How Can We Stop Polymorphic Light Eruption?

Summer rashes and sun rashes are photodermatoses that may develop in patients in spring or at the beginning of summer. The most characteristic initial symptom is erythema (skin redness), often accompanied by lumps, blisters, and even small petechial haemorrhages.

Material preparation: Beata Nowak
Medical consultation: Dermatologist Joanna Nowak, M.D.

omen and children are much more likely to suffer from photodermatosis. This disease is chronic and recurrent. The causes of these photodermatoses are not fully known so far. They are most likely caused by skin hypersensitivity following UVB and UVA radiation exposure, or by a low skin’s natural resistance to the sun. Exanthema usually appears on the skin a few hours after exposure to the sunlight. The most characteristic initial symptom is erythema (skin redness), often accompanied by lumps, blisters, and even small petechial haemorrhages. The disease usually appears on the skin over the cleavage area, cheeks, neck and the backs of the hands. The polymorphic light eruption can also appear in men or young boys as so-called juvenile spring eruption, which is located on the skin over the area of the ears and nose. Using sunscreens with SPF 30 or 50+, wearing sun-protective clothing, and slowly increasing sun exposure (photo-hardening with artificial UVB/UVA radiation for 4-6 weeks before the expected exposure to the sun) can be helpful to prevent the development of photodermatoses such as polymorphic light eruptions. However, it often happens that prophylaxis is not effective. Then we have to struggle with persistent itching, burning, and skin redness, which can persist for several days or even weeks after exposure to the sun. A lot of patients decide to use steroid creams in order to treat the polymorphic light eruption, but it is worth knowing that recently a new non-steroidal medicine with the choline salt of glycerophosphoinositol “GPI” (Calmapherol S.C. cream) was put on the market. The choline salts act soothingly and reduce skin redness and irritation. The ingredients of the cream, such as zinc oxide, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, vitamin E and allantoin, regenerate and nourish irritated, red and itchy skin and, most of all, soothe and reduce redness caused by UVB radiation.   It can also be effective to use foams (such as Calmapherol foam) containing zinc PCA, aloe vera, d-panthenol (provitamin B5), zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, vitamins A and E, and allantoin. Foams are particularly advantageous because they can be used on larger parts of the body, such as upper and lower limbs and cleavage.

The ingredients named above help to soothe irritated skin and reduce redness, but also relieve itching.