She had a really nice Memorial Day planned out and had thought of everything. Relaxing by the pool in the sun with enough cocktails for the whole family. But there was one thing she had forgotten; the sun’s UV rays are quite strong.
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Over 100 limes
Limes are used to make Margaritas. And for the number of cocktails that Courtney Fallon wanted to make for her family, she needed over 100 limes. She squeezed out the juice of all them by hand, which although required a lot of effort, was happy to do to host her friends and family.
Horrible awakening
When she woke upthe next morning, her hands were burning as if they were on fire. Both her hands were covered in huge blisters, had turned red and were very painful. Courtney thought she had caught really bad sunburn, but that wasn’t the case.
Dermatologist Dr. Shilpi Khetarpal explained:
It is a non-immunologic reaction meaning it can happen to anyone.
Fallon had contracted something known as Phytophotodermatitis (also known as Margarita Photodermatitis).
This was caused by the combination of the lime juice with the UVA radiation.Some plants such as limes contain photosensitising agents, i.e. chemical compounds that damage the cells as soon as they come into contact with light. These photosensitising agents are then activated by the sun’s rays.
Some plants and vegetables contain these photosensitising agents and because of this, you should avoid them if you’re planning to sit out in the sun so your skin doesn’t blister and become sore. It’s very painful and lasts longer than sunburn.
