Woman’s hands burned after squeezing 30 limes

New York resident Haley Peacock warned that she developed severe burns on her hands after making what seemed like an ordinary margarita. The Brooklyn-based designer posted a video about her experience on TikTok, discussing the “margarita burn” phenomenon that soon spread widely online.

She explained that the juice of citrus fruits such as limes can remain on the skin and cause a painful reaction when exposed to sunlight. She therefore urged people to avoid lying in the sun after squeezing citrus fruit.

“Please don’t squeeze citrus fruit and then lie in the sun,” Peacock warned. She said that if this happens, the hands should be washed very thoroughly with soap.

The incident occurred at a birthday party Peacock organized for her boyfriend. She had hand-squeezed around 30 limes to make a large quantity of cocktails for 25 guests.

Peacock thought quickly rinsing her hands with plain water would be enough. She then spent the rest of the day relaxing by the pool. Since she noticed no serious changes in her hands at the time, it never occurred to her that a skin reaction had begun.

“After squeezing all the limes, I rinsed my hands under the faucet. My hands weren’t even sticky, so I didn’t think much of it,” Peacock recalled.

However, the situation changed dramatically the next day. Her hands became red and swollen, and she experienced severe pain. After returning to Brooklyn, she developed fluid-filled blisters on her hands.

Some of the blisters became very large, and Peacock described them as being “the size of golf balls.” Because of the severe burns on her hands, she sought medical attention and was diagnosed with second-degree burns. After treatment, her hands were wrapped in special dressings.

“The entire color of my hand had changed. I had golf-ball-sized blisters on my thumb and next to my ring finger,” she said.

Peacock’s experience once again highlights the importance of being careful when exposed to sunlight after handling citrus fruit. Through her videos, she shared her personal experience to help prevent others from suffering the same unpleasant reaction.