Relieve Hell's Itch in 15 Minutes

If you are currently suffering from Hell's Itch (An intense, uncontrollable, stabbing sunburn itch) also called Devil's Itch and Suicide Itch here is the short version of how to find relief quickly. If you'd like to read my story scroll below!

How to Relieve Itching Fast:

1. Cool the affected area with a dripping wet towel
1. re-wet the towel as needed. As long as the towel is in contact with the skin, the itch should be tolerable.
2. Antihistamines
1. This is the most important step to finding relief. Most people recommend Benodryl but the generic Kroger brand non-drowsy 24 hr allergy relief worked wonders for me. Hell's itch acts as an allergic reaction so antihistamines will work.
3. Ibuprofen
1.  Taking some ibuprofen such as Advil should help reduce swelling, lower your skin temperature, and reduce some of the pain. If you have some stronger pain meds go ahead with those but if possible take ibuprofen as well to help with swelling and temperature.
4. Test Removing the Towel
1. Try removing the towel for short periods of time to see if the antihistamines and ibuprofen have taken effect. If you have waited for an extended period of time and the itch has not became tolerable go on to step 5.
5. Hot Shower (Last Resort)
1. If none of the above have helped, a hot shower should. A hot shower seems to be counterintuitive since a sunburn caused the itch in the first place. However, a hot, painful, shower will activate pain nerve endings while your brain will ignore the itch. Obviously a hot shower will be painful and certainly wont help your sunburn heal so it should be a last resort.
6. Take Vitamins
1. Taking some multivitamins will help boost your immune system and help your body heal your itch quicker
7. Stay Hydrated
1. Always be drinking water. If your urine isn't clear or close to it you are not drinking enough water.

Important Notes:

1. DO NOT USE ALOE
1. Aloe absolutely will not help, it will actually hurt!! This itch forms deep within the skin, not at the surface so aloe will not help. Often aloe will inhibit the antihistamines from doing their job so if you did apply aloe I recommend trying to wash it off.
2. Avoid all lotions besides A&D lotion (Diaper Rash lotion), Calamine lotion, and peppermint oil. All of these lotion are reported to help. Below are some product available on amazon which are effective at killing the Itch.
2. DO NOT ITCH!!!!
1. Whatever you do, do not itch your skin. The hell's itch will subside for a second before coming back stronger by a magnitude of ten.
2. I found using a fan on the affected area can calm the itch without scratching.
3. Avoid Bathing
1. Many people (myself included) trigger their intitial itch by taking a shower. If possible, avoid taking a shower 2-3 days after you start experiencing the Itch

My Story:

I'm a college student and my university is in the Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan. If you are familiar with the state of Michigan you will know that the UP is a very cold place in the winter with lots of snow and little sun. I strongly believe this played a large role in the development of my Hell's Itch, an ailment I had never heard of before it was too late. A weekend in mid June 2016, I decided to head downstate to the lower peninsula to visit my girlfriend and friends. On Friday, we went out to the beach for about 2.5 hours. I stupidly did not apply any sunscreen. I suffered a sunburn, however I didn't think much of as I normally don't wear sunscreen and I have suffered worse sunburns  than this. On Sunday I spent a fun 9 hours being burnt in the car before I making it back to school. All is fine and well up to this point as I doze off for a good night of sleep before class. I get up Monday morning (48 hours after the initial burn) and hop into the shower as I always do prior to class. When I stepped out of the shower and dried off, it happened. An deep itch spread across my chest getting more and more painful by the second. Thrown off by this strange and terrible sensation, I decided to apply some medicated aloe with lidocaine. Bad move. My chest is set ablaze, I'm trying my very hardest not to itch my skin as I assumed this would only make it worse. I jump back into the shower to rinse off this terrible aloe, thinking it was wholly responsible for the itch. Once again, I get out of the shower hoping the terrible itch is gone. To my anguish I was wrong. I starting jumping up and down, curling into a ball, and running around the house hoping to distract myself until the itch subsides as I still have to make it to class. The relief never came. However, I remembered the itch was tolerable in the shower, so I soaked a towel and placed it on my chest. That seemed to help. With this soaking wet towel on me, I jumped on the internet. Following the advise on the sites I found, I rummaged through my medicine cabinet and found a 24hr allergy relief medicine (Thanks mom) and ibuprofen. I popped those on an empty stomach and thankfully they kicked in quickly. Within 15 minutes I was able to remove the towel entirely and lay in bed with only minor tingling in my chest. It was still a bit annoying but still far better than 15 minutes previous. I laid in bed, emailed my professors I couldn't make it to class, and waited for the Itch to come back in full force. Thankfully, it didn't. Sometimes I'd be tempted to itch at the tingles but I quickly found that to be a bad idea. Alternatively, I used a small fan aimed at my chest, as the sensation of air flowing over my skin seemed to tame the tingles. The tingles lasted about a day and a half longer. I made sure I took more allergy medicine every 24 hours and I didn't shower for 2 days. Now, about 5 days later, the tingles are gone, I just have a bit of a tan and some peely skin. I survived, so can you!