Lupus in the Sunlight

First published September 2017
Updated September 2025

Summer is a time for enjoying the sunshine and exploring the outdoors. Everyone should wear sunscreen when soaking up the sun, but this is even more important for children with lupus. Lupus is an autoimmune condition where the immune system confuses the body for a foreign invader, like a bacteria or virus, and attacks it. It can affect the skin alone or multiple parts of the body like the joints, kidneys, lungs, brain, or even the heart.

Lupus Flares and the Sun

Most children with lupus can live relatively normal lives when their disease is controlled with medication. Lupus can “flare” when someone with lupus misses their medications, gets sick with an infection or during pregnancy. During a lupus flare, the symptoms of lupus act up or become more intense. It can result in new rashes, increased joint pain or swelling, mouth sores or even organ damage. It is important to avoid lupus flares, so that the body is not damaged and the child can feel well and do all the activities they want to do.

Unfortunately, sunlight is a trigger for lupus flares. The sunlight ‘s UV rays cause damage to the skin, and in someone with lupus this trigger activates the immune system resulting in a flare. To treat a lupus flare, rheumatologists often prescribe high-dose steroid medications and other medications to control the immune system. Children may need to be admitted to the hospital when they have a flare. Therefore, it is important to prevent flares by taking medications as prescribed and wearing sunscreen daily.

No Need for Summertime Sadness

To participate in summer fun and stay safe with lupus, children can stay in the shade, under an umbrella or cover up and wear sunglasses and sunscreen. The American College of Rheumatology recommends wearing long sleeves and a wide-brimmed hat to keep the sun off your arms and face. The American College of Dermatology provides multiple recommendations for protection against sun’s UV rays. They recommend sunscreen that is broad-spectrum with SPF 30 or higher. Sunscreen needs to be applied to all areas of the body exposed to the sun (even the ears and tops of the feet!). It needs to be applied every two hours when the skin is dry, particularly if the child is swimming or sweating. These rules even apply on cloudy days since UV rays can go through clouds and affect the skin.

Regardless of the temperature or season, sun protection is important for controlling lupus and making sure a flare does not interfere with your plans. We want to ensure that everyone, whether they are children or adults with lupus, can run, play, and spend time outside safely without worry that their lupus will get in the way.