Summer is here, and so is prickly heat! Though you don't want to welcome the rashes, they will make their presence gone through by irritating the hell from you. So it is best to eliminate them completely instead of complaining about the subject coz that won't help! Here are 8 home remedies for prickly heat that you'll thank us for, through the 500 days of summer
Prickly heat or heat rash (also called sweat rash by many) is really a nightmare. It is also known as miliaria in medical terms. This skin condition is experienced by both kids and adults, and by most infants too.
The struggle is much more real for people living in humid areas, since in those areas people sweat excessively due to the heat, and this causes the sweat glands to close up. Finally, when they do burst themselves open, the skin we have gets irritated. This, consequently, causes prickly heat.
Prickly heat may also be caused by microbial or microbe infections. Underdeveloped sweat glands also trigger the condition of prickly heat. Not many know this, but obesity and a reckless lifestyle are also initiators of the ailment.
Prickly heat might come out anywhere on your body. It, however, affects the back, feet, fingers, groins, armpits, belly and also the upper chest area.
Symptoms of prickly heat
The most common symptoms of prickly heat are,
- Stinging sensation
- Prickly feeling
- Inflammation that ranges from mild to serious
- Itchy rashes
- Red bumps that irritate
Prickly heats get cured, naturally when the weather cools down. However, you can take help from these natural remedies and get relief quicker.
The very first thing you need to do is cool your body down. So go to an AC room. Have a shower. Rub an ice cube on the prickly heats. And follow these easy yet effective home remedies that will heal your prickly heat.
But in case your heat rash is really severe, then you will need to consult a doctor. But how to know if it is time to visit the doctor? Mayo Clinic says,
“Heat rash usually heals by cooling the skin and avoiding exposure to the heat that caused it. Call at your doctor if you or your child has symptoms that traverses a few days, the rash seems to be getting worse, or you notice signs of infection, such as:
-
Increased pain, swelling, redness or warmth round the affected area
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Pus draining from the lesions
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Swollen lymph nodes within the armpit, neck or groin
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A fever or chills”
Home remedies for prickly heat
Read underneath the home remedies that you can try on your prickly heat.
1. Oatmeal
Oatmeal is the first treatment on our list of natural remedies because of its anti-inflammatory and soothing qualities.
Oatmeal calms the skin we have down, and is very good at providing some instant relief to our skin. It also heals the itchiness caused by prickly heat.
Take a cup of finely beaten oatmeal powder and pour it into your bathtub. Make sure the water is cold. Now stir the oatmeal powder in the tub water until it turns milky.
Now dive into this cold and soothing mix, and relax in the water for half an hour at least. Remember to pat yourself dry having a clean towel. Make sure the towel is soft and don't rub just pat.
You will need to do this two times a week for best results.
2. Sandalwood Powder
Sandalwood has been used for years like a prickly heat remedy for how quickly it soothes the body and averts the symptoms of prickly heat.
To use it as a remedy, mix sandalwood powder and rose water inside a ratio of 1:1 Now, apply the paste on the prickly heat impacted areas. Leave the mask on until the paste dries. Wash out with cold water.
You should do this twice each week for best results.
You can also form a paste with sandalwood powder and coriander powder. Now add few drops of rosewater and mix the ingredients. Apply the paste on your inflamed skin. Let it dry and then rinse out with cold water. Now pat dry having a clean towel. This should be also done two times a day.
3. Baking Soda
Baking soda will even help you with your prickly heat problem. Also, baking soda is a mild exfoliating agent, which unclogs sweat glands on the skin. This helps the skin get rid of dead cells, dirt and impurities.
Baking soda when put on the body almost instantly relieves the signs and symptoms associated with prickly heat.
In a cup of cold water, dip a washcloth. Make sure the cloth is clean and soft. Now wring the washcloth and apply it on the affected areas. After Ten minutes of dabbing the cloth, wash the skin with cold water.
You should repeat this five times a week for best results.
4. Fuller's Earth
Multani mitti or fuller's earth will help you treat prickly heat real quick. Fuller's earth has therapeutic properties. It's a mild anti-inflammatory agent and lessens the itchy feeling.
In a mug of rose water, add 10 teaspoons of fuller's earth. Now mix the components to form a thick paste. Use the paste on your skin. Let it dry. Now rinse out with cold water.
You must do this once every day for a week for best results.
5. Margosa Leaves
Anti-inflammatory and antiseptic anyway, margosa leaves or neem leaves will begin to take control of prickly heat symptoms like itching and formation of red bumps.
Form a paste using ground neem leaves and water. Apply this around the affected areas. Let the mask on until it dries. Now wash with cold water. You should follow this once every day for a week to notice visible results.
You may also boil neem leaves in a bowl of water. Boil for 25 minutes and then strain he water. Once the water cools, soak a clear and soft cotton cloth. Wring the material and then place it over the affected region. You need to do this five times a week for best results.
6. Aloe Vera
Due to its calming and cooling qualities, aloe vera has to be on your list of natural treatments for prickly heat.
According to Dr. Axe,
“In 2009, a systematic review summarized 40 studies that involved using natural aloe-vera for dermatological purposes. The results suggest that oral administration of aloe vera in mice works effectively to heal wounds, can decrease the number and size of papillomas (small growths onto the skin), and reduce the incidence of tumors by a lot more than 90 percent in the liver, spleen and bone marrow. The studies also demonstrated that aloe vera effectively treats genital herpes, psoriasis, dermatitis, frostbite, burns and inflammation. It can be used safely as an antifungal and antimicrobial agent.”
Take an aloe leaf and extract the gel from it. Now dab the gel over your itching skin. Leave it on for half an hour and then wash out with cold water. You must do this twice every day for any week.
7. Gram Flour
Gram flour is a great remedy since it quickly absorbs the extra and unwanted moisture off our body. It is this moisture that causes prickly heat to begin with.
Gram flour also helps get rid of dead skin cells. Additionally, it soothes inflammation.
In a cup of water, add six teaspoons of gram flour. Now apply the paste on the affected areas. Leave it on for 15 minutes. Rinse out with cold water. You should do this once every day for a week.
8. Raw Mangoes
Yes, you read that right. Raw mangoes will help you deal with prickly heat by quickly trying to cool off your body. They also relieve you from the itching caused by the red bumps.
In two cups of water add 2 mangoes and bring them to boil. Once the mangoes are soft, remove the container from fire. Now squeeze out the mango pulp and add it to cold water. Give a pinch of rock salt plus some sugar to taste. Drink this two times every day to quicken the relieving process.
Apart from these home remedies you can also try the following advice:
- Avoid wearing tight clothes because they might further enrage the inflammation.
- When you are sleeping, wear something made of cotton and very loose and light. Also sleep inside a well ventilated place or cool place.
- Try to dodge using creams or thick oils on the affected areas.
- Drink lots of water.
- Drink fluids and fruit juices all the time.
- Always take cold baths, and stay in areas that are out of the sun.
- Avoid excessive heat when you can.
That is a wrap on natural home remedies for prickly heat. Did you find this useful? Let us know within the comments. Also, if you want natural home remedies for a particular disorder or problem, then do tell us. We will churn you a post with that!
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