Sun and allergies

Polymorphous light eruption

Polymorphous light eruption is the most common form of sun allergy. It mostly affects young women, mainly on the neckline, but it can affect any other area that has been exposed, with the notable exception of the face. The reaction occurs after the first or second exposure to the sun in the summer. It may ruin your life for a week, but it has the advantage (if you can call it that!) of not recurring after further exposure to the sun in the same season, as if the skin had got used to the sun. That being said, polymorphous light eruption will probably come back each year.

Polymorphic lucite

Polymorphic lucite is less common but more troublesome, in that it affects any exposed area, including the face, and occurs after every exposure, whether at the beginning, middle or end of the summer. This type of sun allergy will also probably come back in subsequent years.

Juvenile spring eruption

Sun allergy also affects children. Juvenile spring eruption in particular is a form of sun allergy that affects the ears of children and adolescents, more often boys than girls, and often during a stay in the mountains.

Solar urticaria

Finally, solar urticaria is triggered within a few minutes of exposure and disappears spontaneously in the shade after a few minutes or hours, depending on the individual. It results in the appearance of thick, red, itchy patches, similar to nettle stings. 

FRIENDLY, EXPERT ADVICE 

With each new sunny season we need to foster good habits, because no treatment can give a definitive cure. There's no need to be down if you have a sun allergy: you don't have to stay in the shade during the summer! Good sun habits can be learned quickly and will do you a world of good.