Polymorphic light eruption
How is it treated?
There's no cure for polymorphic light eruption, but careful avoidance of the sun and using sunscreens will help you manage the rash.
Generally, avoid the sun between 11am and 3pm, and wear protective clothing when outdoors (unless you're hardening your skin; see below). Introduce your skin to sunlight gradually in the spring.
Sunscreen
You may beprescribed sunscreens, which may prevent the rash developing.
Use a sunscreen that is SPF 30 or above with a good UVA rating. Apply it thickly and evenly, reapplying often. Watch a video on how to apply sunscreen .
Steroid creams and ointments
Your GP can prescribe corticosteroid (steroid) cream or ointment , to be applied only when the rash appears. You should apply this sparingly, as often as your GP advises, and never when there's no rash.
Desensitisation or UV treatment
Sometimes you can increase the resistance of your skin to the sun. This involves visiting a hospital department three times a week for four to six weeks in the spring.
Your skin is gradually exposed to a little more UV light every visit, to try to build up your skin's resistance. The effects of desensitisation are lost in the winter, so you'll have to build up your resistance again in the spring.
Hardening or toughening
You may be able to increase the resistance of your skin at home, which is known as "hardening". This involves going outside for short periods in the spring to build up your resistance.
You might find the time is as short as a few minutes at first, but you may be able to gradually build up to longer times. You'll have to be careful not to overdo it, but as you understand more about how much light triggers your rash, you'll be able to judge how long to stay out.
The effects of hardening are lost in the winter, so you'll have to build up your resistance again in the spring.
Vitamin D
People with polymorphic light eruption are at greater risk of vitamin D deficiency, as a certain amount of sun exposure is needed to make your own vitamin D . Your GP will advise whether you need treatment with vitamin D supplements.
Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018
Introduction
Polymorphic light eruption is a fairly common skin rash triggered by exposure to sunlight or artificial ultraviolet light. It lasts for up to two weeks, healing without scarring.
What does the rash look like?
The rash can take many different forms (known as being "polymorphic"): most people getcrops of 2-5mm pink or red raised spots some people get blisters that turn into larger, dry red patches (looks
How big a problem is it?
The skin rash may be a rare occurrence, or may happen every time the skin is exposed to sunlight. It ranges from mild to severe. Sometimes, as little as 30 minutes of sun exposure is enough to cause
Who's affected?
Polymorphic light eruption is more common in women than men. It particularly affects those who are fair, although it can affect those with dark skin. It usually starts from the ages of 20 to 40, alth
What is the cause?
Polymorphic light eruption is thought to be caused by UV light altering a substance in the skin, which the immune system then reacts to, resulting in the skin becoming inflamed. Polymorphic light eru
How is it treated?
There's no cure for polymorphic light eruption, but careful avoidance of the sun and using sunscreens will help you manage the rash. Generally, avoid the sun between 11am and 3pm, and wear protective
What's the outlook?
Many people with polymorphic light eruption find the skin complaint improves over years the skin may harden (become more resistant to sunlight) during the summer, which means more and more sun can be
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