- With Mayo Clinic dermatologist
Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D.
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Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D.
Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D.
Dr. Lawrence Gibson likens bad health information on the Internet to food poisoning.
Consumers, he says, need to be aware and will find reliable information at MayoClinic.com.
Dr. Gibson, a Covington, Ky., native, has been with Mayo Clinic since 1986 and is board certified in dermatology, dermatopathology and immunodermatology. He is a professor of dermatology at Mayo Medical School and a consultant in the Department of Dermatology.
Dr. Gibson has served as the fellowship director for dermatopathology and as chair of the Laboratory Division in the Department of Dermatology. He is especially interested in inflammatory disorders of the skin, including vasculitis, and in lymphoma affecting the skin.
"Electronic information has become a staple in the diet of a health conscious society," he says. "It's important to avoid misinformation and provide a credible source for health information. Using this analogy, it's critical to avoid 'indigestion' or, worse yet, 'food poisoning' by the ingestion of tainted information."
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Question
Sun rash: Causes and prevention
My son gets a red rash on his arms after being outside in the sun. What causes this and what can I do to prevent it?
Answer
from Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D.
A sun rash is a red, itchy rash that occurs after exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light. Causes include:
- Polymorphous light eruption. Polymorphous light eruption, the most common cause of sun rash, occurs in people who are sensitive to sunlight (photosensitive). The rash occurs after an episode of intense sun exposure, most often within several minutes to hours after the exposure, and is usually seen more often in the spring or early summer with the first few exposures to sunlight. It may improve over the summer months.
- Medications (drug-induced photosensitivity). Certain medications can cause sun rash, including drugs to treat high blood pressure, such as thiazides; antibiotics, such as tetracyclines; and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen.
- Exposure to certain chemicals or plants. Some chemicals, such as those found in perfume, soap or sunscreen, can make the skin sensitive to the sun. Also, contact with the leaves, stems, berries, or seeds of certain plants, such as celery, wild parsnip, lemons, limes or burning bush — along with exposure to sunlight — can cause a sun rash.
- Solar hives (urticaria). An allergic reaction to sunlight can cause solar hives — raised, red, itchy welts that seem to appear and disappear on your skin. The rash usually appears five to 10 minutes after sun exposure. Solar hives are uncommon.
In most cases, you can avoid sun rash with the following prevention tips:
- Avoid substances that cause sun rash. Try to identify and avoid coming in contact with substances that lead to sun rash, including perfumes or plants. If a sun rash occurs after taking a medication, talk to your doctor about switching medications.
- Limit time in the sun, especially when the sun's rays are most intense — between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
- Use sunscreen. Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen — meaning it blocks UVA and UVB rays — with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30. Sunscreens don't block out UV rays completely, however, so you may still experience a skin reaction. If a sunscreen causes a sun rash, switch to a sunscreen with a different active ingredient or try a product designed for sensitive skin.
- Cover up. Wear tightly woven clothing that covers your arms and legs and a broad-brimmed hat.
- Ofori AO. Photosensitive disorders (photodermatoses): Clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 4, 2010.
- Habif TP. Light-related diseases and disorders of pigmentation. In: Habif TP. Clinical Dermatology: A Color Guide to Diagnosis and Therapy. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/linkTo?type=bookPage&isbn=978-0-7234-3541-9&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..00028-6. Accessed Feb. 15, 2010.
- Be sun smart. American Academy of Dermatology. http://www.aad.org/public/sun/smart.html. Accessed Feb. 15, 2010.
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