rash on left thumb

[katherine465]

about 3 weeks ago i noticed a rash on my thumb while i was down at the beach. at first i thought it was sunburn, but it has not gone away. it is pinkish-reddish, does not itch at all, and is an amorphous shape taking up about half my thumb. a few days ago, it was dry and i peeled a layer off of it, only to find a bright pink layer underneath. what could be causing this rash/discoloration??

[Dr_Aparna]

Hi,
It could be a sunburn which has blistered.A sunburn is a burn to living tissue such as skin produced by overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, commonly from the sun's rays.
After drying up the skin usually peels off by itself.This ensures that skin underneath is ready to be exposed to the surface.
Since you have peeled it off the skin below is still raw -that is why the pink color.
Just be careful not to injure it.Allow it to heal.
If you still are doubtfil please visit a doctor so that it can be looked at an dthe appropriate measures taken.

[katherine465]

i have very fair skin so have sunburned often, and this does not look like any sunburn i have experienced. usually sunburn itches as it peels, doesnt it? the skin that did not peel is a darker color, a more tannish pink, and kind of fades down my thumb in a lattice like pattern as it fades off. i dont mean to be argumentative, i am just a little confused!

i also brought it up to the doctor about a week into the rash, and she said it could potentially be a weird reaction to a bugbite and to see her if it didnt go away in a week. i havent seen her, as i am away at college, our health clinic is closed for the summer, and i have not been able to come home. perhaps this is a dumb question, but could it in any way be a reaction to the gardasil vaccine? it appeared maybe 6-7 weeks after my first gardasil shot. sorry for the barrage of questions, but your answer(s) are very much appreciated!