Itchy areas on the human body are quite common sensations. Often, they occur as a reaction of the body to contact with any substances or a stressful situation. Then the question arises of how to relieve itchy skin at home quickly and effectively. There are many ways to relieve skin irritation using common products and remedies that you always have on hand.
Causes of local itching (localized)
Among the most common causes of the development of local itching on the body, doctors identify several factors:
- reaction to household chemicals, hygiene products and synthetic fabrics,
- use of medications, including local ones,
- allergies to insect bites, animal hair, pollen, household dust, fluff, etc.
- the result of the action of parasites,
- age-related changes in the skin,
- fungal skin infections,
- bacterial infection,
- lichen,
- genital candidiasis,
- damage to skin integrity and burns,
- results of poorly performed cosmetic procedures.
Determining the causes of local discomfort is of great importance, because it depends on the results of diagnosing the disease with the identification of the main etiological factor how to relieve skin itching effectively and competently, without harming the body.
Aloe
Aloe serves as an excellent remedy against skin inflammation and has an antibacterial and antifungal effect. Aloe contains vitamin E and many other active compounds that are useful for healing burns, relieving inflammation and reducing itching of the skin.
If aloe grows on your windowsill, then simply cut off a leaf, cut it in half lengthwise and rub the juice on the affected areas of the skin.
You can also find good aloe gel at the pharmacy. Just make sure it's completely natural.
Causes of generalized itching (all over the body)
The appearance of generalized skin itching is promoted by external and internal factors such as:
- genetic predisposition,
- dehydration and loss of skin elasticity,
- dysfunction of the endocrine glands,
- oncological diseases,
- damage to the central nervous system and mental disorders,
- congestion in the gallbladder and liver with impaired bile outflow (cholestasis),
- vitamin D deficiency and calcium metabolism deficiency,
- chronic intoxications of various origins,
- problems associated with blood diseases,
- diabetes,
- pregnancy,
- dry skin caused by dry air or climatic conditions in the region,
- photosensitivity.
In most cases, the fight against itching all over the body is achieved through complex and long-term therapy, and sometimes patients can only benefit from surgical treatment of problem areas.
Dangerous accompanying symptoms
Itching is most often accompanied by other symptoms, which indicates the development of a particular disease. As a rule, most clinical cases are characterized by the following pathological manifestations, including:
- redness of the skin in places where it begins to itch,
- the appearance of rashes, scales and scratching on the affected areas,
- the occurrence of severe edema in the defect area,
- dysfunction of the joints,
- discomfort in the genital area and the appearance of characteristic discharge from the genital tract or urethra,
- thickening and roughening of the skin,
- thinning of the epidermal layer and loss of elasticity,
- dysfunction of the receptor apparatus,
- yellowing of the skin and sclera in case of cholestasis,
- development of ulcers or purulent formations on the surface of the epidermis,
- increased itching at night.
Naturally, the symptoms associated with itching depend on the nature and nature of the underlying ailment. Sometimes they allow us to understand the true etiology of the disease. Therefore, such manifestations should not be ignored. This is especially true for pregnant women and children, who should be immediately sent for consultation with a doctor, even in the absence of concomitant symptoms.
Castor oil
Castor oil is rich in various microelements and fatty acids, which improve the condition of hair, especially those damaged by curling and dyeing.
Recipe No. 1
Castor oil without additives
Apply castor oil to your scalp and wash your hair after 15 minutes with shampoo. This is a seemingly easy way to get rid of dandruff. The problem is that the product is very dense and viscous, so it is very difficult to apply and, moreover, rinse from the hair. This is only possible for thin hair.
Check out on our website the traditional methods of treatment: egg, salt, soda, tar soap, laundry soap, apple cider vinegar; with recipes for medicinal masks for oily hair, against dandruff and itching, as well as medicinal oils - castor, tea tree, burdock and treatment with herbs, such as nettle.
