Prickly heat, help needed!

[Notanothernamechange25]

I've suffered from prickly heat when abroad for the last ten years. Never had it before then. I get it on chest, shoulders, tops of feet and tops of knees - so not in typically 'sweaty' places.

I'm away now. Bought Green People Sensitive factor 30 suncream after reading it supposedly is wonderful for people who suffer with prickly heat. Well, not for me! It is worse than ever!

We also have Tesco soleil factor 50 kids or P20 factor 50 kids and factor 30 that I could try instead.

Any advice would be gratefully received. I am currently hiding in the room with aircon to give my skin a break.

Suffered with prickly heat all my life, to the extent if I don't cover up I'm literally covered in it. To be honest covering with a light layer and staying out of the sun really helps me. If you're under pressure to sit out with others on the beach or by the pool, obviously limit that and put a towel over you. Probably not what you want to hear though.

Are you sure it’s Prickly Heat and not PLE? Sounds more like PLE locations.

The only time I've ever had PH was when I used Body Shop SPF years ago.

Sorry that's the most unhelpful post ever 🙄

Try Ladival suncream. Take a daily antihistamine. Stay out of the sun in the shade or covered up.

I’ve suffered badly from prickly heat my whole life but eventually grew out of it in my 30s. I think it’s as much exposure to sun as well as the heat.

There are several things I do including covering up as much as possible (cotton cover ups, hat etc), staying in the shade and don’t travel to really hot places. I’ve found Boots Soltan Sun Sensitive 50+ cream affordable and excellent, but you won’t be able to get that atm.

While you’re away, just stay out of the sun as much as you can. It sucks!

Ultrasun works for me, I was terrible before that. I remember crying as a child, and literally twitching with the pain. Amber Solaire also good. All SPF30 lotions, heavy creams are terrible, you need to sweat!

What also works for me, contrary to all advice, is staying IN the sun. Your skin needs to acclimatize. Maybe that's just me, but once I'm over the hurdle I don't get it again for the rest of the summer.

What is PLE? Ive never heard of it. I will have a Google!
Thanks for all your replies. I've got young children who love the pool so I can't stay out of the sun completely. Its fine down so much since coming back to the room. Maybe I need to just go in the pool with them early and then go back out later on.
Will also try the suncream recommendations for my next holiday.
I never get this rash in the UK, only abroad. Strange how it just happened one year and has never stopped since.

I agree it sounds like PLE - DS has this every year. Eucerin makes a sunscreen specifically for this, which helps him. I can't post a link for some reason, but if you Google 'Eucerin sun allergy', you'll find it.

I've just googled and it does look like PLE and match the symptoms, so thank you the two posters who suggested this!!
Looks like you can take a beta carotene supplement to help so although no help now, I'll check it out for our next holiday, along with the suncream.
@HazzleMcDazzle does anything else help your son? Anything I might be able to do while I'm away? Does continued exposure build up resistance in him or make it worse?

@Notanothernamechange25 - not much else helps unfortunately, aside from covering up the areas most likely to be affected. The good news is that once his skin has 'acclimatised' to sun exposure, he does have some resistance: the rash doesn't appear as often, and is much less red and itchy if he does get it. By the end of summer it's usually not a major issue.

I take antihistamine tablets as well as using Factor 50 for sensitive skin, normally I then drop down to Factor 30 for sensitive skin and use throughout Summer ☀️.

Mom used clinique sun cream think that helped.

Thank you all

I had not heard of PLE before.

I have suffered for about the last 10 years also, I get it on my chest and on my shins mainly. I used the Ultrasun family SPF30 this year on those parts, the Ultrasun tan excelerator on the rest of me. I sit in the sun a lot and it was fine this year until I got to the last day (day 7), I am not sure whether it was the build up of excessive sun or whether I was perhaps a bit complacent as was my last half day in the sun.

To alleviate the issue I also used a prickly heat spray which you use before going into the sun then after so this may have helped, I also had a powder that is supposed to help also.

I take 180mg fexofenadine every day on top of this.

No idea if it was coincidence, slightly cooler than last few years (27-32 rather than 33+) or the use of a different sun cream/spray preventer.

For sun cream I always use Hawaiian Tropic f50 and there is a very old fashioned powder sold under the name Snake Brand which is really soothing. Apparently my mum used it on me 58 years ago in Malta!!

I used to suffer really badly with it until a pharmacist told me to use fragrance free suncream and I’ve never had it since! When I’m on holidays I use perfume free shower gel and moisturiser too just to be safe.
Ultrasun is excellent. My daughter did get a tiny bit of a rash with the Ultrasun sports gel so we only use the cream now.
Hope you get some relief soon, it’s awful!

Another vote for UltraSun here - I don't sunbathe as such, but still developed prickly heat a couple of years ago on holiday abroad in a hot climate - I tried UltraSun after seeing it recommended here and the next overseas trip was prickly heat-free.

Ah yes, this is the powder I use

This won't help you right now, but my prickly heat stopped after I had the Kenalog injection for hayfever. I tired so many different things and nothing really worked but after I had kenalog it just vanished.

Did it start when you were pregnant?

Snake powder takes the edge of it. Also try antiseptic soap.

I suffer with this and have done for years when going abroad I start taking antihistamines a month before going and whilst there this seems to help I also use a cream called eurax which works wonders
when it comes to sun cream I tend to stay away from cream based ones as they clog the pores more

I was also told that using SPF 50 makes it worse with the pore clogging.

It did start when I was pregnant, yes.

I take antihistamines all year round for allergies. Prescribed by the GP, I'm not sure if I can up the dose while I'm away

Came on to say it sounds more like PLE than prickly heat. My top tip is daily antihistamine including for a period before you go anywhere sunny. As my GP told me, you should grow out of it in your 50s, so that’s something to look forward to!!

I use a 30 spf bronze and protect, and the doctors told me to use antihistamines and since doing that I do find I don’t get it as much and if I do it’s no where’s near as bad and eurax cream really helps soothe and gets rid of it