Hell Itch

[Jacob]

Summer is just beginning for everyone so I want to create a thread to arouse awareness, nay a discussion, for a certain phenomenon called HELL ITCH. Is this satirical? I'm not sure.

(Also known as: Demon itch, suicide itch, insanity itch, fire itch, fire ant itch, etc.)

Hell itch is the itchiness thats shows up a few days after a bad sunburn. It's different than a normal itch.

For those who live at the beach as I do in the summer, or those who will be visiting a beach this summer, PLEASE be cautious in wearing sunscreen. I do not say this to protect you from long term effects (See: cancer), but to protect you from short term effects. Namely Hell Itch.

I went to the beach this past weekend. I got fried on my back, 4 days later (today) I am suffering from this itching sensation that I have NEVER experienced in my life before. No amount of itching, scratching, rubbing, slapping, cursing or crying can satisfy the itch when it strikes.

It's different than a normal itch. I'm tearing up writing this - actually I am writing this to keep my mind off of the itch. Moisturizers don't work. Household remedies DO NOT WORK. They only activate and anger the itchy demon that possesses you. You can punch yourself, smack yourself, roll on the floor, throw up. Doesn't work.

Spread the word: Please use sunscreen on the beach, I thought it would be ok (17 years living at the beach) and this itch is not worth it.

Has anyone had this sunburn itch before ?? How did you get past this? Literally writing this to keep my mind off the pain.

 

[Apriiil]

Wow, interesting. I live at the beach actually. I have been here my whole life (25 years of living at the beach), so I am used to sunburn and such, but I don't think I have ever experienced such an itch before! Have you ever had this itch before today?! This is so interesting!

 

[Jacob]

Wow, interesting. I live at the beach actually. I have been here my whole life (25 years of living at the beach), so I am used to sunburn and such, but I don't think I have ever experienced such an itch before! Have you ever had this itch before today?! This is so interesting!

I've absolutely never had this before and I didn't even know it was a thing until I did a little google searching.

I think it's a lot more common than talked about:
http://kathrynjennings.blogspot.com/2011/12/sunburn-fire-ant-hell-itch.html

 

[Apriiil]

I've absolutely never had this before and I didn't even know it was a thing until I did a little google searching.

I think it's a lot more common than talked about:
http://kathrynjennings.blogspot.com/2011/12/sunburn-fire-ant-hell-itch.html

Wow! That's crazy! Maybe it's because I've never gone without sunscreen? I get burnt but at least there is something on my body... Hmmm.. Have you tried like a cold wash cloth or something along those lines? Cold aloe?

 

[calamitybot]

I'm very very white, and I burn a lot if I'm not cautious. The easiest way to treat this is to prevent it from happening, lol. But, a good way to treat it is with aloe vera gel. Aloe vera is my summer saving grace.

 

[mitfy]

i can't recall if i've ever gotten this but two years ago while at the beach i got bit by a BUNCH of noseeums (aka sandflies). it was crazy, just tons of bites covering my legs that were insanely itchy. the thing that worked best for me was this clear anti-itch lotion by TopCare. "lotion" is a bad term for it, since it's very liquidy and slightly sticky. i just slathered that stuff on my legs and the itchiness was relieved for a while. a little goes a long way too, it's been two years but i still have the same bottle and it's only like halfway empty. i don't know if it'll work for your sunburn itch, though the bottle does say its uses include minor skin irritations, so it may be worth a shot. if it doesn't work it's good to have on hand for those pesky sandflies and mosquitos that'll also plague you

 

[Katelyn]

I get this nearly every time I get a bad sunburn. My doctor told me it's part of the healing process underneath the burned skin so it's nearly impossible to get rid of when it shows up lol so pretty much the only thing to do when you get it is to suck is up and deal with it

 

[tiffanistarr]

I've never gotten that after sun burn itch

but i can remember after a float trip i ended up with second degree sunburns and sun poisoning

i'd rather have hell itch lmao

 

[Kalle]

One: only take lukewarm baths or showers until it goes away. Two: use an aloe gel like this one. I've been using aloe gel on sunburns for years and it definitely helps.

 

[Midoriya]

Also, you could just not go to the beach, or put sunscreen on beforehand. Lol.

Just kidding of course, I know that’s obvious. Living in Texas, it gets to be 100 degrees + Fahrenheit anyway, so most of the time myself and other people that live here stay inside.

 

[daisyflowers]

i've never experienced that kind of itch, although i'm quite pale.

the worst kind of itch that i've experienced is when you can't reach it as you aren't that flexible,
but i think yours is worse then that.

 

[uwuzumakii]

I've gotten that kind of itch before. It was on my shoulders and arms and it lasted for about a day. I kept having to apply various medicines and creams which I'm pretty sure just dried out my arms which made it worse. I thought taking a shower would help moisturize my skin, but the moment the water touched my skin, it got a hundred times worse. I ended up having to go to the hospital because it was so bad.

 

[hamster]

never heard of it so i did some research, and it sounds awful... ive seen a few people say that taking hot showers after it begins to get better helps