Meet the woman who dresses head to toe in a BURKA because she is ALLERGIC to the SUN.
Dennis Queen, 40, from Manchester, wears a burka every time she goes out in order to protect herself from a severe allergic reaction to sunlight.
The mum-of-four suffers from a bizarre condition known as Polymorphic Light Eruption which means just a few minutes in the sun causes her skin to break out in an itchy red rash.
But despite the strange condition, Dennis has found that donning a burka has been the answer to her problems, and allows her to carry on with normal life.
Dennis said: “”When I first got PMLE I tried applying sun creams and wearing sun hats but nothing seemed to work.
“The rash was unbearable and it got to the point that I was avoiding going out.
“The burka is the only thing that provides any real protection from the sun and I actually really enjoy wearing it now.
“I was self-conscious to begin with, but I had a lot of encouragement from friends, and I actually find it quite liberating.
“I’ve had some racist comments a few times but to be honest I don’t really care what a racist thinks of me.”
Dennis first noticed the rash after a long day out in the sun.
She said: “I’d been outside all day in a summer dress that exposed my neck, legs and arms.
“I want back inside and I suddenly noticed I was getting itchy, and then a lumpy pink rash appeared.
“I had no idea what was going on so I rang the out of hours doctor who said it sounded like I’d developed a sun allergy.
“I’d heard of sun allergies before but I was still really shocked. It came out of nowhere.
“I did some research and diagnosed myself with Polymorphic Light Eruption. It’s a distinct because the reaction appears after you’ve been in the sun.
“The rash is incredibly itchy – that’s the first thing you notice – and when you scratch your skin it really hurts. It feels like you’ve been stung by stinging nettles.”
It was after researching the condition online that Dennis realised covering up completely was her only option.
“At first I was so worried because I didn’t know how to cope with the condition.
“It was very scary and trying to find clothes that were suitable was very difficult. They’d either be too expensive or expose too much skin.
“I ended up looking a bit of a state – wearing long dresses with a jumper with the hood up.
“But then I started looking online at allergy clothing and noticed that most of the outfits looked just like burkas.
“It became obvious to me that this was what I needed to wear to stay safe, but rather than buy expensive outfits on the internet, I just went to charity shops and brought second hand burkas and head scarfs.
“Now I just wear my ordinary clothes, with an abaya over the top and then a head scarf.
“It just feels the same as putting a coat on.
“I do miss wearing pretty dresses and I used to love dressing up, but I can still wear all my old clothes when the sun goes down.”
The biggest challenge Dennis has faced since her wardrobe change is the reaction of others to her unusual outfit choice.
Dennis said: “People immediately assume I’m Muslim. I don’t mind that but I find the racist comments just disgusting.
“I’ve been called a race traitor and it’s really opened my eyes to the kind of daily racism Muslims have to put up with.
“All my Muslim friends have been so supportive of me wearing this, so it really upsets me.
“I was genuinley shocked by the fear and hatred that people seem to have.
“The only people that seem to have a real problem with me wearing a burka are racists – and I don’t care about offending racists.”
Dennis now carries on with normal life, wearing a burka when the sun is out.
She said: “I’m really happy with the decision I made.
“Wearing a burka means I can get one with my daily life and I don’t have to worry about my skin.
“I don’t feel any less attractive or any less feminine because I’m wearing a burka.
“I feel confident and it’s made me a more understanding person.
“I can only hope that people might read this and take the same decision that I have. You don’t need to spend lots of money on special clothing or the latest medicines.
“You just need to take practical steps to cover yourself up.”
Polymorphic Light Eruption is an allergic reaction to the sun, caused by UVA & UVB rays.
