The Next Time You Want To Skip Sunscreen, Look At This Viral Photo

Most of us already know how important it is to put on sunscreen — especially when we're going to be out and about in the summer. But in case anyone was unconvinced, these photos will prove to you exactly why sun cream is so essential.

On Monday, Twitter user Greg Binnie (@grgbinnie), from Edinburgh, Scotland, tweeted that he had a sunburn bad enough that he had to take time off work.

"In all seriousness, put on sun cream," he tweeted. "2nd degree burns from doing a days work outside lol. Am in fucking agony."

He wasn't joking — the sunburns were bad enough to give him second degree burns, he said.

Warning: these photos aren't for the faint of heart.

Second degree burns, also known as partial thickness burns, occur when both the epidermis and the dermis layers of the skin are burnt, and can be caused by scald injuries as well as sunburns. Not to mention, hardcore burns like these make you more susceptible for skin cancers such as melanoma.

Binnie told Refinery29 that he had been working outside on Saturday from about 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. when he got the burns. According to the American Skin Association, the sun's rays are the most intense between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., meaning that Binnie was outside for about five hours when the sun was at its strongest.

Since then, he says that he's been recovering thanks to help and advice from a local pharmacist as well as his mother, who works for the UK's National Health Service.

"I've been applying Sudocrem and aloe vera spray every couple of hours," he told Refinery29. "I've even had wet cloths over the affected area to try and cool it down."

He said that he's seen slight improvements in appearance, though "it defo feels worse — which is often the case as sunburn heals."

He posted the photos, he said, as a way to spread awareness about just how easy it is to get burnt — and as you can see, it happens faster than you might think.

"People shouldn't think you can only get burnt on holiday," he said. Binnie is right — while we may think we can only get sunburns from laying out on the beach, you put yourself at risk any time you're out in the sun.

The takeaway? Apply and reapply sun cream anytime you're out and about.