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What causes this particular type of sunburn itch?
So...I just graduated with a degree in environmental biology. I have a working knowledge of basic (I mean, VERy basic) animal (and human) physiology, but most of my courses were more "big picture" kinda things. Oh, and lots of stats.
Anyway, so 2 days ago I got this sunburn on my back. It's not horrible, but it is a healthy pink. Pretty painful. Now, I have this...condition. When I get a decent sunburn, I itch, but it's not the "normal" sunburn itch. It happens exactly 2 days after the initial sunburn. It is what I have come to know as "hell itch". I've found descriptions on numerous forums that describe this itch to a "T". It drives you insane. You become a madman/madwoman for about a day. You cannot scratch it. Any type of lotion/cream/ANYTHING causes it to itch more, ESPECIALLY the creams designed specifically for sunburn.
Now here's the deal: I'm not a sissy. I'm very outdoorsy. I can take some pain. But I can't take the "hell itch". I need to know: what causes it? I know that your body is getting rid of the dead skin cells and new skin is...blah blah blah, yeah I get that but that doesn't give me any specifics. What is the biological mechanism that drives this itching? My thinking is, if I know what causes it (specifically), I'll better know how to treat it.
For example, if it's a histamine response to the dead skin cells/debris that are still present in the skin, I would think a strong anti-histamine (prescription strength hydroxyzine perhaps? I mention this specifically because I have a small stash of it from an old prescription) would help. I also know dry skin is a leading cause of itching, but as I mentioned before lotions/skin moisturizers seem to make it unbearably worse. Anyway, any help would be greatly appreciated. And remember: this is NOT the normal sunburn itch.
Anyway, so 2 days ago I got this sunburn on my back. It's not horrible, but it is a healthy pink. Pretty painful. Now, I have this...condition. When I get a decent sunburn, I itch, but it's not the "normal" sunburn itch. It happens exactly 2 days after the initial sunburn. It is what I have come to know as "hell itch". I've found descriptions on numerous forums that describe this itch to a "T". It drives you insane. You become a madman/madwoman for about a day. You cannot scratch it. Any type of lotion/cream/ANYTHING causes it to itch more, ESPECIALLY the creams designed specifically for sunburn.
Now here's the deal: I'm not a sissy. I'm very outdoorsy. I can take some pain. But I can't take the "hell itch". I need to know: what causes it? I know that your body is getting rid of the dead skin cells and new skin is...blah blah blah, yeah I get that but that doesn't give me any specifics. What is the biological mechanism that drives this itching? My thinking is, if I know what causes it (specifically), I'll better know how to treat it.
For example, if it's a histamine response to the dead skin cells/debris that are still present in the skin, I would think a strong anti-histamine (prescription strength hydroxyzine perhaps? I mention this specifically because I have a small stash of it from an old prescription) would help. I also know dry skin is a leading cause of itching, but as I mentioned before lotions/skin moisturizers seem to make it unbearably worse. Anyway, any help would be greatly appreciated. And remember: this is NOT the normal sunburn itch.
I just recently got in the sun for longer than I should (I have Lupus). Redness has gone away, but there is an intensified itching sensation that leaves my body itching and on fire. But why? There is no burn. The aftermath of the sunburn has begun and it is literally HELL. I have tried everything and I was desperate for some sort of relief. Literally all of the remedies above could not calm my excruciating pain. I tried something that changed my sleepless nights forever. Dermoplast. It is in a blue spray can that you can find at any pharmacy. Found it at Walgreens. It is a numbing spray that isnt anywhere near as bad as an ice pack. It is called "burn and itch pain relieving spray". It gives the most relief and it is used by hospitals to dumb a bad burn. It's super cheap. I HIGHLY recommend this for "Hell's Itch".I'm truly sorry for anyone who has to experience this pain.
Here I am, whimpering like a dog.
Hell's itch, oh hell's itch, why have you forsaken me?
Two long days, one red back.
