What to do if you have prickly heat on your legs

The skin disease of prickly heat mainly appears in parts of the body with many wrinkles or crevices, such as the neck, face, thighs, etc. Infants and young children are most susceptible to prickly heat, especially when the weather is hot. Children suffering from prickly heat feel very uncomfortable due to the itching, so timely measures should be taken to treat it. So, what should you do if you get prickly heat on your legs? Let’s take a closer look below.

Prickly heat is a skin disease caused by excessive heat stimulation. The temperature is relatively high in summer and the air humidity is high. The sweat discharged cannot evaporate in time and stays on the skin surface for a long time, which will cause the stratum corneum to be soaked, resulting in blockage of the sweat gland duct openings. The sweat that continues to be secreted cannot be discharged, making the pressure in the sweat gland duct excessive and bursting. The sweat leaks into the skin and forms prickly heat.

Prickly heat is most common in children, with the highest incidence rate in newborns, which can reach 15%. Children have delicate skin and underdeveloped sweat glands. In addition, they are very active and have poor sweating function, which can easily cause sweat duct blockage and prickly heat.

The treatment of prickly heat is based on the principles of cooling, astringing, and relieving itching, and usually only topical medications are required. Generally speaking, most children do not need special treatment. As long as the baby is kept away from high temperature and high humidity environment, placed in a cool and ventilated environment, and the skin is kept clean and dry, the prickly heat will subside naturally.

If the prickly heat is very itchy, lasts for a long time and is not easy to subside, then it needs to be treated immediately. Do not scratch it randomly to avoid bacterial embarrassment.

For mild and moderate prickly heat, calamine lotion, 1% menthol calamine lotion, etc. can be used externally. Local cold spray or cold compress also has good effects. For purulent prickly heat, 2% ichthyol calamine lotion should be used externally. When itching is severe, oral drugs such as chlorpheniramine and loratadine can be taken to relieve itching. When secondary bacterial infection occurs, anti-infection treatment is required.

The following tips can eliminate prickly heat.

1. Rub with watermelon peel

During the Great Heat, many families eat watermelons to cool off. You might as well use the leftover watermelon rind to treat prickly heat. The specific method is to rub the watermelon rind on the area where the prickly heat appears and rinse it off after 10 minutes. This not only has the effect of cooling down and relieving itching, but also helps to discharge oil and waste.

2. Boil bitter melon in water to get rid of prickly heat

First, cut the bitter gourd in half, scoop out the white flesh and seeds and put them into a pot, then add 300ml of water. After boiling over high heat, turn to medium heat and cook for 8 minutes, then let it cool naturally until it is no longer hot. Take out the inner core of the bitter gourd and throw it away. Soak a small towel in water, wring it until half dry, and gently wipe the area where the prickly heat appears. Parents should remember to cut their children's nails frequently to avoid prickly heat infection caused by scratching.

3. Use a warm towel

If your child already has prickly heat, you can apply a warm towel to it. When the sweat glands are unblocked, the prickly heat will naturally disappear.

The specific method is: soak a towel with warm water, make the towel as hot as possible, within the tolerance of the skin, and apply it to the area where prickly heat occurs. When the towel becomes cold, change it to a warm one. Apply it every 2 to 3 hours. Generally, it will be effective after two or three applications.

4. Wear loose clothes

For babies who have prickly heat, it is best to choose light, soft, and loose clothes, preferably absorbent cotton fabrics, to reduce the irritation of the clothes to the skin and help dissipate body heat. Please note that babies tend to sweat when it is hot. If their clothes are too tight, the sweat will not have time to be discharged and evaporate, which will clog the sweat glands and cause more and more prickly heat.

5. "Ten drops of water" eliminates prickly heat

First, wipe off the sweat and secreted oil on the affected part of the baby's body, then squeeze out a few drops of ten drops of water and apply them to the affected area, and then let it dry naturally. The skin where the medicine is applied will usually feel a slight burning and painful sensation, which usually goes away after a minute. It should be noted that for infants and young children, since their skin is relatively delicate, it cannot be applied directly. Instead, dilute "Ten Drops of Water" with warm boiled water in a ratio of 1:10 before use.

6. Keep ventilation and cool

A hot and humid environment is particularly prone to prickly heat. Therefore, families with babies must keep the room ventilated to reduce sweating and facilitate sweat evaporation. The high temperature and humid environment can be improved through air conditioning, fans and other equipment. The room temperature should be kept at around 26°C and the humidity should not exceed 60%. But be careful not to let the wind blow directly on the baby.