Get some shade: One in six of us are allergic to the sun

A few months ago, Olympic yachtsman Ben Ainslie felt an intense itch on his face - without looking in the mirror, he knew there would be an angry red rash covering his nose.

It was yet another outbreak of the skin complaint that has dogged the triple Olympic gold medallist for most of his life and which, at times, has reduced his face to 'a mess of sores.'

What makes Ben's condition so extraordinary - given that he is a yachtsman who spends most of his time outside - is that it is caused by an allergy to the sun.

From the age of three, being in the sun for any more than a few minutes caused him to come out in unbearably itchy, red spots. He had to wear long trousers and tops whenever he went outside and a high-factor sun cream on exposed skin.

Ben suffers from solar dermatitis (actinic prurigo, to give it its medical name). The condition affects not just his skin, but leaves him feeling drained.

Even though the effects are now less severe, the fatigue and itching of an outbreak make him feel so irritable that he avoids people for days on end.

Allergy to the sun is common, with as many as one in six Britons suffering from actinic prurigo, photosensitive eczema (triggered by exposure to bright light) or solar urticaria (a nettle-like rash that develops after exposure to the sun).

'In all these conditions, the sun causes proteins and molecules within the skin to change slightly. In some people, the body sees them as foreign,' says Dr Mike Ardern-Jones, consultant dermatologist at Southampton University NHS Trusts and the Spire Southampton Hospital.

'The body then behaves as if this is an infection, so the immune system sends chemicals to the area that result in an incredibly itchy rash. Some people may feel malaise because the body is mounting an immune attack.'

Those with a family history of photo sensitive conditions, allergic conditions such as hayfever or skin complaints such as eczema have an increased risk of sun-related allergies.

It is slightly more common in women, but can affect all skin types. The first line of treatment is steroid creams to reduce the inflammation, says Dr Ardern-Jones.

'If these don't work then the other treatment option is - surprisingly - light treatment.' Exposing the patient to brief, small doses of light triggers the production of melatonin in the skin.

'This works a bit like the body's natural sunscreen, helping block out the sun slightly, which is what happens when you tan. It's enough to reduce or prevent actinic prurigo,' says Dr Ardern-Jones.

There is no cure, but most people grow out of it or the condition improves with age. Unfortunately, though his condition has improved, Ben still suffers severe flare-ups. 

Painful, itchy skin: Olympic yachtsman Ben Ainslie

'The rash can be unbearably itchy - enough to drive you mad. Often as a child I would scratch it until it bled,' says Ben. 'I still have to fight the urge to scratch it and that makes me grumpy and irritable. It also makes me feel lethargic, but if it happens during a competition I just have to get on with it.

'But when I was in my teens, the main problem was the rash. I was often teased about it.

'Unfortunately, my face was the worst affected, because it is the area most exposed to the sun. The bullying went on for years and knocked my confidence to a point where I didn't enjoy school.'

Sailing, which he has enjoyed since the age of four, became his escape.

'Being on the boat became my salvation,' he says. 'I could go off on the sea, get away from the bullying and it was the one thing I was good at. I think it gave me a determination to do well.'

Ben has no idea why he developed the condition: there is no family history of skin complaints or allergies.

'Apparently, it started when I was three. Mum says I'd been outside for a while in the summer one day and within a couple of hours I broke out in rashes,' he says. 'The biggest issue for me was the itchiness. At times it was so bad I couldn't sleep. Mum used used to wrap my hands in bandages at night to try and stop me itching, so I'd rub it instead.

'There was no way she could stop me going outside when it was sunny - I was a little boy, full of energy - so she'd make me wear long-sleeved tops and trousers. But my face would become a mess of sores.

'My parents and doctors talked about me wearing a visor, but thankfully that idea was dropped as unworkable.'

The cause of Ben's condition was diagnosed by a specialist in Scotland. 'Once he'd diagnosed sun allergy I had lots of tests to see if there was any one kind of band of light to which I was allergic. If there was, exposure to ultra-violet light treatment might have helped me, but it seemed I was allergic to all of them, so it was ruled out.'

Further treatments suggested by various specialists were equally ineffective.

'Between the ages of four and 15 I tried a whole host of types of steroid creams, which didn't really help. 

'I even had special diets. One time I cut out all dairy. Another time I had a special diet that included pigs' trotters, which are rich in collagen, the protein responsible for skin and muscle tone.

'I was also given lots of antihistamines, but nothing really helped. It was not until I got to my teenage years that it calmed down - just because I was getting older, which apparently is common. However, even now I occasionally get a bad flare-up.

'Last year, I had a really bad outbreak on my nose, which was unbelievably itchy and my skin was bright red. All my friends called me Rudolph - hardly original.

'Now when I get a flare-up, steroid creams do help, far more than when I was a child, because my allergy isn't as extreme. Unfortunately, they don't prevent it - the only thing that would help me is to stay out of the sun entirely - but they can help heal the rash.

'I still go to a consultant once every six months or so. He said I could try the drug thalidomide if it got really bad, but I didn't like the sound of that.'

Occupational hazard: Ben takes steps to protect his skin - like wearing factor 30 and a cap -when he's out in the sun when sailing

Thalidomide is reserved only for severe cases and as a last resort. It works by blocking the immune system and the effects of the chemicals that cause the skin to inflame. Ben was warned it can also damage the nerves.

'I would rather put up with sore, itchy skin than damage my nerves and lose the ability to sail and race,' he says. 'I have considered looking into the light treatment again. I might be suitable for it now as it's far more sophisticated than it was when I was a child. But the flare-ups haven't been bad enough for me to investigate it.

'The worst time for me is the Spring when my skin is pale. The paler I am, the more sensitive my skin seems to be.

'When I'm out, I make sure I wear factor 30 sunscreen to block out some of the sun's rays, but obviously it can't block them all.

'At least towards the end of the summer, when I have a light tan, my skin seems to be able to tolerate the sun slightly more.

'As a professional sportsman, I regularly push my body to the limit, frequently suffering aches and pain. I even snapped a ligament a few years ago.

'But I don't mind all that. Bizarrely, the only thing that continues to bother me is my skin.'