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I have a question for those vamps out there that are sensitive to the sun. I am sensitive to the sun as well as my mother. However, going out into the sun is something that I cannot avoid since I have a job that is during the day time hours. What do you do to get the least amount of sun exposure while still going to your day job?

For me, I have tried to use sun block all over my body, and wear very light clothing that covers most of my body so that I do not sweat but am still covered. I'm not sure what else I can do except for wear sunglasses and hope for the best lol. Any suggestions? Please I would like only intelligent answers...

I am sensitive to sunlight but its not because vampirism. I have a genetic syndrome called ehlers-danlos syndrome it is a genetic abnormality that a rare few people have. You have to have a genetic test to find out if you have it but it means for me that I am missing one of the collagens that everyone else has. A second collagen that normal people have is mutated for me. The combination means that if I go outside during daylight without being fully covered I burn horribly. If I was out for longer than a few minutes with no covering I would burn badly. I usually never go out during daylight and I keep all my windows completely covered since even secondary sunlight can cause me to burn. Im an insomniac anyway so it works out alright. Since I dont almost ever sleep I just try to sleep when dawn comes for a hour or so. Then hang out and make music until dark. The only huge downside is that not ever being in the sun can make you have drastically lower saratonin levels since the sun causes your body to produce saratonin quite a lot. When you never are in the sun you lose alot of happiness chemicals your body normally makes so you usually have to use some kind of replacement therapy. They had to come up with a S.A.D. light for me to use year round since i can almost never go in the sun but they also had to get a special one since most are uv. Even using the sad light I still have to wear special prescription dark sunglasses because my eyes sensitivity to light but that is common for people that almost never go outside. Your eyes stop getting use to light and react terribly when you see light.
I think that says about all that needs to be said about sensitivity to sun. If anyone is really interested in knowing more about ehlers-danlos syndrome they can go to www.ednf.org that is the national foundations website. It explains some of the types of ehlers-danlos and what it can mean. Almost all forms of it mean super elastic tissue because the missing collagen or mutated collagen or both.

wow quite a lot of information there! Thank you for the post and for being so open about your syndrome. So, is there special medication you must take in order to be healthy?

I burn really bad in the sun so the only think you can do is to avoid it...

there was but I learned to exercise in special ways to stop bone dislocation by superdeveloping muscle tissue around joints. Also the sunlight part there is nothing you can take for it. You just have to accept that your a a burn pizza if you go outside for too long. I stopped going out during the day almost ever. I use to go to the cornerstore which is only 2 houses down a total of maybe 150 feet from my house and in the time it would take to walk there and back I would already be burning badly. I finally gave up going out in the sunlight. It is depressing at times but its really for the best.

that is good that you have found ways to keep yourself a healthier being even if you cannot be in the sun. I commend you for that! :)

wear hats, they help keep the sun off your head. i too use moisturisers and sunblocks daily. almost always wear layers/longsleeves. i no longer work away from home. here in seattle its cloudy/cool enough that the shade is good...

I am lucky to be able to soak up the sunlight. But, I have very sensitive eyes. I am very much bothered by the sun in that respect.

I'm the same way, I can soak up the sun and I tan really easily, but my eyes are very sensitive to sunlight, I need my sunglasses on even if it's cloudy out.

Same here. I just tan instead of burn but My eyes are very sensitive to sunlight. I moved to New England from the south to get away from the heat and sun...

Thank you, I did not think about using hats for some reason or another... lol. Probably because I am not one to usually wear a hat. My eyes are the MOST sensitive to the sunlight. I find myself having to wear sunglasses all of the time whether it be sunny or cloudy.

if I don't have my shades I don't leave the house, even on overcast days

LOL hence the reason to have many many pairs of shades... ;)

and hence wal-mart 5 dollar shades!

I have been around a couple of people who were sensitive to the light. The would wear long sleeves and pants, usually jeans, and use hats and sunglasses. They also used an umbrella combined with sunscreen with an SPF meant for babies when the sunlight got to be too much on them. The one had a job where he had to go in the day sometimes, so he would use the umbrella technique more often.

Ahh, umbrellas and prescription sunglasses... and yay for $5 shades! :D lol I am also considering (have been for awhile) tinting my car.. I think that would help to take away much of the suns rays while I'm driving.

Sunblock, shades, and a hat(wide brimmed)

last year with my youngest son he use to break out in rashes if he was in the sunlight.....i always had to have his body covered even in the pool.....now he dont have that problem....he dont even burn!!

now me i can go out in the sun and nothing bad happens with my skin, but my eyes burn real bad and i cant keep them open....i have almost ran my stroller into stuff thats how bad it effected me, luckily i got sunglasses and it does help....

KinkyKitten that is amazing how your son had recovered like that. I have the same problem with my eyes, I have to keep them covered all of the time.

