Can The Sun Cause Itchy Skin

Polymorphic lite eruption is a fairly common skin rash triggered past exposure to sunlight or artificial ultraviolet (UV) lite.

Symptoms of polymorphic calorie-free eruption

An itchy or burning rash appears within hours, or upwardly to two to 3 days after exposure to sunlight.

It lasts for up to two weeks, healing without scarring.

The rash normally appears on the parts of the skin exposed to sunlight, typically the head, neck, chest and artillery.

The face up is not e'er affected.

The rash

The rash can accept many different forms (polymorphic):

• yous may get crops of 2mm to 5mm raised, pink or red spots, just redness may be harder to see on brown and blackness pare
• some people get blisters that turn into larger, dry patches – it looks a flake like eczema
• less commonly, the patches expect similar a target or "bulls-center" (it looks a fleck similar erythema multiforme)

Polymorphic low-cal eruption can be easily mistaken for estrus rash (prickly heat).

Prickly estrus is caused past warm conditions or overheating, rather than sunlight or UV light.

The pare in prickly rut does non "harden" or desensitise, equally information technology tin practice in polymorphic light eruption.

Polymorphic lite eruption is idea to bear upon nigh 10% to 15% of the Great britain population.

Sunlight exposure

The rash may exist a rare occurrence or may happen every time the skin is exposed to sunlight. Information technology ranges from mild to astringent.

Sometimes as little every bit 20 minutes of sun exposure is enough to crusade the problem, and it can even develop through thin habiliment or if you're sitting near a window.

But for most people with polymorphic calorie-free eruption, the rash develops later on several hours outside on a sunny solar day.

If farther sun is avoided, the rash may settle and disappear without a trace inside a couple of weeks.

Information technology may or may not render when skin is re-exposed to sunlight.

If the pare is exposed to more sunlight before the rash has cleared upwards, information technology'll probably become much worse and spread.

For many people with polymorphic skin eruption, the rash appears every spring and remains a trouble throughout summer before settling downward by autumn.

Who's affected

Polymorphic light eruption is more common in women than men.

Information technology particularly affects people who accept white skin, although information technology tin likewise affect those with brown and black pare.

It usually starts between the ages of xx and 40, although it sometimes affects children.

Causes of polymorphic light eruption

Polymorphic light eruption is thought to exist caused past UV lite altering a substance in the peel, which the immune organization reacts to, resulting in the peel becoming inflamed.

It'south non passed down through families, but about i in 5 people with the condition accept an affected relative every bit information technology'south a fairly common status.

It'south non infectious, so there'southward no adventure of catching polymorphic light eruption from another person.

Treatments for polymorphic light eruption

There's no cure for polymorphic light eruption, but using sunscreens and careful avoidance of the sunday will help you manage the rash.

Avoid the sun, particularly between 11am and 3pm when the sun'south rays are at their strongest, and wearable protective clothing when outdoors (unless your doctor has advised y'all to endeavour hardening your skin).

Introduce your skin to sunlight gradually in the spring.

Sunscreen

Yous may exist prescribed sunscreens to assistance prevent the rash developing.

Utilise a sunscreen that is SPF 50 or in a higher place with a UVA rating of 4 or v stars. Apply sunscreen thickly and evenly around fifteen to 30 minutes before going out into the sun

Reapply every 2 hours and direct after you lot've dried yourself off afterwards swimming.

Steroid creams and ointments

A GP can prescribe corticosteroid (steroid) cream or ointment that'south only applied when the rash appears.

You should utilise it sparingly, every bit often equally the GP advises. Practice non apply it when there'southward no rash.

Desensitisation or UV handling

Information technology's sometimes possible to increase the resistance of your skin to the sun.

This involves visiting a hospital dermatology department 3 times a calendar week for four to 6 weeks in the spring.

Your skin is gradually exposed to a petty more UV light every visit to try to build up your skin's resistance.

The effects of desensitisation are lost in the wintertime, so you lot'll have to build upwards your resistance again in the spring.

Hardening or toughening

A GP or dermatologist may advise yous to try increasing the resistance of your peel at habitation.

This is known equally "hardening" and involves going outside for short periods in the spring to build up your resistance.

Yous might notice the time is as brusk every bit a few minutes at beginning, simply you may be able to gradually build up to longer times.

Y'all'll have to exist careful non to overdo it but, as y'all begin to empathize more than well-nigh how much light triggers your rash, yous'll be able to estimate how long to stay out.

Like desensitisation, the furnishings of hardening are lost in the winter, so y'all'll have to build upwards your resistance again in the spring.

Vitamin D

People with polymorphic light eruption are at greater run a risk of vitamin D deficiency, as a certain amount of sun exposure is needed to make your ain vitamin D.

A GP can advise whether you lot need handling with vitamin D supplements.

Outlook

Many people with polymorphic calorie-free eruption find their skin improves over the years.

Your peel may harden (become more resistant to sunlight) during the summertime, which means more sun can be tolerated without your pare reacting.

The rash may even eventually clear up on its own, although this is unusual.

Hardening of the skin does non always happen, and some people with very sensitive peel may even get the rash in the winter.

For these people, it may exist a long-term condition to manage with lifestyle changes and creams.

Page terminal reviewed: 28 July 2021
Next review due: 28 July 2024

Source: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/polymorphic-light-eruption/

Posted by: tuttlespeliveral.blogspot.com

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