Sun rash?

[AutisticLegoLover]

For the last few years, since peri-menopause started, I've developed red, bumpy, itchy skin, particularly on my upper chest and neck with exposure to the sun. Sun creams make it worse but it happens if I don't use any either. Yesterday I was at the beach for our first sunny Saturday where it was 20 degrees. Last night the itch started on my arms and this morning my upper chest and neck is red and itchy. It happens within minutes of being out in the sun once it's been triggered. I take an antihistamine for hayfever and it doesn't help the itch. I saw my GP a few years back who just dismissed it as nothing but it's really irritating and looks a mess too. I love vest tops in summer and it looks like I'll have to change to something that keeps me covered. Annoying as I need all the vitamin d I can get. One year my lower legs were scratched raw and steroid cream calmed it down but of course long term use thins the skin.

Does this happen to anyone else? Is there anything you can recommend?

Bumping in the hopes I won't ending up scratching my skin raw today.

Can be caused by a number of things from as simple as your moisturiser and the sun, to lupus sun sensitivity.

See if you GP will refer you to a dermatologist/photodermatologist

I'm seeing the GP next week and I'll mention it again. It's a different GP and I might have more luck. Thank you.

I have an allergy to octocrylene. It's found in suncreams and anti aging creams. Reactions can get worse when you go in the sun and the cream reacts with the UV. May be worth looking for a suncream which is octocrylene free.

@Joebloggs12 thank you. Can you suggest any please?

I think the blue Nivea protect and moisture is Octocrylene free

I take antihistamines daily for sun rash. Once they're in your system it seems to act as preventative rather than cure if you see what I mean.

I avoid gin and certain sunscreen, weirdly I find Nivea the worst and Piz Buin the best for me.

I've started getting this in the last couple of years. Only chest and arms. I've tried going without suncream on my arms but it still happens, not this year yet (possibly because there's been no sun.

Ive tried various creams from the pharmacy to soothe it as the itching drives me mad and loads of different suncreams. I do think it's the sun rather than sun creams.

I'm going to Greece in August and slightly worried its going to be out control.

@Joebloggs12 thank you. I've just looked and yes it is free if they but that's what I was using when I first started having issues with the sun.

It definitely doesn't make a difference if I wear cream or not but I was wondering if the sun cream and sun activated it so that any sun exposure was then a problem. I don't expose a lot of skin anyway and being fair with freckles I'm always careful with the sun. Strangely my face is always ok yet that gets the most sun 🤷🏼‍♀️

I have always had this. Many years ago I couldn't put any sun cream on my neck and chest. I now have a baggy neck 😂

Nivea is terrible, so many people I know can't use it. We, as a family, sun rash and prickly heat sufferers, find Ambre Solaire good, but the best for us is Ultrasun, unfortunately pricey, but no-one in the family reacts to it.

Op what I find is that sunscreen traps the sweat that triggers the flare up. By using antihistamine in advance that helps. I remembered also that I had success with P20, which is spends but effective.

Is it pmle? Polymorphic light eruption. Basically an allergy to uv I think. It usually happens with the first sun exposure of the year. I have had dreadful episodes of this and now totally cover up.

I'm right in the thick of this now. The lower half of my face is so itchy it feels like it's covered in ants and it's hot to touch/pinkish to look at.

I was thinking it might be rosacea but there are few key things missing from the list of symptoms for that. I think it's polymorphic light eruption caused by some medication I take that has been increased over winter to an amount I've not taken before.

I went out this morning very early for an hour, so the sun wasn't exactly visceral and I came back to two white panda eyes where my sunglasses were and pink, itchy face everywhere else.

Nothing seems to help at the minute and I've spent all evening googling making a list of things to buy to try before I inevitably end up at the drs.

In the meantime, I'm going to concentrate on not ripping my own face off in my sleep...

I think it is PMLE. I put steroid cream on last night after a shower and it's not as itchy. I'll be trying one of the sun cream brands recommended here. I've never tried piz buin before but have tried Nivea, calyspso, and Ambre solaire sensitive. My sympathies to all of you who are also sufferimg.

I have PMLE. I started suddenly on a very hot holiday in Turkey about 6 years ago where I thought it was prickly heat, treated it, but it never really went away. The only good thing now is that it’s not as itchy as it was, just unsightly. Nothing really helps. I use ultra sun when we are abroad and out in the sun all day, but not really at home, just a cheap supermarket brand for a couple of hours in the garden.

I buy 1.5% hydrocortisone OTC and use that when the rash is really bad.

I’ve started ‘pre-tanning’ before holidays to try to get it over and done with before we go away, and that seems to have helped a bit, little and often exposure seems to harden up my skin a bit.

I’ve started with prickly heat the last few years never suffered before and the only thing that helps me with the itch is sudocreme it really helps I put it on before bed after a cool shower and a old thin t shirt over to stop it getting everywhere.I use piz buin allergy cream and I still get it every year now.