I am very sensitive to the sun, but i am not a vampire, or a blood drinker, but if i stay under the sun and get direct sunlight for more then 15 minutes i will get sun burnt, i just try to aviod the sun and not stay under firect sunlight...

I love being in the sun , but my eyes can only take so much .. sunglasses dont help much .. So for the past few years I have always tried to work a graveyard shift .. Cept now I have a day job now and least it is inside ..

I am in no way vampyric, but I am very sensitive to bright light and suseptable to severe sunburn.

I "usually" put on a good sunblock before going out into the sunlight for an extended period of time. I say usually because typically once or twice a year I will forget and incinerate myself.

My eyes are also higly light sensative to to extensive use of dialation drops when I was a child, to combat an eye muscle condition.

I was diagnosed by a DR that I am allergic to the sun....I wear sunblock and still get burned, nothing works......so I understand where you are coming from.

Well I guess it was wrong for me to say to all of the "vamps" out there, hehe since of course there are people who are not vampires and have problems dealing with the sun which I am quite already aware of. A better question would have been, to all of the people on VR.! lol.

i guess im what you call one of the lucky ones im not very sensitive to sun on my skin but my eyes are another story so i have to were sunglasses all the time so i just look like a tanner its odd but i guess i look more normal in the summer

I hope this doesn't get this thread closed since it is a little off topic, but a lot of people mentioned allergies to the sun.

It depends on the person and their body, but some people do 'grow out' of the allergy.

But since most of the people in this forum are adults, there is a slight chance of it happening. I used to be allergic to the chemicals in water, I grew out of it but now that I am pregnant, the allergy comes back every now and then because of my body changing again.

But as for the sunlight, you have to remember that some medications can increase your sensitivity to it.

And here are some common causes for the sensitivity to the eyes:

" * Excessive wearing of contact lenses, or wearing badly fitted contact lenses
* Eye disease, injury, or infection (such as chalazion, episcleritis, glaucoma )
* Burns to the eye
* Common migraine headache
* Meningitis
* Acute iritis or uveitis (inflammation inside eye)
* Corneal abrasion
* Corneal ulcer
* Drugs such as amphetamines, atropine, cocaine, cyclopentolate, idoxuridine, phenylephrine, scopolamine, trifluridine, tropicamide, and vidarabine
* Eye testing in which the eyes have been dilated"

-"http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003041.htm"

sounds like you got all your bases covered

I think sensitivity to sunlight is about as common as the need for oxygen. That's a bit sarcastic, yes... but more people in this world are sensitive to it than not. The sun can damage anyone.

I am not a vampire, but I am very sensetive to sunlight. My fair skin makes me very photosensetive, I once got a bad sunburn in February!

I usually tell people I'm so sensetive to the sun that I can get burned by the moon!

sorry to hear vampirealexander

my friend's daughter is very sensitive to sunlight and the sun it's self

she burns really easy

but she is not vampric at all and the eye doctor even confirmed that she had very sensitive eyes to the sunlight

only thing i can think of since i am able to be in the sun but really dont choose it. wear dark shades, change your work hours stay in the shade and put drk curtains up all over your house
be safe

My ex had very pale skin and he could not stay out of the house very long in the sun or he would get very badly burned. Any time he had to work outside, he had to wear long sleeved shirts and pants, and a scarf around his neck with a hat on. Even at that sometimes he would still get burnt! lol Some people are more susceptible to the suns damaging rays than others I guess.

I have an answer.. quit your day job lol. And get a job overnight and sleep alll day lol. Like the "true" vampire that you really are. :)

My oldest son actually has a sun allergy. It's not lethal, but it does cause itchy, nasty looking rashes on exposed skin, especially his face. Unfortunately, sun block does not help him, so I just try to keep him out of the sun as much as I can and make him come inside when he begins to redden (which precedes the rash).

There are 3 types of sun allergies. The one my son has is genetic (my uncle had the same thing as a child and was lucky enough to grow out of it).

If you talk to your doctor about it, you can find a treatment to help prevent a reaction. Each of the different types of allergies, and even sensitivities (there is a difference between allergies and sensitivities) has its own treatment and prevention method.

Also, some auto-immune diseases/disorders result in sensitivity to light, so you may want to get checked for those while you're talking to your doc.

i didnt start life this way...i think what happened is that after i was hiking in the desert too long , i sort of became allergic/sensitive. i not only burn quickly i get migraines, and nauseated. ( i used to hike alot )

Wonderful post, vampirealexander.

Well, I have always been pale and can burn very quickly, and I recommend hats with brims, and knowing where your shadowy areas are where you are going.

The sun doesn't borther my skin i get sun burnt but then i tan but my eyes are sensitive due to the contacts i wear so grabbing some sun glasses before going out seems to help out alot for me

I have a somewhat mild case of photosensitivity. So, what usually does it for me is sunglasses, and clothing that covers the majority of my skin. And trying to avoid going out when the sun is out whenever possible.

