- A NYC woman suffered severe skin burns after spilling lime juice and sun exposure
- She warned others to avoid sun after handling citrus and to wash hands thoroughly
- Margarita Burn is medically known as phytophotodermatitis caused by UV and furocoumarins
A New York City woman has urged users to take precautions while making citrus cocktails after a casual day mixing drinks left her with severe, blistering skin reactions, a condition commonly known as "Margarita Burn". As reported by the New York Post, Haley Peacock, a Brooklyn-based designer, accidentally spilt citrus juice onto her hands and arms while preparing fresh lime juice for drinks under bright sunlight.
In a social media post, she shared her experience and further urged users to "please, please, please, do not squeeze citrus and then go lay in the sun."
"And if you do, please wash your hands with soap like 17 times," she added.
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She didn't wash the area immediately and remained out in the sun. Within 24 to 48 hours, her skin broke out in intense redness, deep hyperpigmentation, and painful blisters resembling severe second-degree burns.
"After I was finished with squeezing all of the limes, I ran my hands under the sink," She said in the video, thinking one quick rinse is sufficient to wash it off.
"I didn't think much of it - my hands didn't feel sticky or anything, and I knew we were just going to be by the pool and in the pool all day, so I just really didn't think - I don't know. It didn't really cross my mind," she added.
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What is a 'Margarita Burn'?
The medical term for Margarita Burn is phytophotodermatitis. It occurs when organic compounds called furocoumarins, found in limes, lemons, celery, figs, and certain wildflowers, are absorbed into the skin and react with solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
This chemical reaction damages cellular DNA, causing severe inflammation, burning, and long-lasting dark spots or scarring that can take months to fade.
"I commonly see phytophotodermatitis when somebody has been barbecuing on a sunny afternoon and having drinks with limes in them, like margaritas or beers with a lime squeezed in," Dermatologist Melissa Piliang told the Cleveland Clinic, as quoted in the media outlet.