Three odd treatments, water, aloe and jack.
Never again will I ignore the sun,
the itch enough to enrage anyone.
And thank you for all your comments here,
I'm less likely to pull out my hair.
So let it be said, let it be known,
let us feel for the blistered garden gnome.
When a forlorn and pink friend complains "horrible itch",
friend, you are not alone - hell is a *****!
Hell's itch, oh hell's itch, why have you forsaken me?
Two long days, one red back.
Three odd treatments, water, aloe and jack.
Never again will I ignore the sun,
the itch enough to enrage anyone.
And thank you for all your comments here,
I'm less likely to pull out my hair.
So let it be said, let it be known,
let us feel for the blistered garden gnome.
When a forlorn and pink friend complains "horrible itch",
friend, you are not alone - hell is a *****!
It is crazy to see that this is an active thread since 2010. But for me it is currently 4:47 in the morning and I have read every post possible. Every time I experience this curse of an itch I come to this site for comfort. I have reddish blonde hair / blue eyes and natural pale skin. I love to tan, however I burn easier than I tan. When I first experienced Hell's itch years ago, I remember it being the worst thing I have ever gone through in my entire life, screaming, cursing and punching the wall. Long story short I told myself I would never burn again. Well, we all make mistakes, and about a month ago I got hell's itch from getting a bad sunburn on my back (only place I get the itch). I told all of my friends what was going on and they thought I was crazy and were making fun of me. But not having any sort of medication, I lay with my shirt off on my stomach with a cold compress on my back which numbed me up a little bit. Hell's itch is even worse when youre trying to sleep because trust me you might as well stay up like me. I am at the beach right now and I took the precautions of using sunscreen. HERE IS THE FUNNY THING, I did not get burned except the back of my legs. But here I am, itching like hell on my back. I have no burn on my back but just the slightest bit of color from sun exposure.
Make sure you are wearing a shirt. Also, I sprayed some sort of cold spray on my back which took away the itch about 95%. Now it is a matter of going back to sleep which I cannot do. I hope that with all of you suffering out there you can get through it. I am going to take up on the advice on antihistamines and benadryl for next time.
GOODLUCK
Make sure you are wearing a shirt. Also, I sprayed some sort of cold spray on my back which took away the itch about 95%. Now it is a matter of going back to sleep which I cannot do. I hope that with all of you suffering out there you can get through it. I am going to take up on the advice on antihistamines and benadryl for next time.
GOODLUCK
Okay, I am by no means an expert on Hell's Itch, however, I have experienced this a few times in my life so I may be able to shed some light on the subject. Most recently on 7/18/15, I was out in the sun for a few hours. My wife took the sunblock with her and my daughter as me and my two boys went next door to jump in their pool. Knowing that we didn't have the sunblock, I stayed in the shade for most of the afternoon. Then, the pool was in need of being cleaned and scooped, I hopped into the sun and did what was needed. When I finished swimming for the day, I got out and sat by the fire and was freezing even though the temperature was close to 86 outside. So after warming up by the fire and the sun went down, I decided to jump back in the pool. I was freezing again. When I dried off, my wife told me, man you got burnt today. My front, my back, shoulders, and neck were red.
Because I had experienced something like this the year or two before, and believe me, you remember "Hell's Itch", I acted fast to what I could best remember would work to cut down the transition from the burn to the insane itching that follows. I applied the green aloe vera and massaged it into my shoulders and back Saturday evening and Sunday morning. After church, I got home and reapplied the aloe and didn't go swimming. Then Monday came and I made it through work well enough thinking that I beat it this time and so I decided to go swimming around 5pm. When I got done, I dried off and that's when the insanity began!
After racing through trying to apply more aloe, that made it worse. Then I washed off the aloe and tried vinegar, which I had heard relieves it. Didn't work. Then I began to freak out, like most others will describe maddening behavior.
