Despite the many joys of summer, it can be an assault on our skin. Check out these
common summer skin maladies and tips to keep your skin happy this summer! As
always, seek medical attention if your systems persist or are life-threatening.

Jellyfish stings

The moon jellyfish is one of the most common jellyfish in New England waters. Stings
can be painful and itchy and cause hives just minutes later. Immediately soaking the
area in white vinegar can remove some of the nematocysts (aka “stingers”) and provide
some relief. Cold compresses, ibuprofen, and hydrocortisone cream can all also help
reduce the symptoms.

Tick bites

The deer tick, an insect especially common to wooded and grassy areas, can transmit
Lyme disease is a potentially dangerous disease. If you find a tick embedded in your skin,
remove it with tweezers immediately. Do not panic if you think that the tick just found
its home on your skin as a deer tick needs to be attached for at least 24 hours to
transmit Lyme disease. Watch your skin for a rash as this is often the first sign of Lyme
disease. The rash may occur anywhere from 3 – 30 days after a tick bite. Other more
advanced symptoms of Lyme disease include:

• headache
• joint pain
• confusion
• fevers
• swollen lymph nodes and muscle aches

Barnacle scrapes

Walking the New England coast and scraping your foot on a barnacle? Don’t delay
treating even a mild-appearing scrape as barnacle and coral scrapes tend to take weeks
to months to heal and therefore may be prone to infection. If you suffer a scrape, wash
with soap and water, apply Vaseline ointment (or antibiotic ointment), and cover with a
bandage. Be sure to change the bandage daily until healed.

Sunburn

Of course, we can’t get through summer without talking about sunburns! Despite our
best intentions to thoroughly apply sunscreen, sunburns can happen. Apply cool
compresses to burns and ibuprofen may help alleviate the pain. Some patients find
relief from topically applied hydrocortisone. Most importantly, remember to get a skin
check every year as the more sunburns that you have experienced in your lifetime, the
greater the risk of skin cancer!

General Dermatology Consultation

The Dermatology Institute of Boston is recognized as one of the best dermatology providers in Boston. Our team of board-certified specialists are capable of treating a wide range of general dermatology issues.

Schedule an Appointment Online

If you are planning to visit us for this kind of service, we would appreciate if you could fill out the following form, prior to your visit.

General Dermatology Form