actinic dermatitis

9.3

Red, sore skin that appears after too much sun

noun
/ækˈtɪnɪk dɜrˈməːtəˌtaɪs/

Specialized

: dermatitis actínica

She developed actinic dermatitis after spending too much time in the sun.

Examples

Sunscreens and protective clothing can help prevent actinic dermatitis in sensitive individuals.
Farmers and outdoor workers are prone to actinic dermatitis if they do not protect their skin adequately.
After a few hours in the sun, she developed a rash diagnosed as actinic dermatitis.
Many people suffer from actinic dermatitis during the summer months.
After a few hours in the sun, she developed a rash diagnosed as actinic dermatitis.
Farmers and outdoor workers are prone to actinic dermatitis if they do not protect their skin adequately.
Sunscreens and protective clothing can help prevent actinic dermatitis in sensitive individuals.

Synonyms

erythema solare

vsactinic dermatitis

Specialized

9.9

Redness of the skin after too much sun

is a deeper inflammatory skin reaction rather than just redness

sunscald

vsactinic dermatitis

7.0

An injury to skin from too much sun that makes it red

is an inflammatory skin condition rather than general sun damage

Surface Forms

actinic dermatitis singular

actinic dermatitides plural

Morphology

actinic + dermatitis

The term is directly compositional: 'actinic' refers to radiation (e.g., sunlight/UV) that causes chemical effects and 'dermatitis' means inflammation of the skin, so together they denote skin inflammation caused by such radiation. Although somewhat technical, the adjective+noun formation is transparent, so a learner who knows both constituents can infer the meaning.

Etymology

Actinic dermatitis comes from the parts actinic (meaning 'caused by light') and dermatitis (meaning 'skin inflammation'). It paints the image of strong sunlight or rays hitting the skin and making it red and sore, so it means 'skin inflammation caused by sunlight'.