Recipe No. 2
Diluted castor oil
Heat castor oil in a water bath and mix it with any other vegetable oil (it’s better not to take sunflower oil - there’s nothing useful in it) in a 2:1 ratio to make the mixture more liquid. Apply the resulting mixture to the scalp and rub it in with massaging movements. Leave for 20 minutes and wash your hair with shampoo.
Recipe No. 3
Castor and essential oils
Heat the castor oil in a water bath and add 6-8 drops of various anti-dandruff essential oils (select the one you need for your hair type and according to your desire from the list at the beginning of the article). Stir and apply to scalp and hair roots for 30 minutes. Then wash your hair with shampoo.
How to get rid of itching using traditional methods
Folk remedies are an excellent alternative to medications that eliminate the symptoms of itching caused by a variety of factors. Currently, there are a huge number of recipes that help a person get rid of unpleasant sensations and alleviate the general condition by eliminating discomfort.
With an allergic nature of itching
One of the most popular remedies for allergic itching is a decoction of string. It is prepared by soaking three tablespoons of dry herbs in a water bath for 10-15 minutes. Then the resulting healing composition should be cooled and strained. It is recommended to use a decoction of the string in the form of compresses twice a day for a week.
A bath with the addition of sea salt is good for itchy skin and allergic dermatitis. To prepare it you will need about 500 g of active ingredient. You can take a bath every day until allergy symptoms, including itching, completely go away.
If there is a strong desire to scratch the area of skin affected by the allergen, a person should apply a napkin with dry mustard to it for 10 minutes. After 2-3 days of such procedures, the itching completely disappears. But for complete recovery they need to be continued for several more days.
For dry skin
In this case, folk recipes should be used as additional therapy to the main treatment. Natural remedies perfectly potentiate the effect of pharmaceutical medications and increase their effectiveness.
For dry skin and senile itching, the following help remove pathological manifestations and eliminate discomfort:
- a decoction of burdock roots, which is prepared by keeping dry raw materials in a water bath and taken in an amount of 100 ml three times a day,
- a decoction of licorice roots, for the preparation of which you should take 2 tablespoons of the plant per half liter of water (take 50 ml three times a day for three weeks),
- A decoction based on nettle (50 g of dry parts of the plant, pour 500 ml of water and keep in a water bath for 15-20 minutes) should be taken half a glass twice a day for a month.
For insect bites
To eliminate itching and blisters at home that occur as a result of insect bites, the following traditional medicines are used:
- to eliminate the unpleasant sensations that appear after insect bites, use a herbal mixture that contains oak bark, peppermint leaves, St. John's wort, taken in equal quantities and poured into a glass of boiling water (lotions are made from the resulting decoction twice a day for the period when itching is felt)
- for insect bites, a solution of baking soda helps well, for the preparation of which you will need a teaspoon of the main substance and a glass of warm water (the resulting mixture should be lubricated on the affected areas twice a day for 3-5 days, or until the itching goes away),
- You can calm the itching with an aqueous solution of ammonia with vodka and cologne, which should be used to wash the bite sites several times a day.
For mental disorders
Unfortunately, a patient suffering from itching due to mental illness does not always have the necessary medications and the opportunity to see a doctor. In this scenario, folk recipes can be used to get rid of pathological symptoms, in particular:
- taking herbal baths with a calming effect based on weak decoctions of chamomile, nettle, lavender or oak bark (daily, for two weeks),
- rubbing itchy areas of the skin with a solution of vinegar obtained by diluting it with water in a 1:1 ratio,
- lubricating the skin with tomato juice and water, which should be applied before bedtime,
- using creams containing menthol to apply it to itchy areas twice a day.