Then my wife, the white horse, my rescuer, did the unthinkable. She applied hydrocortizone on my back and then when the itch lessened, she came back in and dumped baby powder on my back. I mean she super-coated me with it. lol. Then when I got up and began walking around, the itching came back. Then the lilght bulb in my head went off. I told her to come back in the room and dump more baby powder on me. Quite comical I tell you, laying on my belly and her dumping and dumping baby powder on me.
But here's the thing. It actually worked! The itching went away as long as I didn't move. Then after reading countless blogs for more references to this kind of "Hellish Itch", I sent my mother in law over to the drug store to buy benedryl. I took mass quantities of benedryl and layed in bed unmoving on my left side and fell asleep. Woke up at 3am and took more benedryl. Took the next day off of work. Had more benedryl. Slept slept slept. Woke up Early Wednesday morning and back to a small general itch. No more Hell's Itch. I finally beat it!
I hope that I can help someone beat it too.
Things to remember:
*This maddening itch usually begins 2 days after you are sun burned!
*Immediately start massaging aloe vera on the effected area(s) the moment you realise you got burned.
*Avoid any contact with water (at least not with chlorinated water, maybe water in general) for a couple of days.
*As soon as the maddening itch begins, take the biggest dosage of Benedryl that you can. Apply Hydrocortizone to effected area. Massage it in. Feel the intensity go down slightly. Get dusted (overboard) with baby powder or talcom poweder. Don't move more than you need to. Get comfy because you are about to get very sleepy.
*When you wake up the next morning, take more benedryl, max dosage. Go back to sleep.
*By the time you wake up from your next long sleep, you should be in the clear. If not, take one more max dosage and nap one more time. Then you should be good.
***I just want to warn you that your stomach may be a wreck for a day or two because the benedryl plays hell on your stomach. Eat light to reduce bathroom trips. Hey, an upset stomach isn't nearly as bad as Hell's Itch, capiche?***
Because I had experienced something like this the year or two before, and believe me, you remember "Hell's Itch", I acted fast to what I could best remember would work to cut down the transition from the burn to the insane itching that follows. I applied the green aloe vera and massaged it into my shoulders and back Saturday evening and Sunday morning. After church, I got home and reapplied the aloe and didn't go swimming. Then Monday came and I made it through work well enough thinking that I beat it this time and so I decided to go swimming around 5pm. When I got done, I dried off and that's when the insanity began!
After racing through trying to apply more aloe, that made it worse. Then I washed off the aloe and tried vinegar, which I had heard relieves it. Didn't work. Then I began to freak out, like most others will describe maddening behavior.
Then my wife, the white horse, my rescuer, did the unthinkable. She applied hydrocortizone on my back and then when the itch lessened, she came back in and dumped baby powder on my back. I mean she super-coated me with it. lol. Then when I got up and began walking around, the itching came back. Then the lilght bulb in my head went off. I told her to come back in the room and dump more baby powder on me. Quite comical I tell you, laying on my belly and her dumping and dumping baby powder on me.
But here's the thing. It actually worked! The itching went away as long as I didn't move. Then after reading countless blogs for more references to this kind of "Hellish Itch", I sent my mother in law over to the drug store to buy benedryl. I took mass quantities of benedryl and layed in bed unmoving on my left side and fell asleep. Woke up at 3am and took more benedryl. Took the next day off of work. Had more benedryl. Slept slept slept. Woke up Early Wednesday morning and back to a small general itch. No more Hell's Itch. I finally beat it!
I hope that I can help someone beat it too.
Things to remember:
*This maddening itch usually begins 2 days after you are sun burned!
*Immediately start massaging aloe vera on the effected area(s) the moment you realise you got burned.
*Avoid any contact with water (at least not with chlorinated water, maybe water in general) for a couple of days.
*As soon as the maddening itch begins, take the biggest dosage of Benedryl that you can. Apply Hydrocortizone to effected area. Massage it in. Feel the intensity go down slightly. Get dusted (overboard) with baby powder or talcom poweder. Don't move more than you need to. Get comfy because you are about to get very sleepy.
