Allergic reaction to the sun??!
Question:
Allergic reaction to the sun??
When I was little, I always got these horrible rashes where I was exposed to the sun (esp. face) My face always swelled up and it was esp. bad around my mouth. Not to gross anyone out, but I would have puss coming out and my whole body would be extremely warm. Sometimes, I developed them randomly, like if I got in the car and sat there for literally 2 minutes... I don't get it anymore, but I would really like to know what it was. It lasted for about 2-3 years. I tried sunscreen, but turns out I'm allergic to an ingredient in sunscreen too. Although I don't get these allergic reactions anymore, I'm still allergic to sunscreen. I even went to the dermatologist, but they didn't know what was wrong either...
My question is: What condition did I have and how can I find out what it is in sunscreen that I'm allergic to? (I'd like some way to protect myself from getting skin cancer or other skin related diseases since I'm very active with outdoor sports.) Anyone have any idea? Thanks...
Answers:
what you had is called photosensitivity, literally an allergy to the sun. Allergies don't always last your whole life, in fact they usually don't. You're body changes on a cellular level every seven years, losing old allergies and sometimes developing new ones.
Photosensitivity can also be caused by a pre-existing skin condition, like ecxema, or as a side effect of certain medications.
My guess on the sunblock is that it's a separate allergy, I would try comparing the ingredients of my sunblock with that of your regular lotions and see what the differences are. start there.
The most common ingredients in sunblock that people are allergic to are zinc oxide, paba, and vitamen E (if you have a soy allergy)
try a patch test at home with some different sunscreens, I'd start with ones for kids.