For skin damage (abrasions, scratches)
How to deal with itching that accompanies traumatic skin injuries? The following traditional medicines are used for this:
- if you have a strong desire to itch, ordinary dill helps, which must be eaten raw, as an addition to dishes eaten throughout the day,
- a product based on pine buds and pine needles, the mixture of which must be poured with boiling water and kept in a water bath for 15 minutes, will help stop the itching,
- Baths with the addition of sea salt perfectly stop the unpleasant symptoms of skin lesions, which should be taken daily until the itching goes away.
For candidiasis (thrush)
Thrush is caused by fungi of the genus Candida, which constantly reside in the vaginal cavity, but become active only when favorable conditions arise, that is, during periods of hormonal changes or exacerbations of chronic diseases.
The following folk remedies will help get rid of the problem:
- tea tree oil, diluted in the amount of 5 drops of concentrate per 200 ml of clean water, which is used as a lotion daily for 7-10 days,
- a soda-salt solution, prepared by diluting a tablespoon of soda and the same amount of table salt in a liter of water, should be used for washing in the morning and evening until the symptoms of the disease disappear,
- douching with chlorophyllipt solution twice a day (morning and evening) for a week.
For a burn
- Fresh cucumbers are an excellent soothing remedy for burns and combat itching. You can use it in the form of masks (the cucumber should be grated on a fine grater until you get a paste) or simply apply chilled rings of the vegetable to the affected areas of the skin.
- Fresh aloe juice, which quickly heals and effectively disinfects skin injured by burns, also relieves inflammation and reduces itching.
- If your skin itches after a sunburn, you can use parsley juice, a remedy that stimulates the regeneration of epithelial cells, eliminates tissue swelling and eliminates itching.
For prickly heat
Traditional treatment is effective for uncomplicated prickly heat, namely, it is advisable to use:
- baths based on decoctions of medicinal herbs, in particular chamomile, string, calendula, which should be done daily,
- washing the affected areas with a solution of potassium permanganate twice a day until the defects are completely healed,
- rubbing prickly heat with fucorcin 2-3 times a day for a week.
For fungal infection
- Iodine. It is necessary to apply 1 drop to the affected areas twice a day. For prevention, adjacent tissues should be treated. The course of such therapy should be about 7-8 months.
- Propolis. This treatment for fungal infections is used in the form of local applications. The procedure is recommended to be carried out daily for a month.
- Onion juice. An excellent remedy that should be applied to the affected areas and fixed with a bandage.
Recipes for use
Shampoo with essential oil
Add 3-5 ml of any essential oil from the list above to the regular shampoo you use to wash your hair, mix thoroughly and apply to the scalp, massaging for 5-7 minutes. Rinse off with non-hot water.
Check on our website for information about the types of dandruff: tubular, dry, oily, symptoms, causes; about treatments (dry, oily), traditional methods (for dry and oily), drugs and procedures, as well as how to distinguish dry dandruff from oily dandruff.
Mask for oily hair type
Add 4 drops of rosemary oil, 4 drops of eucalyptus oil and 3 drops of thyme oil to one teaspoon of shampoo, mix thoroughly and apply to the skin. Massage for a few minutes and rinse with warm water.
Action of ingredients:
- rosemary and eucalyptus will cleanse the skin and destroy fungus;
- thyme normalizes the functioning of the sebaceous glands, thereby reducing the production of sebum.
Mixture for dry hair
For one teaspoon of shampoo you need 4 drops of lemon oil and geranium oil. Mix thoroughly and wash your hair with this.
Action of ingredients:
- Vitamin C contained in lemon will destroy the fungus;
- geranium will soften your hair and give it volume.
Measures to improve the condition
A number of expert tips will help improve the condition of patients suffering from itching, including:
- air humidification,
- regular ventilation of the room,
- frequent change of bed linen and washing it with hypoallergenic products to remove stains,
- daily evening walks in the fresh air,
- use of cosmetics with hypoallergenic properties,
- quitting drinking alcohol and smoking,
- avoidance of stressful situations,
- normalization of the daily routine and proper sleep,
- regular visits to specialists and timely diagnosis of diseases that provoke itching.
