Rashes, mosquito bites and mood swings: Women who are ALLERGIC to summer do everything they can to stay out of the sun

The summer months are a blessing for most of us; a time when we can shed our coats and jumpers and enjoy the feeling of sunshine on our skin.

Not so for Jennifer Hamley.

At the first hint of warmer weather, the 36-year-old handbag designer is filled with dread, knowing she is about to be plagued with an unsightly rash that will give her months of insomnia.

While the summer months are a blessing for most of us, not all women enjoy the sun. As with many allergies, sun sensitivity is increasingly common

‘I suffer dreadfully in the summer and have done for over 15 years,’ says Jennifer, from Bristol. ‘As soon as I’m exposed to a bit of sun, even as early as May, I feel the dreaded familiar itch on my face and know I’m about to enter a month of hell.’

She’s not alone. Many women are allergic to summer, from the heat of the sun and the insects it brings out, to the sunlight itself, which can lead to hormone disruption that triggers lethargy and mood swings.

For Jennifer Hamley, her itch turns into a fiery, lumpy rash, which can surface pretty much anywhere, but tends to linger on her arms, legs, back of her hands and face.

‘There’s a burning sensation that’s so painful, as well as frustrating, which won’t go away,’ she says.

‘Scratching it makes it even worse, but often I can’t help myself so I try to use the back of my hands and rub so my nails don’t break the skin and leave marks.’

Jennifer Hamley, a 36-year-old handbag designer from Bristol, is plagued with an unsightly rash that will give her months of insomnia during the summer

Jennifer takes painkillers every four hours and has tried cooling creams and gels to soothe the hot, burning rash.

‘A cold can of drink pressed against my skin sometimes offers temporary relief and I take antihistamine tablets to help reduce the itchiness, but nothing gets rid of it completely,’ she says. ‘It really affects my confidence as the rash is so ugly and obvious. I’ll plaster foundation on my face to cover the unsightly bumps, wear a scarf, trousers and long sleeves and constantly be trying to hide my hands behind my back.’

Consultant dermatologist Dr Alexis Granite believes Jennifer could be suffering from polymorphic light eruption, an allergic skin reaction triggered by exposure to sunlight, which affects 10 to 15 per cent of the UK population, and is more common in women than men.

It’s thought to be caused by UV light altering a substance in the skin, which the immune system reacts to, causing inflammation.

‘Sometimes gradual, regimented exposure to sunlight can be helpful in building the skin’s tolerance,’ says Dr Granite, who recommends seeing a dermatologist as a prescribed steroid cream can reduce symptoms when the rash is most intense.

As with many allergies, sun sensitivity is increasingly common, from extreme cases like Jennifer’s to the rashes which many suffer from in the heat.

This occurs when sweat glands in the skin get blocked and the sweat produced in warm conditions can’t get to the surface to evaporate, causing those telltale red, itchy bumps.

‘I’m seeing a lot more people these days with sun allergies and sensitive skin - and more seem to be developing reactions in response to external factors such as food, plants or the sun,’ says Hilery Dorrian, founder of SkinGenius skincare.

‘It may be there are far more ingredients to be sensitive to. Our grandmothers used to use cold creams with three ingredients. Now we might use a sun cream that has closer to 50. There are also far more toxins for our bodies to deal with, making our immune systems go into overdrive and causing allergic reactions.’

Angela Garvin, 48, has fair, freckly skin. For her, the onset of summer means months of misery and hibernating indoors.

‘My skin has been problematic ever since I was a child,’ says the paralegal from Chadwell Heath, Essex. ‘It’s pale, white and freckly and has always burnt easily. I remember going out for half an hour when I was on a cruise with my family aged 14 and getting so burnt I had to spend the rest of the week slathered in Sudocrem.

Angela Garvin, 48, has fair, freckly skin. For her, the onset of summer means months of misery and hibernating indoors

‘When I lived in Australia in my 20s, I had to cover up from head to toe and always wore factor 50 sun cream.’

But lately, as an adult, this sensitivity has grown even worse. ‘Even feeling the sun’s rays on my head makes me feel nauseous. I won’t feel like eating anything,’ says Angela, who says she loses half a stone every summer on this enforced ‘sunshine diet’.

‘I always have to stay indoors at the hottest part of the day and will avoid going on daytrips as my mood just spoils it for other people. I have taken my nieces and nephews once or twice in the summer to Southend and it was very hard. I’d try and find a café near the beach so I could watch them play while I stayed indoors. People laugh about it, but it’s a real problem.’

For these reasons, Angela doesn’t even own a bikini or swimsuit. ‘I tend to wear my autumn clothes in the summer - long sleeves, trousers, a hat, even a light coat,’ she says.

‘I went to an outdoors wedding recently and had to wear a dress, but it wasn’t long before I was getting comments about my skin looking red like beetroot.’

For Francesca de Franco, 37, it’s the mosquitos which thrive during the warmer months that spoil the summer. Her record was 27 bites in one night as a child

According to Dr Granite, whether your skin suffers in the sunshine depends on the amount of a pigment called melanin it has. ‘Those with darker skin have more melanin which protects against the effects of the sun, especially burning,’ she says.

‘The sun is strongest between 10am and 4pm so it’s best to limit sun exposure during those hours. I recommend daily use of a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a protection factor of at least 30 and wearing protective clothing if you are particularly sensitive.’

Building up your internal defence by eating a diet high in antioxidants is also recommended. ‘Lycopene, found especially in cooked tomatoes, provide a protection from sun damage due to their antioxidants, and brightly coloured vegetables such as carrots, peppers and oranges are good too,’ says Hilery, who says the sun should not be completely avoided if possible.

‘The sun promotes Vitamin D production, strengthens your bones and raises levels of the hormone serotonin which boosts your mood,’ she adds.

For Francesca de Franco, however, it’s the mosquitos which thrive during the warmer months that always spoil the summer.

‘I only used to get bitten abroad (my record was 27 in one night as a child!) but now I’m regularly bitten by mosquitoes here in the UK. It drives me mad all summer,’ says Francesca, 37, a freelance PR executive and founder of parenting website theparentsocial.com.

‘My husband never gets bitten yet I can wake up with a cluster of ten or more on my legs. They itch like crazy and can swell to 10cm in diameter. I just can’t leave them alone, however much I know I should.

‘I have to plaster myself in repellent in the evenings and I tend to avoid wearing skirts and shorts, not only to reduce the exposure but also because my legs look such a mess with all the bumps and redness.

‘Sometimes I just lie in bed all night awake because they’re so itchy. I go through tubes of Savlon and Witch Hazel.’

Francesca has also stopped wearing perfume in the summer, as she has been told it could attract the blood-sucking insects, and avoids sitting near water where they tend to gather.

So, what makes some people more prone to mosquito bites?

‘Many different factors including blood type, sweat composition, even how much carbon dioxide you produce when breathing,’ says Dr Granite. ‘Pregnant women are also more likely to be bitten.’

As for soothing inflamed bites, there are some measures that can help, such as ice packs, antihistamine tablets, over-the-counter itch relief creams and prescription topical steroids. Applying pressure to a bite without scratching can also provide some relief.

Dr Granite says the pesticide DEET is the most effective repellent. But for those who prefer not to use chemicals there are natural alternatives that may be just as effective - lemon eucalyptus oil and citronella.