sun allergies

[fire_fly_84_04]

I am light complected with blue eyes, i don't burn that easy and I tan quite quickly to a dark gold brown. Over the last 2 years whenever I am in the sun for long period of time like an hour or when I'm in a tanning bed for 10 min or more I develope little white bumps. These bumps mostly appear on my back, chest, stomache, and thighs. Sometimes the bumps itch depending on if I have been in the sun for a much longer time at other times the bumps kind of throbe and burn. I have tried sunblock spf15 when I am in the sun like when I set tobacco but the bumps still occured so I went up to spf48 but I still got the very uncomfortable bumps and it doesn't matter whether I burn or not I still get them. I am 19 and these bumps started occuring the summer after I turned 16. I have tried different creams and lotions some of them just don't help others sometimes help minimize the amout of bumps I get. I spoke to my grandfather about them and he told me that my grandmother was allergic to the sun, I asked if she had always been allergic and he said no that she had developed the allergy when she was 16. But, my grandmother was very pale and burned very quickly in the sun ever since she was little. As far as I know she is the only one with the allergy. I was wondering if I am possibly allergic to the sun and if this is a common reaction, also what can I about this condition that I get.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

I think you have polymorphous light eruption.  This condition, known also as PMLE, may be hereditary, is a form of sun allergy to UVA, the long waves of ultraviolet light not totally blocked by sunscreen, no matter how high the SPF.  (SPF refers to UVB, the burning rays.)  Using a sunscreen that protects against UVA (there are many brands) may help a bit.  This reaction has nothing to do with sun damage or skin cancer.

I suggest you see a dermatologist for proper diagnosis and treatment.  Please feel free to share my hunch with him or her.

Take care.

Dr. Rockoff