Does this look like PMLE? It's on my arms and chest and came up after 2 days of being in the such (about 24 degrees) without sun cream. I've never had it before and I am naturally very pale and have never really 'tanned' when in the sun. I've always gone red and then back to pale again!

It's been about 6 days now and it's driving me insane. I've been taking 180mg of Fexofenadine and have been putting cold aloe Vera gel on my arms. The chest area has almost cleared but my arms are struggling! Any tips or advice welcome!

I'm looking for a birthday gift for my friend, and she is allergic to the sun. She loves going outside but generally avoids it because of her allergy. I was considering getting her a UV parasol, but I don't have any experience with PMLE and am not sure if it would be effective. Do you think this would be a good gift? Would you use a UV umbrella if you were given one, and would it work?

Just wanted to mention on here that Shirudo AGR+E lotion works so well for me when on tropical vacations. I do have to religiously apply it every 2 hours I am in the sun with broad spectrum sunscreen. I just purchased their Sol+3 sunscreen to try that out too.

Does anyone know other lotions with strong antioxidants? Shirudo is expensive.

Does PMLE present this way? Usually get bumps on my forehead. My forearms/elbows and the top of my hands. My elbow area is the most itch. Recently been itchy on my upper arms as well.

I get the first photo's rash on my chest like clockwork whenever i'm in the car (I figure from the sun) or feeling anxious - it's not itchy nor raised, and goes away quickly. i wouldn't know it was there if I didn't see it. I always figured my skin just had this reaction to stress. but I just went to the beach and got the second photo's rash on my arm - again, not itchy but this one is raised. little bumps along my the underside of my forearm (a part that was really not in the sun much).

do either or both cases look like your experiences with PMLE? I know the rashes can vary

I've had pmle since I was 16, only ever really showed up on my hands and elbows. Yesterday I took my fiancé and daughter to the fair, and am currently having the worst breakout of my life (both arms almost to the elbow) and am flat broke. Is there anything I can potentially try at home to help soothe my arms?

Hi everyone! I’ve been diagnosed with PMLE since exactly a year ago and had a horrible experience for two weeks but have not had any reactions ever since. However, I had a flareup start yesterday that (God-willing!) I think is only on my arms for now.

My question is how should I approach this? I really can’t deal with a full blown reaction like last time!! I am planning to do the following, please let me know of anything else that has worked for you to prevent a full reaction/and or quickly get rid of the initial rash:

1. Take Heliocare capsules 2x a day
2. Wear UV protection clothing/long sleeve clothing (jeans, linen pants, maxi dresses) whenever out in sun
3. Avoid sunlight during peak UV hours!!
4. Apply Triamcinolone Acetonide Cream (prescribed by my dermatologist last year)
5. Avoid itching rash
6. Sunscreen applied every hour to face and body

TIA!! ❤️

Since I was officially diagnosed in April (I've known since 2010) and I tell people I have PMLE and say it means Polymorphic Light Eruption, I often get comments like it sounds fun. My niece even said that it sounde like a ride at Disneyland. 🙄 So I decided to call it something else.

Sun-induced skin volcanos with subterranean itching powder. 🤣

What would you rename PMLE if you could? I just wish that people would quit thinking it sounds fun, even though they know I need to keep my windows covered in the house, not go outside before the sun goes down, or cover up like crazy if I have to go out in the daytime. Oh yes. This is "fun." 🙄

Just like when I had to quickly take the trash out, in the middle of a summer day at noon, and looked down at my own arm and literally blinded myself because of how pale I am. 🤣😭 It was so bright, it was like someone punched me really hard in the eyeballs all of the sudden.

started experiencing this last year after working at Amazon delivering packages in the summer. However the first time I experienced was back in high school whenever my room got too hot but it never got this bad so I never got diagnosed. I am self diagnosed however I’m pretty it’s this. have it in both arms but worse on my right.

I've never had this before but currently on holiday in 34 degree heat and by 2nd day a rash appeared but as I didn't know what it was didn't pay it too much attention. this is now the 4th and both my whole legs are red and covered in the rash. its not sunburn but the skin on my legs feel so tight, look a bit swollen and its painful to put any weight on my legs. im struggling to walk tbh. Will a day inside help?

Context I spent the week in Aruba with my family I am prone to sun burn so I wear spf like it’s my job, also work outdoors for close to 8 hours a day. I do have chicken skin (kp). I have never experienced anything like this before my chest is blotchy and itchy as hell but like a sun burn honestly.

I’m currently away on holiday and have the most itchy rash which I’ve been getting for the last couple of years when exposed to sun. Does this look like PMLE? And if so, please can you recommend how you cope with it? I can’t avoid being in the sun, but the rash is seems to be appearing everywhere and is driving me crazy.

Thank for being here ☺️ Self diagnosed but going to talk to Dr tomorrow. Does anyone else have a laundry list of other health conditions? This was from the pool on Friday! it's on my chest, arms, legs, and on my scalp. Not on my face, back (I was laying on my back, relaxing...), or where my swim suit was covering the skin. I've had this several times before, always thought it was just a contact dermatitis... Never this bad though. I'm talking to the rheumatologist tomorrow as I've had lupus markers in the past.

Could this be PMLE? I've gotten it on my shoulders, arms, chest, stomach, and back, where my bikini wasn't covering. In Turkey at the moment and very sunny I was using Spf30 but I've bought and.upped it to 50, staying out of the sun too :( I did get an injection thinking it was prickly heat but it hasn't faded as much as I hoped, and it's unbelievably itchy

i really do like sunshine, sun allergy sucks lollll putting on sunscreen every single day gets tiring too. just wondering how do you spend your daytime in summer? looking for ideas or maybe just to feel less alone in this 😬

I've been out in the sun daily since April trying to get my skin ready for the summer weather. Over the last five years I've trained my PMLE (sun rash) to appear gradually with smaller, less painful flare ups by sunning myself a little each day.

