sand allergies???

[zandersmom1015]

my 2 1/2 year old recently went to the beach for the first time. earlier in the day, before the beach, we were at the pool for a few hours. i smothered him in 60+ spf sunscreen that he has used before while in the sun. he is fair- skinned but has been in the sun since he was about 3 months. always extremely protected of course. we went back to the hotel after leaving the pool, where he ate lunch and took a nap. we were at the hotel for about 3 hours before going to the beach. again, i added an extreme amount of sunscreen over his entire body. we only stayed at the beach for 2 hours max. we did not get in the water. jus played in the sand. as we were leaving, i attempted to wash him off in the shower on the board walk, but it was not working. i wiped off as much sand as i could before getting him into the car. he was complaining about the sand bothering him so we went straight to the hotel where i gave him a bath. after the bath, i noticed his cheeks were somewhat red. i assumed he had a bit of a burn, so i applied aloe vera gel to his cheeks. a few hours later, his cheeks were still red and seemed to be getting worse. as i was getting him ready for bed i noticed a rash appearing around his neck and gradually moving towards his back. i got worried and gave him some bennadryl instantly. the red cheeks went away as well as the rash and he fell asleep. i assumed the aloe vera was to blame. the next day he woke up, no red cheeks but still a rash. i kept him out of the sun and went to the park instead. as he became active the red cheeks came back. i gave him more bennadryl and took him out of the sun. the third day, the red cheeks are no longer here but the rash is now covering his back, neck, face, stomach, arms, and tops of his legs. it looks exactly like the normal every-day heat rash he gets from time to time, but i am still questioning if it might be more and if there is anything i can do to test my theory of it being sand allergies.

[miriamsheikh]

i find whenever I walk in sand, even in cold weather, I end up with a rash on my fee and ankles. Can I get anything to protect myself from this as I am married to a beach bum and our hllidays usually end up on the beach.

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Thanks for writing to the forum!
Yes, sand allergies do happen. Allergy can also be to animal waste of the sand animals, any other sand creature, or even to sea water. Another possibility is an overdose of sun screen lotion causing reaction. It could also be a case of measles. Aloe vera normally is a skin soother. However your son could be allergic to any other ingredient in the gel. Consult a skin specialist once.
Hope this helps. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!