A group of young girls smashing limes with rocks under the hot sun weren't expecting to get second degree burns from the activity.
The next day Jewels, Jazmyn, Bailey, Candy and Reyghan, all between the ages of seven and 11, were covered in burns and blisters, ABC News reported.
"It hurt so bad," 11-year-old Jewels, told ABC. "It felt like there was a hundred needles just going in one spot."
"She had a huge blister the size of a baseball right here on her hand," said nine-year-old Bailey Kinser, told ABC 27. "It hurt really bad..It felt like 10 times worse than a sunburn."
The girls had also dared each other to drink the lime juice, which caused limes juice (and burns) to appear on their faces. They also suffered from burns on their arms and legs in "streaks and drips" that mimicked the lime juice's path.
The girls were in so much pain they had to be rushed to the hospital, ABC News reported.
All of the girls were diagnosed with phytophotodermatitis, a condition caused by a reaction between the photosynthesizing chemicals found in limes and the sun's UV rays.
"UV light changes the structure of the chemicals and causes a toxic reaction on the skin," Dr. Dawn Davis, a dermatologist at the Rochester Mayo Clinic, said.
Davis said the blisters and intense pain should subside within a few days, but pigment changes in the skin could last for months.
"It can be anywhere from a mild rash where you see darkening of the skin to something quite severe like big blisters like these girls had. The only advice around this is if you've been handling limes, wash your hands before you go out in the sun," ABC News' chief health and medical editor Dr. Richard Besser, said.
Besser also suggested wearing sunscreen when spending time outdoors, and especially if handling citrus fruit.
The girls' condition can be treated with oral medications and topical treatments. If there are severe pigment changes bleaching cream treatments may be necessary, Medical Daily reported.
"A parent's worst nightmare is watching your kid scream and cry and begging you to stop the pain. And there is absolutely nothing you can do for your child," Melinda McDaniel, Reyghan's mother, told ABC.
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