I would consider myself to be someone who is not terribly sensitive to sunlight. I honestly think my skin’s tolerance of sunlight stems from working outdoors on the farm from a young age, and for quite a long time now; I’ve built up a bit of an immunity to the sun, if you will, so I rarely get sunburnt.
I do burn the first time I work outdoors for an entire day when the busy season on the farm arrives, but after this first burn, I tan. That is, up until now.
Within the past couple of weeks, I’ve noticed some small bumps on certain areas of my skin. My shoulders, the top of my back, my arms and my hands, to be more specific. I didn’t think much of them when I first spotted them, but as they progressively worsened and started itching like a bitch, I started paying more attention to them.
Fast forward to now, I’m covered in the bastards. They’re fucking painful, itchy as hell, and to top things off nicely, they’re burning, too.
I’m not entirely sure what has triggered the development of these bumps, which, at this point, are now a rash, but I have some ideas. I think they may have appeared because of a combination of things; Lyme disease, an increase in the heat the sun gives off (I swear, it’s hotter every year), using tanning beds, and using sunscreen (I have never worn it until this year – I know, shoot me).
Upon doing some research, I came across something called Polymorphous Light Eruption (PLE). Here is a description of it courtesy of mayoclinic.org:
“Polymorphous light eruption is a rash caused by sun exposure in people who have developed sensitivity to sunlight. The rash usually appears as tiny, inflamed bumps or slightly raised patches of skin. The reaction usually happens during spring and early summer when exposure to sunlight increases. It’s less likely to be repeated as the summer progresses. But the rash often happens again each year after the first time. If you’re going to develop this sensitivity, the first instance will likely be in your teens or 20s,” the web page states.
I’m not even sure if this is what I have, but it does go away on its own after about ten days.
If you weren’t aware of PLE before reading this post, I’m hoping you are now.
ontheedgeofeverything 