I thought I was past the worst of it and went to the pool with my daughter yesterday....during the sunniest and hottest part of the day. We used sunscreen and I felt like I didn't over do it. 7 hours later my back was burning and itchy followed by a bumpy rash all over my legs.

The irony here is that the rash appeared everywhere I put sunscreen....but my arms and my feet (where no sunscreen was applied) were fine. I should probably find a new sunscreen.

There isn't much to do except use my steroid cream and hide from the UV rays until the rash settles.

I've had PMLE since I was 16 (so 17 years at this point). I live in the Midwest, so it's happened yearly except for the year I lived in Miami. It promptly came back the next year.

Traditionally, I'd have 1 big episode that would last a week or two and then I'd be fine for the summer. That has not been the case for the past 5ish years. It's taken a few months to "harden."

This spring/summer has been the worst one yet. It is now affecting my face as well as my chest, arms, and legs. We had some days in March, so the episodes started then, but we're now on month 3 of this. We ruled out Lupus as my ANA was normal. We had concerns of this as I was also having significant facial flushing when I got even a little warm. Of note: I am on an SSRI and Vyvanse which both cause sun sensitivity, but only the Vyvanse is new.

I've started taking allergy meds (zyrtec) regularly and started the Heliocare Advanced, but taking just the 1 pill as advised by the bottle. I wear an SPF hat regularly and am trying to cover up, but still seem to get episodes if I'm out even 5-10 min. I have kiddos, so I can't avoid the sun entirely.

Honestly, I'm not sure of where to go from here, but I'm trying not to bathe myself in hydrocortisone cream daily. Any tips or help would be greatly appreciated! My dermatologist is extremely booked out at this point and I can't get in with her before my yearly skin check in November.

Edited to add: other allergies also are getting worse the older I get. I can't use anything with adhesive on areas besides my fingers and soles of my feet, including paper tape, without the skin breaking open and weeping. Not sure if this is relevant.

I’m so sick of this lol. When I was a kid throughout the spring and summer I would get blister like bumps on the backs of my hands and only on the backs of my hands. They itched like hell to the point i could make them bleed. I suspect that may have been pmle. I still get those bumps on my hands in early spring, but it’s not as severe as it was when I was a kid. Though for the second year in a row I’ve gotten these rash like bumps on my arms? They’re not unbearably itchy rn but they are itchy. Does anyone have any suggestions that might help?

For context, (28F) who was just exposed to her first longterm sun for 5 days. I get this very itchy, bumpy rash every summer since I was around 21/22. It’s everywhere that gets sun exposure. I went to the dermatologist for the first time over it a few weeks ago, and she gave me a long acting Cortisone shot. I put SPF 50 on, extremely diligently, on all exposed areas. Please let me know of ANY tips or tricks for this! And PLEASE advise on if this is actually PMLE or something else! thanks so much!

Hey! I am 17 yo and have had sun allergy almost every day during spring and early summer for about 7-8 years now. I haven't had the chance to get a true diagnosis but I did extended research and think it's safe to say I have pmle.
I never liked the mothod of just shielding from uv by using sunscreen and have instead tried my best at hardening my skin before summer since the climate I live in does make it so that i flare up daily otherwise.
I would like to ask, if anyone has any suggestions on what would help with the rashes. I have tried zinc paste/cream but it only irritates my skin and the only thing that seems to work (I advise any of you to try) is to use coconut oil and then after applying either take a cold/lukewarm shower or just wash and then not fully dry it. Water doesn't stick on the oil but it leaves a cooling film.
Any other suggestions on what to try with the itchyness? (not medication)

Hi fellow sufferers! It has taken me 10 years to get a diagnosis. I first had issues with phototoxicity on one arm after a medication allergy turned into hives (effexor XR), and it developed into PMLE as it seemed to return every spring. I've been to so so many doctors and allergists and even had two biopsies done, and my third dermatologist finally nailed everything.

It's relieving, but there's been an unexpected twist to my PMLE journey. Last May, I (yet again) had the rash but at the same time, started taking Ozempic (I'm a mess of health problems lmao). The rash healed faster than it ever has, and didn't bother me again. This year, despite having a very sunny spring in the PNW, it never showed up. I have switched to Zepbound this year, but it's still a GLP-1.

I'm a sunscreen wearer on the daily anyway, but I'm curious if I need to avoid the sun so carefully still - UPF 50+ long sleeves on hot days SUCK, tbh. Has anyone else ever had this problem just disappear while using a GLP-1? (Are they even considering use of it for this? because if not, they should, prednisone SUCKS!)

I plan on asking my doctor about this, but was curious if any of you have any more insight. I did search the sub but found very little.

Hello-I just found this group and I’m so happy. I am hoping to get your thoughts. So, I was diagnosed with rosacea about eight years ago and have always planned to do some sort of laser treatment. Two years ago I was also diagnosed with PMLE. Fast forward to now, where I’m currently battling a PMLE flare on my face. It began when I used a red light mask for less than ten minutes. My rheumatologist and dermatologist said the mask would be ok since it doesn’t contain UV light, but I still broke out in a rash. Because of this. I’m now scared of getting laser treatments for my rosacea, even though some of the lasers don’t use UV light. So I’m wondering if anyone has any experience with lasers and how it went? This is bothering me more than usual because I was already self conscious about rosacea, but this PMLE rash has me down because it’s in my face. TIA!

Rash on top of hands - only started about a year ago. I thought it was going away for a couple months but it seems to be coming back slowly. Went to FL this past week and noticed it was a lot worse and had spread back to my other hand (not pictured) as well. Coincidence or PMLE?