Therapy
Once a possible sun allergy has been diagnosed, prolonged sunbathing and long exposure times should be limited. Furthermore, the skin should be covered when exposed to the sun and protected with high factor sunscreen. Furthermore, the more dangerous midday sun should be avoided completely.
Especially in patients who have to take medication that can lead to light reactions when exposed to the sun, sun exposure should be avoided or the medication should be changed if possible. It should also be checked again which skin creams are used to treat the skin. If a sun allergy with corresponding skin reactions has already occurred, the patient should leave the sun immediately.
Any salt water deposits on the skin should be washed off with fresh water and the skin should be kept cool. It can also be tried to minimize the discomfort and itching by applying special cortisone and fenistilcreams.Calcium preparations seem to have a positive influence on sun and light allergies and should be taken in the form of effervescent tablets. So-called antihistamines are used as classic medicines against allergies.
These drugs, which contain the effect of the messenger substance histamine in the body, can also have a soothing effect in the case of a sun allergy. They are effective against both skin rashes and itching. Since it is still unclear whether a sun allergy is an actual allergy, the effect of antihistamines is not always sufficient.
However, an attempt at therapy can be useful. More important, however, is primary prevention by means of sun creams with a high sun protection factor or protection of the skin by appropriate clothing and avoiding the strong midday sun as a matter of principle. In the acute stage, cortisone creams can also be used to alleviate very severe rashes.
The dermatologist treating the patient should be consulted. In principle, it makes sense to prevent sun allergy in advance so that it does not occur in the first place. However, if a rash has already developed as a result of a sun allergy, various home remedies can provide relief from symptoms such as itching, burning, tight skin and a feeling of dryness.
Applying dairy products low-fat curd or yogurt to the affected skin areas gently cools the skin. The curd mass can be covered with a dry cloth and removed again when it has dried. A mixture of apple vinegar is said to work wonders against itching.
For this purpose 2 teaspoons of apple vinegar can be mixed with 1⁄4 liters of water. The skin can then be gently rubbed with the resulting solution using a cloth. Cucumbers also have a cooling and itch-relieving effect due to their high water content.
They can either be applied directly as slices or pureed onto the affected skin areas. Healing earth is also said to have a soothing effect on symptoms of sun allergy. It should be mixed into a paste, which can then be applied to the affected areas.
When it has dried, it can be removed again with a damp cloth. Aloe Vera is also considered a remedy for various skin irritations. Aloe vera can be bought in drugstores or pharmacies in various forms of preparation already mixed.
For example as a gel that can be applied directly to the skin. Beside the household remedies mentioned also the application of Vitamin E oil can soothe the skin symptoms. Even the application of a damp cloth without further additives can already bring relief.
It is important, however, to avoid the sun in the acute phase of the rash for the time being or to wear appropriate clothing that protects the skin. There are various homeopathic remedies that are said to alleviate skin complaints, including those arising from a sun allergy. These include, for example, Hypericum perforatum (St. John’s wort).
However, it should be noted that regular use of St. John’s wort can have a negative effect, as it can often lead to increased sensitivity of the skin to light (photosensitivity). Sunbathing should therefore be avoided if St. John’s wort is taken regularly. It is not clear why St. John’s wort, although it triggers increased photosensitivity, should at the same time have a positive effect on skin rashes caused by sun allergies.
The homeopathic remedy Histaminum hydrochloricum is also said to alleviate symptoms of a rash, as is Natrium muriaticum. Furthermore, Apis, Urtica urens and Rhus toxicodendron are said to have a positive effect on sun allergy. Calcium has for some time had the reputation that it can prevent or significantly alleviate allergies.
There are however no scientifically proven results for this. There are thus no indications that calcium is effective as means against an allergy. Occasionally there are indications that in time before the first sunny days with increased UV-RADIATION regularly taken calcium tablets can lindern the skin reactions arising with a sun allergy.
