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As the summer arrives, people enjoy sunbathing and going to beach parties and pool gatherings where all kinds of beverages including lemonades are served in abundance, which look harmless, but if they spill on your skin, you might have to be rushed to an emergency room.
They are called lime or margarita burns, and according to the experts, dropping lime or other citrus juices on bare skin while in the sun can cause serious reactions to your skin.
What is margarita burn?
Dr Samer Jaber, a board-certified dermatologist at Washington Square Dermatology in New York said: “A lime or margarita burn is a skin reaction called phytophotodermatitis.”
“It occurs when your skin is exposed to plant compounds called furanocoumarins. These compounds make your skin more susceptible to ultraviolet A (UVA) light.”
He explained that what happens next is that a “red, itchy, blistering rash can develop wherever the lime juice touched your skin.”
“It can look like an irregular shape or like a streak mark where the juice dripped onto the skin.”
Common plants that cause phytophotodermatitis include citrus fruits, celery and parsnip, he added.
Who can get a lime juice burn?
According to Jaber, any skin type can experience phytophotodermatitis but if you burn easily or have light or red hair, then you may have a more severe reaction.
The intensity of the skin reaction can also vary on exposure to the juice and sun.
“It can just be mild redness if you have a small amount of lime juice on your skin with a short duration of sun exposure,” he said, “lasting from days to weeks. “
“When you are exposed for hours with a lot of lime on your skin, it can result in severe, painful, blistering burns resulting in open sores that require medical attention.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains that the reaction creates a painful line of blisters where the juice is on the skin, which can lead to “linear, brown, hyperpigmented patches that take weeks or months to resolve.”
Dr Jaber noted that these “dark spots or hyperpigmentation can last years in some patients.”
Phytophotodermatitis treatment
If you have phytophotodermatitis, treat the skin like you have a sunburn, said Dr Jaber.
“Anti-inflammatory medications for pain control like Ibuprofen, healing ointments like Aquaphor or Vaseline to help heal the skin, over-the-counter hydrocortisone ointment and staying out of the sun can help,” he added.
“For more severe cases, see a dermatologist for appropriate medical management.”
The doctor suggested some ways to avoid phytophotodermatitis:
- Washing your hands with soap and water if you’re exposed to a causative ingredient like citrus juice.
- Protecting your skin with a high UVA protection sunscreen
- Staying in the shade.
- For gardeners, wearing gloves can also help protect your skin.
- Sunscreen spots you may be forgetting, according to dermatologists.
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