*When you wake up the next morning, take more benedryl, max dosage. Go back to sleep.
*By the time you wake up from your next long sleep, you should be in the clear. If not, take one more max dosage and nap one more time. Then you should be good.
***I just want to warn you that your stomach may be a wreck for a day or two because the benedryl plays hell on your stomach. Eat light to reduce bathroom trips. Hey, an upset stomach isn't nearly as bad as Hell's Itch, capiche?***
I am so glad I am not crazy. To try and explain this to someone is really hard. I was beside myself and crying for hours. SO unbelievable!!!
Anyway, I tried this cream called Emla. You can get it at most pharmacies but you have to ask for it. The tube is really small and it costs $15-20 but when you are going crazy like I was, the price was non negotiable. Relief was all I was looking for. I will stock up on the Atarax as well. Thanks to all for making me feel better and know I am not crazy or a wimp!! best wishes to all that end up here.
Anyway, I tried this cream called Emla. You can get it at most pharmacies but you have to ask for it. The tube is really small and it costs $15-20 but when you are going crazy like I was, the price was non negotiable. Relief was all I was looking for. I will stock up on the Atarax as well. Thanks to all for making me feel better and know I am not crazy or a wimp!! best wishes to all that end up here.
As I'm writing this, I'm in the last hours of the Hell Itch. It was unbearable yesterday, but thanks to a quick application of Hydrocortisone and antihistamines, plus the scolding showers (thanks whoever suggested it, it provided much needed relief!), I'm almost over it. I've taken a sick day, being unable to wear clothes over my upper torso.
I've had it once before, where it presented itself in pus filled blisters exactly 48 hours after getting sunburnt, and I must say - I wouldn't wish this upon my worst enemy. The itching underneath the skin made me feel like some sort of addict going off of the heroin and even though I am in no way suicidal, the thought kicked in more than once just to feel the relief. But thanks to my fiance, I've stuck through, and I must say that this thread provided me with a much needed reassurance that everything would be alright. I've been rubbing the hydrocortison cream on my back several times, and popped a couple antihistamines, telfast I believe they're called here in Denmark, and now it's down to a bearable minimum. It pangs me once in a while with a sudden itch, but it subsides again in a second, so now I just have to stick it out for the last hours till it's hopefully gone by tomorrow.
I am never taking off my shirt again without at least a very thick sunscreen.. I'd rather be a pale Scandinavian, than to suffer through 2½ days of hell itch ever again.
If it ever happens again, I'll be armed with creams and pills, hopefully enough to kill it before it runs rampant.
Again, thanks to all commenters, it really made the past 24 hours bearable, to know that I wasn't alone with the itch, that so few doctors know about.
Best wishes from Denmark.
- Chris
I've had it once before, where it presented itself in pus filled blisters exactly 48 hours after getting sunburnt, and I must say - I wouldn't wish this upon my worst enemy. The itching underneath the skin made me feel like some sort of addict going off of the heroin and even though I am in no way suicidal, the thought kicked in more than once just to feel the relief. But thanks to my fiance, I've stuck through, and I must say that this thread provided me with a much needed reassurance that everything would be alright. I've been rubbing the hydrocortison cream on my back several times, and popped a couple antihistamines, telfast I believe they're called here in Denmark, and now it's down to a bearable minimum. It pangs me once in a while with a sudden itch, but it subsides again in a second, so now I just have to stick it out for the last hours till it's hopefully gone by tomorrow.
I am never taking off my shirt again without at least a very thick sunscreen.. I'd rather be a pale Scandinavian, than to suffer through 2½ days of hell itch ever again.
If it ever happens again, I'll be armed with creams and pills, hopefully enough to kill it before it runs rampant.
Again, thanks to all commenters, it really made the past 24 hours bearable, to know that I wasn't alone with the itch, that so few doctors know about.
Best wishes from Denmark.
- Chris
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