I posted here earlier in January about issues with sunscreen allergy, and got some useful advise, thanks SBzers
I had a massive reaction on the day before Kitestock (see the picture of my arm), which left me feeling like crap for the next 2 weeks, and got a dermatology referal which I have finally got to today!
It looks like I may actually be allergic to the sun, not the sunscreen at all, a condition called polymorphic light eruption dermatitis....
I need to wait for my next breakout to be biopsied and then look at what to do next, but what a poo for enjoying sun and sea based sports
BTW, my GP as a stop-gap recommended using Ego Sunsense Senstive suncreen (purple label, made with titanium dioxide), as one of the most non-reactive sunscreens out there, which worked fine (if a bit claggy) and so if you are a bit reactive I would now reccomend this one. For interest, it seems most suncreen allergies are usually to the additives and preservatives, not the active ingredients.
I was going to make an amazingly funny joke about being allergic to kiting gheyness.
Then I checked your profile & you're a girl, so I got nothing.
Maybe a long-sleeve rashie instead of sunscreen? (Btw, I hate telling girls to 'cover up'.)
I hope you get well soon & find a way to get out there in that (nasty) sun safely.
It might be a mild form of erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP), which is a light intolerance disorder.
In extreme forms you can't even go outside in daylight and up until a year or two ago there was no treatment for it except to stay out of sunlight. It usually shows up in childhood so if yours has only just appeared it might be something else.
The good news is, an australian company Clinuvel, has developed a new drug (Scenese) to very much reduce the effects.
I don't think it's available in Austraia yet but it should be soon.
Although it does look like what Hairy Porter said, prickly heat. If the red spots coincide with the hair follicles it's more likely the prickly heat.
My mrs had what that looks like last year in the whitsundays it lasted for about a week and drive her mad... (she also thought it was a reaction to the sunscreen ) we googled for days and prickly heat seemed to match the best
In the end ( when we got off the boat )she had a hot shower as hot as she could stand then followed with cold water the next ...within hours it was fading away and by morning it was almost completely gone.
My theory : the pores had opened up in the sun on the boat then she applied sunscreen then jumped in the cooler water the pores then close up in the cooler water trapping small amounts of sweat and sunscreen .... Repeated for several days and you have a prickly heat type rash.
A super hot shower helped open them again and flush the oils before cooling the skin again with the cold.
Just a guess though
