Woman who has to hide from sun and cover every part of her body opens up about living with life-changing condition
A 21-year-old woman has opened up about living with a condition that forces her to cover every part of her body to avoid being hit by sunlight.
Izabella Phillips, from Colorado, was only 14 when she first noticed an itchy rash developing on her body whenever she was exposed to ultraviolet (UV) rays, which come from the sun.
Her skin would burn, but it wasn't like a regular sunburn caused by too much time on a sun bed. Izabella would also easily overheat and get sick due to her undiagnosed condition.
She explained: "When I was younger, I guess we started noticing that when I was out in the sun I would get rashes and burns.
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"The rashes would develop where my skin was not covered and burn. It was a red, itchy rash of red dots."
She added: "I overheat very easily too which means my body gets to higher temperatures and I can get sick."
Izabella went to the doctor with the hope of figuring out what was causing the rash, but it wasn't until she was 21 that she was diagnosed with polymorphic light eruption (PMLE) - an allergy to sunlight which occurs even during the winter, or when it's cloudy.
The NHS describes the condition as a fairly common rash, though it's more likely to affect women than men, and typically develops between the ages of 20 and 40.
Izabella described herself as being 'relieved' when she finally got her diagnosis, as she 'finally had some answers' as to why she was reacting the way she was.
"I was 21 when I got my diagnosis. It's been years of us looking around to see what could be going on," she said.
To tackle the condition, Izabella now has to wear a $1,300 face shield and helmet to avoid the sunlight hitting her face. She also covers every part of her body to leave the house to avoid burning or developing a rash.
Though wearing a mask every time you go outside might take some getting used to, Izabella is grateful to finally have a way to be able to leave the house safely.
"This mask has changed my life and made a huge difference. It allows me to go out a lot more now," she said.
"When I first put it on and went to the park for a couple of hours, I was really happy [as I didn't burn or get a rash].
"It's recommended to wear it every time I leave the house [to protect me] and I wear it as much as possible."
Izabella admitted her mask has prompted some people to 'stare' and ask questions, with one person reportedly asking her if she was an 'astronaut'.
To that, Izabella said: "I would agree that it does look a bit like an astronaut helmet and I laughed this comment off. When I tell people I'm allergic to the sun they definitely seem surprised."
Sadly there's no cure for PMLE, but Izabella does have two ointments she can use on her face and body if she finds herself exposed to sunlight.
"There isn't a cure for this allergy and this is something I'll have to deal with for the rest of my life," she said.
"It was quite sad at first but now I realize it makes me different and it's okay to be different. I just have to adapt and live life with it."
Emily Brown