Suddenly allergic to the sun?

[AyahuascaTrip]

I’m quite old and spend a lot of time outdoors so don’t understand why I’ve recently developed this reaction to strong sunlight - it’s a little dotted rash on the back of my hands and big oozy bumps on my forearms. First happened earlier this year, when I was attacking lots of brambles so thought it was plant related, and has left scars. Now it’s coming back 😕 obviously I will be brave next week and go to my gp but in the meantime just wondering if anyone has any ideas about this?

I used to get this years ago, I haven't for ages now as tend to avoid the sun midday or stay in the shade and go out early morning/later afternoons now, I found lighter sunscreens helped or no sunscreen and long loose sleeves.

A pharmacist might be able to give you more advice.

Look up polymorphous light eruption and see if your rash is similar.
A diet rich in carotene (fresh carrot juice, a kale smoothie) or even 50 gr a day of double or triple tomato concentrate might help your resistance.

I had this till I started using Piz Buin sun allergy sun cream, it's the only thing I've found that works

It can happen. It did to me, and it's a right pain. I don't find that applying sunscreen makes any difference whatsoever. Antihistamines OTOH make a huge difference. Still not enough of a difference that I can sunbathe, but enough that I can enjoy the outdoors with a wide-brimmed hat and loose, long sleeves and trousers.

Have you tried antihistamines?

Definitely see your GP, as photosensitivity can be a symptom of other conditions. Sometimes you can have preventative treatment in the spring (obviously it's too late for that now).

I second the piz buin allergy sin cream - excellent stuff!

SUN cream, not sin cream FFS!

Thanks everyone! Yes last time I used antihistamine cream and pills, don’t know if it made much difference. I use factor 30 suncream but will get a stronger one, that piz buin one sounds good.

Polymorphic light eruption could be it! I’ll try to get a pic, although it’s not quite as visually impressive as before - yet.

Here we go

I get this too, on my neck and chest. I try to stay covered up and use sf50 sunscreen, and haven’t had it for a couple of years, fingers crossed. As pp have said, antihistamines help, plus a corticosteroid cream. I just used one from the chemists, but it really helped.

Yes, that looks like the rash I get. The skin feels really hot, too.

You've not been brushed by giant hogweed, or burnt by euphorbia sap (or similar ), have you?

Does it go sort of scabby Awkward? This is how it looked last time when it was nearly gone - tragically didn’t get photos of it at its peak.

No, I don’t think so 🤔 it just popped up when I was sitting at the table outside

Forgot pic of scabs from earlier in the year.

I had this for several years as a teen and eventually grew out of it. Bloody awful. I managed it through very high spf, antihistamines, staying out of the sun and covering up.
At least your skin will be less wrinkled in the future!

But at nearly 50 I’m already pretty wrinkled 😀 this is so annoying, the first day it’s been warm enough to wear a t shirt!

Take antihistamines. My OH after years of no problems developed this in his 50`s GP said to take them, it is an allergic reaction to heat. Now OH has to be careful in the sun and take the pills.

I get a bumpy reaction to the sun sometimes too. Also my face goes red if exposed even when I have suncream on and am not burnt - nice.

I stay in the shade, usually wear long sleeves and chinos and use La Roche Posay suncream or Soltan sensitive. I do not look remotely summer cool but don’t care!

I get this, for 7 years I was convinced I was allergic to the sun... I tried lots of products and sensitive sun creams but nothing helped the only thing I could do was stay covered up and in the shade.
And the only thing that ever helped or got rid of the rash is hydrocortisone cream.

Then five years ago when I was on holiday I forgot my (expensive, super delicate) sun cream and had to borrow a friends P20 oil based spf spray.... and the rash never appeared...
after a bit of investigating it was confirmed that all that time it was the sun creams.
Even the super sensitive allergy safe and baby sun creams gave me a reaction.
Now I exclusively use p20 factor 50 and I’ve not had a reaction since.

Of all the things to suddenly become allergic to though 😕 the sun and its heat are my best ones

I used to get this a lot, though I always thought it was prickly heat. Bizarrely, the way I got rid of it was exposing myself to more sun, eventually after a few days my skin seemed to get used to it. I do have my suspicions though, that as a child, the Nivea cream we all used was the culprit. I use Ambre Solaire now, and seem fine, although it could just be I have grown out of it.

I agree with the Piz Buin Allergy suncream supporters! Haven't had PLE since using it. They do a facial one as well as well. P20 was no good for me, and super expensive.

Yes, exactly like that, Ayahuasca

Still don’t know if it’s anything more specific than ‘allergic reaction to sun’ but it’s annoying and uncomfortable. Antihistamines and steroid cream really do help. I got the pharmacy own brand version of Hc45.

It’s such a weird thing! Should probably still get it checked out, in case it’s part of an interesting new disease. Think it’s sunlight rather than heat because it got quite bad last time and it wasn’t hot. Also the bumps took ages to go and they’ve left scars and from what I read about PLE that’s not usual.

I used to get like this in the sun, I now always wear Lancaster sun cream (sorry expensive but you can get in tk maxx) that is factor 50 and I haven’t had it for years (touch wood)

My son had this and it was the sun cream being very thick - and waterproof, blocking the pores. Dr told me to use one that isn't waterproof if I can and reapply when needed. It didn't happen again. Hard to find one that isn't waterproof though!