have wondered about this exact thing. All of my life, a life punctuated by hyper episodes and natural remissions, with a few hypo time frames.... I have always gotten burned badly with the tiniest sun exposure . I can build up over the season and stand more sun by the end of summer, but the risk is alawys there. I'm a work in the shade girl.

My bad burns started in childhood, and the adults did try to prevent it, and were always shocked how badly I burned. The burn is fast, purple rad, with little hive type water blisters on the worst areas. A bad burn makes me sick to my stomach, and I feel a bit like I have the flu. So between the "ouch, ouch, ouch", and the puking, I'm not much fun to be around. But never any tan.. I just turn not so white-white.

Thought it was my fair skin... BUT.. the last few years this is not happening. Maybe this better way of being stared when my thyroid became normal ? Wish I knew.

I was wondering this very thing, this past week. I see what looks like a tan, and I keep trying to wash it off. LOL

Here's a link:

http://doublecheckmd.com/EffectsDetail.do?dname=methimazole&sid=12206&eid=1599

I did not have this problem.

Are you low in Vitamin D?

{{{hugs}}}

:D

How re we supposed to get enough vitamin D when we are "allergic" to the sun ? LOL

I'm joking.

But you know what.. I did start taking vitamin D right after I hit remission..and that's about when things changed. Hummm?

ok thank you all, I usually can stay in the sun with no problem but ever since I have been diagnosed with graves it seems like everything has changed, my husband said I wasnt even in the sun for 5 minutes I was just in the sun long enough for him to put up a shade tent. So really confused, maybe I just cant handle the sun anymore, my dr said I had that vertiligo but I didnt think it was that bad and he warned me to not be in the sun too much but dang 2 to 5 minutes is not long, really weird

That's interesting that this is new for you. Wonder how it will be next summer. If your around let me know.

Okay.. as a long term sunburn person I might be able to help a bit.

Sun hat ! I find the colored straw hats with a nice solid hat band stay on really well.
Wrap around sunglasses.. best are sold in places that sell to builders, roofers, policemen.

Long sleeved white cotton shirts to put on when needing to walk where it's sunny. I've always planned my day so there is shade, and it can be done. I work outdoors most of the time.

Don't forget that area between the tops of your shoes and the bottom of rolled up jeans. One of my worst burns ever was right there. I still have scars there to prove it... over 30 years later.

Obviously the strongest sun block they sell.. but I found that's not really much help. But I still do it.. guess things would be worse if I didn't.

Carry a water bottle and drink a little bit often. We do tend to dehydrate quickly. I don't notice it soon enough some times, and then I have to stop everything and take a few hours break to get it back together.

Me.. hope I eventually stop trying to wash this "dirt" off of me.

I live in southern AZ and have brown hair like you. Since I've had Graves I'm out in the sun often. Only use sunscreen if I'm out mid day for a long time (I know I'll pay for it later). I go for a walk around 7AM each morning for about an hour and don't burn.

It may be from the meds your on. Read the sheet that the pharmacy gives you with your refill and see if it warns you to stay out of the sun.

A few years ago I was on a med for a short time for something unrelated to Graves and I burned every time I went outdoors. Problem went away a few weeks after I finished the meds.