the essential
That’s it ! The good weather is finally here, but it arrives with its procession of small inconveniences… Because did you know that? The first exposures to the sun can trigger summer light bulbs. These are mild but very unpleasant allergic skin reactions.
In spring and early summer, the first exposure to the sun is synonymous with redness and sometimes even intense itching. Should we see it as a simple first day sunburn, or a real allergy?
“These are definitely allergies that should not be confused with sunburn,” explains Professor Christophe Bédane, dermatologist and member of the French Society of Dermatology (SFD). We are talking about benign summer breakouts and they are not so rare because they can affect up to 10% of the population. They mainly affect young women with a predisposition to light or very light skin. These skin reactions, triggered by UV rays, are due to an allergy to an unknown chromophore, present in the blood. for a few years, and which generally disappears after four or five years. For this reason, this allergy is not permanent.
Red patches on the neckline and upper back
Although completely benign, it remains very unpleasant, particularly because it is very urticarial. It most often occurs in areas of the body that are not regularly exposed, such as the neckline and upper back, and occurs in the hours following exposure.
“To protect yourself from this, you should favor gradual exposure; for example, 15 minutes the first day, then 30 minutes, then 1 hour while avoiding exposure to the hottest hours between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m.,” advises the dermatologist. All without neglecting protection: hat, t-shirt, sunglasses, and high UV index of 50 for sunscreen.
Finally, for the most disabling cases, it is possible to carry out desensitization which consists of a few UV sessions under dermatological control at the beginning of spring.
