When Vegetation + Solar = Bother

By Mary-Jane Pilgrim, Grasp Gardener

Have you ever ever gotten a bizarre pink rash or burn after spending time outdoors? Should you had been pulling weeds or brushing up in opposition to sure crops, you may’ve had one thing known as phytophotodermatitis. It sounds scary, nevertheless it’s actually only a fancy identify for a pores and skin response that occurs when plant juice meets sunshine.

Right here’s the way it works: some crops (like wild parsnip, big hogweed, gasoline plant (Dictamnus), citrus fruits, dill, parsley, celery, fennel and even carrots) have pure chemical substances in them known as furanocoumarins. When these chemical substances get in your pores and skin and are then uncovered to daylight — particularly sturdy summer season solar — your pores and skin can react. It won’t harm at first, however after a day or so that you may discover pink patches, streaks, and even blistering. It usually seems to be like a burn or a splash mark.

Folks generally mistake it for poison ivy, however phytophotodermatitis is totally different. Poison ivy causes allergic contact dermatitis as a result of urushiol oil in its sap. Phytophotodermatitis is just not an allergic response, and it doesn’t normally itch. It’s extra like a sunburn that was triggered by a plant.

Generally the blistering will be fairly extreme.

The excellent news? It normally goes away by itself in just a few weeks, although it could actually go away behind darker patches of pores and skin for some time. Extreme burns could require medical remedy, together with potential debridement (elimination of broken tissue) and pores and skin grafts. Defend the affected space from daylight for an prolonged interval to stop additional irritation.

To keep away from it, put on gloves when gardening, wash your pores and skin after dealing with crops open air, and attempt to keep away from solar publicity proper after. And in case you’re chopping limes for drinks on a sunny patio — wash your arms and arms!

It’s a sneaky sort of sunburn (or worse!), however a little bit data goes a great distance in stopping it.