Tanning Bed Rash

I have been gettting in tanning bed (with new bulbs) for about 1 week now. I get in every other day for 10 minutes. I have used tanning beds before and have never had this happen before. I have developed a terrible raised red rash on my back (which is how I lay in the bed) that itches and burns. What do you think this rash could be coming from.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Sounds like it might be heat rash, Tate.  Maybe the new bulbs are hotter and you're sweating more.  Try taking some time off, or spend fewer minutes tanning.  Or stop.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff

[Jamie]

This isn't a reply to the original poster, but a question of my own for Dr. Rockoff...

Yet another penis question for you doctor...As I'm sure many of the posters here are, I am concerned and not sure what to make of my symptoms...I am 21 years old.

About three months ago, I started to notice light blotchy areas on the head of my penis...this was around the same time I had very bad eczema on my hands, if it matters at all...anyway, I thought I had damaged some of the tissue in my penis from masturbation, and hoped it would heal up after a while...Of course, I continued to masturbate, so I never really gave anything a chance to heal...actually, it was really hard to not masturbate since I've been doing it routinely for many years...I haven't been sexually active in a while, so I don't think these symptoms would be due to that, but I don't know for sure...over time, I started to develop some additional discoloration on my glans (glands)...darker blotches  close to the tip...lighter marks near the base...basically, if i didn't know better, i'd say it looks a bit bruised...and my skin is of the kind that leaves a red mark if you even touch it...but since i don't really what a bruised penis looks like, my imagination has been running rampant as to all the bad things it could possibly be...in fact, i've never heard of anyone bruising their penis before (then again, who'd tell me that)...as well, the colour looks different depending on if its erect or not...could it be something to do with bloodflow, or years of not masturbating with proper lubrication?

like you've said before in your replies, half of the problem is usually in the mind of the person fretting over whatever it is...i guess it's just the combination of my obsessive personality, and lack of medical knowledge that leads me personally to start panicking...i just wish i had some idea what my body was doing, so i could feel a bit better...what is your opinion on this?

thanks,

Yet Another Worrywart