eureka!

ever since I can remember, I’ve been blessed with a lovely rash that spreads from the backs of my hands up my arms whenever I spend more than an hour in the sun. mom used to think I was allergic to sunblock–but no matter what formula we tried, the “sun rash” (as we creatively called it) raised its itchy little heads. it’s not really incapacitating because the bumps go away in a couple of days, but it’s definitely annoying when all my friends sport sunkissed glows and I’m covered in what could easily pass for chickenpox.

so, imagine my delight when jon baker, future PA extraordinaire, triumphantly pointed to a picture in our dermatology atlas and diagnosed me with polymorphous light eruption (PLME). it’s caused by a delayed hypersensitivity reaction to UV-A radiation (most sunscreens block UV-B rays) and most commonly appears in women during the first three decades of life. there’s no magic cure: the treatment is to stay out of the sun, use UV-A sunscreen, and use corticosteroids to control the itching. and yet somehow it’s so much more bearable because of its amazing name. the next time we practice taking medical histories, I’ll be able to spice up mine with “polymorphous light eruption” listed as a chronic medical condition!