Summer is here, and so is prickly heat! Though you don’t want to welcome the rashes, they will make their presence felt by irritating the hell out of you. So it is best to get rid of them completely instead of complaining about them coz that won’t help! Here are 8 home remedies for prickly heat that you will thank us for, through the 500 days of summer 😉
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Prickly heat or heat rash (also called sweat rash by many) is a nightmare. It is also known as miliaria in medical terms. This skin condition is experienced by both adults and kids, and by most infants too.
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The struggle is 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, our skin gets irritated. This, in turn, causes prickly heat.
Prickly heat can also be caused by microbial or bacterial 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 this ailment.
Prickly heat might come out anywhere on your body. It, however, affects the back, feet, fingers, groins, armpits, belly and 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 once the weather cools down. But you can take help from these natural remedies and get relief quicker.
The first thing you need to do is cool your body down. So go to an AC room. Take 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 if 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. See your doctor if you or your child has symptoms that last longer than a few days, the rash seems to be getting worse, or you notice signs of infection, such as:
-
Increased pain, swelling, redness or warmth around the affected area
-
Pus draining from the lesions
-
Swollen lymph nodes in the armpit, neck or groin
-
A fever or chills”
Home remedies for prickly heat
Read below the home remedies that you can try on your prickly heat.
1. Oatmeal
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Oatmeal is the first treatment on our list of natural remedies because of its anti-inflammatory and soothing qualities.
Oatmeal calms our skin 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 with a clean towel. Make sure the towel is soft and do not rub just pat.
You will have to do this two times a week for best results.
2. Sandalwood Powder
Sandalwood has been used for years as 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 in a ratio of 1:1 Now, apply the paste on the prickly heat affected areas. Leave the mask on until the paste dries. Wash out with cold water.
You should do this two times a 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 with a clean towel. This should also be done two times a day.
3. Baking Soda
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Baking soda will also 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 applied on the body almost instantly relieves the 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 10 minutes of dabbing the cloth, wash your skin with cold water.
You should repeat this five times a week for best results.
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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 is a mild anti-inflammatory agent and lessens the itchy feeling.
In a cup of rose water, add 10 teaspoons of fuller’s earth. Now mix the ingredients to form a thick paste. Apply the paste on your skin. Let it dry. Now rinse out with cold water.
You should do this once every day for a week for best results.
5. Margosa Leaves
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Anti-inflammatory and antiseptic in nature, margosa leaves or neem leaves will quickly take control of prickly heat symptoms like itching and formation of red bumps.
Form a paste using ground neem leaves and water. Apply this on 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 can also boil neem leaves in a bowl of water. Boil for 20 minutes and then strain he water. Once the water cools, soak a clean and soft cotton cloth. Wring the cloth and then place it over the affected area. 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 remedies for prickly heat.
According to Dr. Axe,
“In 2009, a systematic review summarized 40 studies that involved using 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 on the skin), and reduce the incidence of tumors by more than 90 percent in the liver, spleen and bone marrow. The studies also showed 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 need to do this twice every day for a week.
7. Gram Flour
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Gram flour is a great remedy because it quickly absorbs the extra and unwanted moisture off our body. It is this moisture that causes prickly heat in the first place.
Gram flour also helps get rid of dead skin cells. It also 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 cooling down your body. They also relieve you of 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. Add a pinch of rock salt and some sugar to taste. Drink this two times every day to quicken the relieving process.
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Apart from these home remedies you can also try the following tips:
- Avoid wearing tight clothes because they might further enrage the inflammation.
- When you sleep, wear something made of cotton and very loose and light. Also sleep in 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 home remedies for prickly heat. Did you find this useful? Let us know in the comments. Also, if you want home remedies for a particular disorder or problem, then do let us know. We will churn you a post on that!
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