I am finding that lately I have become a little less tolerant of the sun rays. My mother gets skin rashes if out in the sun for too long, so maybe I am starting to pick that up as I'm getting older! lol

the sun doesn't hurt my skin unless im out to long than it does burn me i usally cover up wearing sweaters and pants alittle weird again but i dont like to be burnt i also dont stay in the sun to long no more any ways

when you get glasses/sunglasses make sure they block both uva and uvb. If possible get ones that wrap around so less light gets in from the sides. Darker is not always better try amber lenses they take some getting used to but unlike dark lenses which make your pupil dialate amber lenses cause your pupil to get smaller and let less light in. Amber lenses also block the blue spectrum of light which contains most of the damaging rays. When you chose a sunblock makes sure it blocks uva and uvb also and get the highest spf rating that you can. Wear sunblock even on sunny days as the harmful rays can penetrate the clouds. Reapply the sunblock regularly as its effectiveness fades. There is a thick sunblock cream you can get for areas like your nose that blocks 100% of the sun because you apply a thick layer and it stays opaque. That can be important if you dont wear a hat and or you are near water or snow as your nose gets both direct sunlight and reflected sunlight from your glasses and water or snow. Your glasses can acually magnify and focus the sun onto your nose especilly if you like to wear mirrored lenses. The wide brimed hat was also another good suggestion. I have been told that if you can get your doctor to write a perscription you can even get your front windshield tinted. I don't know for sure but you could check the laws in your state and you may need to get something about it put on your drivers license might be worth checking into.

I am not a vampire but I am sensitive to the sun also. Some ppl cannot stand the sun at all but are normal. I recommend going to a quack and getting checked out there could be a normal reason if u r unsure.

I mainly just cover up or use sunblock on the areas where I am exposed.

As to how it affects me, well, I feel the burn, but I can never see it.... sort of an invisible pain really. I find that I heal quite quickly if I am in the shade and of course, when night falls my body can mend itself to a greater degree than just staying away from the windows during the daylight hours.

As to what my body does to get rid of the sun's rays, once they have been embedded in my skin, my body basically forces them to the surface, and I will begin to see pale splotches basically overcoming the afflicted area.

I hate the sun and live in the desert i avoid it as much as possible.

Again I thank you to all who have responded to this thread! Great feedback. :)

ChartreuseDreams - I think I am going to get an appointment with my doctor about it for my growing intolerance to the sun is definitely a concern.

Hats and big 'golf' umbrellas are great!

I love those big golf umbrellas :D lol

That must be terrible. I mean, I am very fair skinned and I burn very easily, always have, but not so much that it hiders my day to day life. Try sunscreen with a higher SPF maybe? That's the only thing I could think of.

well, i always carry sun block with me, so put it on every time before you go out. that'll help you from so much of that exposure, especially now that it's summer. and try to wear more longs sleeves, even though it's deathly hot, it doesnt have to cover your whole are, it can be something light

I suffer badly in the sun, and although Scotland is usally damp and overcast, it has not been the case for the last couple of years. I have very photsensitive eyes, but i also require a strong prescription in glasses, so wearing darkened glasses is a no no as well as shades all the time, so i have reactions lenses, the only part of me that shows in the sunlight is my arms which do tan naturally despite being a Blonde/Ginger mix. The reason for this is that i lived in Australia and i worked outdoors a lot and i hate have my forearms covered even in the coldest winters... I'm Scottish i am wierd.

But if i can avoid it i will stay in with my cooling fan and wait for the night!!!!

where a hat

I itch terribley and burn easyliey in the sun.
plus it makes me sneeze and makes my eyes go all watery, luckly in england its rarely sunny. but when it is i just wear a hoody and sun glasses most of the time.

Deadlyviper that's funny that you say you itch in the sunlight because I find that happening to me too sometimes... especially on my face.. what the hell is up with that? :P

I dont know.
i dont choose to hate the sun it hates me lol. i cant understand why i get the symptoms in the sun. i guess its just my skin.

Itching in the sunlight could be due to a sensitivity. Sometimes, you have an allergy (say, to pollen), but the sunlight sensitizes your skin, causing a different sort of reaction in the skin, eyes, etc. It's really not the light that's bothering you, but rather what you're allergic to. The sun just makes the reaction stronger.

umbrellas help alot

Thats a good point
is it possible to be allergic to the sun?

Deadlyviper, absolutely! There are 3 types of sun allergies that I'm aware of. Also, there are sun sensitivities.

It's possible to be allergic to anything: fruits, veggies, meats, light, even water.

