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"   Question Whenever I go in the sun I get a rash of red spots which later form a yellow head. This started mildly but is now quite severe.  The longer I stay in the sun, the worse becomes. The rash is confined to my upper chest, upper arms, upper back and sometimes my forehead. It is not itchy, so I do not think it is a heat rash. At first I thought I was allergic to the sunscreen and tried various brands and factors, even going without for a short time. But this made no difference.  It makes the summer months very difficult as it means that I have to cover up all the time.  I have very fair skin anyway and have always been meticulous about ensuring that I am wearing a sunscreen but don&amp;#039;t want to spend all my summers completely covered.  The rash looks so awful I am sure people think I am contagious.  I have heard that eating certain foods can make skin either more or less sensitive. I also was on the Pill when the rash started \u2013 could that be the original cause?  Please advise!   Answer Firstly it is unlikely that your current problems have anything to do with the contraceptive pill.  And although it&amp;#039;s hard to be precise about the diagnosis of a rash without seeing it, your description is good enough to pose some suggestions You may well be suffering from polymorphic light eruption. This irritating and distressing skin condition is also known as summer prurigo, eczema solare and delayed photoallergic dermatitis.  It is thought to be due to an increased sensitivity of the skin to ultra-violet light and therefore is often at its worst at the beginning of the summer.  In mild cases, continued exposure to the sun will allow people with this condition to enjoy the rest of the summer whilst those unfortunates with moderate to severe forms of this disease are plagued with troublesome symptoms every time they go outside. As you have found, the use of sunscreens can make no difference and can sometimes even make the problem worse.  A springtime course of desensitization of the skin with ultraviolet light therapy under the supervision of a consultant dermatologist may be one answer to a more enjoyable summer. Other possible diagnoses include:  Chronic actinic prurigo \u2013 a rash that occurs on both covered and uncovered skin and in the winter, causing itching and scarring of the skin. It can also affect the eyes Acne aestavalis \u2013 also known as Mallorca acne.   Maybe you could ask your GP to look at your rash the next time it flares up or ask if you could be referred to a skin specialist, or dermatologist, for a definite answer to what your problem is so a suitable treatment can be decided upon. Yours sincerely The NetDoctor Medical Team   Other Qs &amp;amp;amp; As Are they any dangers to using a sunbed? Has the sun damaged my snowboarding son&amp;#039;s skin? How can I get rid of these ugly sunspots? How can I stop myself from looking ghostly on the beach? I get spots after sunbathing Is this a reaction to UV? My skin hates the sun My skin won&amp;#039;t tan Oversensitivity to sunlight Photosensitivity Solar dermatitis Suncream gives me spots Sunbeds Sunblock for children with atopical infantile eczema Sunburn treatment Tablets to tan the skin? The sun brings me out in a rash Treating sunburns What is causing my sun rash?  Last updated 06.04.2014 "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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