Community Chat

[AngelPuppy1]

Yes, I do.  I used it not long ago when I happened to walk into something I shouldn't.  It really helped soothe and calm my skin!

[Foxxee]

I use a hairdryer.  Before anyone calls me crazy, think about being so allergic to poison ivy and bug bites that keep you up at night for days and drive you crazy all day.

Oral antihistamines, calamine, and topical steroids didn't work.  

Found this remedy on the internet after suffering from fire ant stings when I lived in Texas.

Someone suggested holding the hairdryer a few inches from the skin until the bite began itching a lot, a few seconds.  As soon as it begins to hurt, remove the dryer, but who wouldn't do that anyway.  For the more itchy bites, I had to repeat after about 5-10 minutes to get the itching to stop.  

It worked so well, I had no itching up to 12 hours, then I repeat.  There was only a little redness of the skin that went away in a few minutes, no burns. 

There is an explanation for why it works, something about temporarily breaking the itch signal between the bite and the brain.

A few people I told about this were freaked out, but I guess it depends on how badly one suffers from itching.  Of course, I tried it at my own risk.  I could blame no one except myself if it caused skin burns, but it didn't when I followed these directions.  

[Biftu]

Yes.  A couple of summers ago I got poison ivy working in my yard.  I tried it again and it helped the itch.  As a little girl I was always covered in pink during the summer.  I remember it being thick and very pink. This newer version wasn't as thick or quite as pink.

[violann]

I had awful reactions to bites, stings, and poison ivy as a little kid, and I was PLASTERED WITH IT every summer from March 'till October. 

I hated it worse than the itches, and I don't recall it ever making me feel better.

[Diva on The Q]

Yes! Still works like a charm.

[Mom2Dogs]

Yes....I tend to get poison ivy and other itchy things when I work in the yard. I think the poison ivy is now gone from the yard but there are a couple of plants that make me itch.  

I did have a bad case of poison ivy a few years ago and found a gel  product with granuales that you use in the shower to help stem the itch.  I can't think of the name right now but it also worked really well.

[qualitygal]

We have it in case of stings or hives.

[qualitygal]

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@Kachina624 wrote:

I think cortisone creams and ointments are the new calamine lotion.  They may or may not work better but at least they're not pink.

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Ew pink makes me think of Pepto Bismol.  Another golden oldie.

[goldensrbest]

I had not used it for years,then came  rashes i have been dealing with, been using it all the time.It works for me, i have had a tough time this summer with rashes, working in flower garden,around bushes.

[Peaches McPhee]

I get big bites every year so I use calamine every year. I buy the clear type now, but I certainly remember the pink.