Ah right well you learn something new everyday. Thank you for that, and for the other post yes an umbrella is useful but most people would give you dirty looks and such for walking around in sunlight with an umbrella but who cares about that i get it everyday for the way i dress anyway. slighty going off topic there, anyway i knew someone who was allergic to fruit. all types of it. im not sure why,im guessing it would have to be the chemicals in them.

but now there are beautiful parasols to take out in a sunny day... at least here in my country you could see people using them everywhere...

well I am not that sensitive to light. I manage to get burned after about half an hour to 45 minutes out in the light, but ntohing horrible. And I do find myself having to wear sunglasses outside.
But everything they have mentioned is what you should do,long sleeves, sunblock, even umbrellas when neccesary.
I would personally see about moving to a place like the UK where the sun is seldomly out.
But I do hope everyone finds a way around the sun.

Try building an immunity ... Tan

DarkCeltic, you really can't build an immunity to a sensitivity or allergy. And, if it's due to an underlying cause (such as an autoimmune disorder, or sensitivity due to another allergy), an immunity will never happen.

Oh, I forgot to add that if the person burns quickly and easily in the sun, you absolutely will not be able to tan. The melatonin, what allows you to tan, is absent.

I too tan deeply, it's the bit of indian blood that does it, but I too have sensitve eyes and even cloudy days bother me too.

i burn easily and my eyes are very sesitive to the sunlight, shades and hats and sunblock are what i use often

i no i am senitive to the sun cause i burn easy, like if i go swimming i even have to were a shirt to keep from burning, and i have a friend who is on thorzene, he cant go out during the day cause his doctor told him that his brain would fry because of the drug he takes

I was just thinking of this today....i have very very fair skin so i burn easily, shorts an t-shirts can be out of the question...Light clothing good hehe. if i over heat i feel sick plus my skin tanns withint half an hour.
I also go next to no where without my sunglasses just bc the sun gives me a headache.
I can only suggets moving to a place/climate that isnt so sunny....YAy england hehe and/ or gettin a night time/evening job. but thats just to the extreme....

I have the allergy to the sun that causes a very nasty rash. Luckily as I've aged it's gotten a little less severe but the itching is unbearable! My doctor told me to wear the highest sunblock I can. I've been using my son's baby sunblock coupled with a lot of white clothing and my big Elvis shades (which have great UVA/UVB protection). I tried the hat but it didn't work out so well for me (melted). I'm thinking parasol. If you're in a state that allows it, try tinting your auto glass. Some people can get it by special prescription if their allergy is documented by a physician.

i blister if i go out in sunlight even if it's for a short time i have very sensitive skin though and my doctor prescribed factor 50 sunblock for it

Thankyou for your clerification Sykick , I did not even factor in alergies to sunlight .

http://www.albinism.org/publications/sunprotection.html

I have a close friend whos mother has the disease that shuts down her system if she is exposed too much. Please be careful

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/5550.html

OUCH... the nightlife is better

Sykick- that makes sense!

WynterMourn - my mom has that kind of sun allergy too where she gets a rash!
Fortunately for me, I don't get that, but if I don't wear sunglasses, I get a very bad headache..

Kaitye - thanks for the websites!

I am not only sensitive to sun light bt most all light. I had to have special sunglasses made my an optomitris. He told me that there is about 35% of the population that have light sensitnity.

I also burn just by driving in my car for a short time and have to have my cars windows tinted and I still burn. I wear sun screen 50 to 70 SPF , I wear hates and jeans pretty much year round.

Gawd, i burn all the time.
I seem to be the only one in the family with red hair and i guess that's a big minus for sun exposure...

I try to avoid it at all costs, but im still looking for a good idea to help.

*sigh* but then again, i am in Cali.....

F*ck...

Focus your consciousness upon the shadows

ok so this is a little off topic but i want some answers i would like to know all the vampires and vampire only that anwersed this forum

Although I am not sensitive to the sunlight, my 5 yr old is. She lives with her grandmother but she has a developed a rare condition where she cannot be out in the sun for too long otherwise she becomes itchy all over her body. She is going through therapy at the moment and thank goodness she's doing a bit better.

I have a very high sensitivity to sun light my self that is why my office is alway dark cause suffer from very bad migranes to which they hurt so bad at times thatI start to cry

Sunlight always seems to burn my eyes...like getting shampoo in them while in the shower. Especially at peak morning hours. So I wear thick sunglasses everywhere!

i would say try avoiding it but no one really can do that :(
i don't have a problem with light coming through the window that is fine with me as long as it doesn't shine on me directly. i have a very pale skin and get burnt very easyly. if i have been too much in the sun my flesh peels off leaving bloody scars i don't really know why but i never stay more than 30 min in the bright sun
and user a lot of creams definately sunglasses but good ones not the cheap ones cause they can be more damaging for your eyes as the iris is tricked by the apparent darkness and if the sunglasses don't really have a good UVA, UVB shield your eyes will be burnt worse with than without