It is to be stressed here however also that it is still not clarified whether it concerns with the sun allergy at all an allergic reaction in the actual sense. All in all, there is therefore no reliable evidence that taking calcium has a positive effect on a sun allergy.If the attempt to take calcium to alleviate a sun allergy is to be made, calcium intake must be started a few weeks before the first sunbaths. Similarly as with calcium different statements circulate over it that a lack of Vitamin D can be a release of sun allergies.
Vitamin D is only produced sufficiently in the body if it is supplied sufficiently with daylight. For the fact that a lack of Vitamin D is to be a trigger of a sun allergy, there is no scientific proof. Cortisone can provide relief in cases of pronounced skin symptoms with severe itching.
It is used therapeutically for many different skin diseases. In the case of a sun allergy, the use of cortisone is often not necessary. If at all, local application in the form of a cortisone ointment is usually sufficient.
In very rare cases of sun allergy, the use of tablets containing cortisone is necessary. In the section “Household remedies” some remedies are listed which can have a soothing effect on itching. For example quark envelopes or aloe vera.
Antihistamines in tablet form can have a soothing effect on itching. Various creams, gels or ointments also alleviate itching in the case of skin rashes such as sun allergies. Examples include fenistil gel, an antihistamine in gel form or ointments containing cortisone.
The most important thing for people who suffer from sun allergies is to always use a sunscreen before sunbathing. In case of a known sun allergy, creams with the highest possible sun protection factor are recommended. Creams with a sun protection factor of at least 30, better 50, are therefore recommended.
The sun cream should also provide protection against UV-A and UV-B rays. To be on the safe side, sun allergy sufferers should also avoid ingredients such as emulsifiers and lipids. These are triggers of the so-called Mallorca acne which resembles a sun allergy and can be confused with it.
With a few simple household tips you can prevent or even completely avoid a sun allergy. The symptoms of a sun allergy, such as itching, reddening and unpleasant and even in some cases painful skin rash, can become almost unbearable in the middle of summer. It is therefore advisable to follow a few simple tips.
First and foremost, protect your skin with clothing. This will prevent naked skin from being exposed to direct, strong sunlight, especially if you are not yet used to sunlight. At the beginning of the warm season, clothing should consist of thin long-sleeved tops, long trousers and a headgear.
Care should be taken not to hold your face and hands directly in the sun, but to stay in the shade if necessary. It is also treacherous to wear sandals and flip-flops (without socks) in summer, as it is often forgotten that the feet are also exposed to a very large and permanent exposure to UV rays. The prevention of a sun allergy usually begins in a shady environment by applying sunscreen to the skin to protect it from UV rays.
Covered skin areas such as shoulders, neck and arms should also be thoroughly smeared with sunscreen. It is important to ensure that the sunscreen is applied thinly and evenly and that it can be absorbed by the skin before you slip your clothing over it. It is important that the sunscreen product has a sun protection factor of at least 30 or higher and that it has a filter for UV-A rays and UV-B rays.
Sunscreen usually washes off again with water or sweat. Therefore, after a water bath, the sun cream should be reapplied to the dried skin. In addition to a sunscreen, an agent with antioxidants can be applied.
This supports the self-healing process of the skin. The prevention of a sun allergy is very simple in many respects. For example, you should only expose yourself to the sun in stages and avoid prolonged sunbathing.
Likewise, care should be taken not to apply perfume, deodorant or other cosmetics, as these could promote painful reactions with the skin when exposed to the sun and in the worst case lead to burns. If there is a known allergy to the sun, it is possible to gradually accustom your skin to stronger sunlight by means of phototherapy with a dermatologist. This is recommended before vacation trips to warm areas and should be done 4-6 weeks before the start of the trip.A sun allergy usually occurs most severely in the spring months when the sun becomes increasingly stronger and the skin is no longer used to so much sun.
Often it comes in the course of the summer to a habituation. The skin symptoms therefore subside. Nevertheless, one should not rely on this habituation but protect the skin from the radiation with sunscreen from the very beginning. It is also advisable to slowly increase the sun exposure in order to get the skin used to the increasingly stronger sunlight. A sun allergy can – even if the skin has become accustomed to UV radiation by the end of the summer – occur every year anew.
