Nothing ruins a fun summer day like itchy, inflamed, and irritated skin. Whether from the sun, pests, allergies, or a combination of the three, here are a few of the most common skin rashes in summer, plus some helpful tips on how to treat or prevent them!
Poison Ivy, Oak & Sumac
If you see leaves of 3 or 5, then let them be! Poison ivy and its cousins poison oak and poison sumac have poisonous plant oils that can spread from clothing, yard tools, and shoes, causing painful blisters and very itchy bumps.
Prevention: know what each of these plants look like and avoid them, wear gloves and long-sleeved shirts and long pants while gardening, and wash your hands frequently.
Treatment: apply a thin layer of hydrocortisone or anti-itch cream, or a cold compress, don’t scratch as the rash can easily spread, and especially avoid touching your face!
Heat Rash
One of the common skin rashes in summer is heat rash, also called prickly heat. It occurs when your sweat glands become blocked, leaving behind tiny red dots and a burning sensation when the glands burst and release the trapped sweat.
Prevention: keep cool by using fans or air conditioning, wear loose-fitting clothing, remove sweaty, tight clothing as soon as possible, shower soon after, and moisturize your skin with an unscented lotion.
Treatment: move to cooler air immediately and apply a cool compress
Eczema
This chronic skin rash can be a year-round battle; however, it can often flare up in the summer and combine with other irritants like bug bites, chlorine, allergic reactions, allergies, etc. Our healthcare professionals can help you come up with a game plan for managing your eczema, with prescription creams and other treatment options.
Swimmer’s Itch
You may have heard of swimmer’s ear, but did you know about swimmer’s itch? This skin rash develops when parasites burrow into your skin after you’ve gone swimming in a lake, pond, ocean, or other body of water. Tiny red dots will appear, and in some cases, hives and blisters.
Prevention: look for signs of infested waters and avoid swimming there and briskly rub down your body with a towel immediately after leaving the water.
Treatment: apply an anti-itch cream or cold compress and take an Epsom salt bath.
Sunburn
While technically not a rash, sunburn is a common skin condition many are affected by during the summer, and it’s preventable! Your skin is your largest organ, and skin cancer is one of the most common types of cancer, so it’s vital to do everything you can to protect your skin from the sun. Here are a few of our top sunburn prevention tips:
- Wear at least SPF 30 and reapply every 90 minutes.
- Apply SPF everywhere– hands, ears, neck, face, nose, etc. Even your scalp should be protected (powder SPF is available if you don’t the greasiness of traditional SPF).
- Wear a hat and other protective clothing like rash guards.
- Make sure your sunglasses have UV protection.
Are you interested in more health information like this? Stay up to date with our wellness blog for more tips, clinic news, and service updates!
