this post was submitted on 10 Jul 2023
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I usually heat a spoon with a lighter and then burn the itch away.
This, but I use the hottest water I can stand under the tap and go a few times.
The way this works is because the reason a mosquito bite is itchy is due to an enzyme in mosquito saliva which locally numbs an area when a mosquito bites you. Once the mosquito saliva enzyme starts wearing off, it registers as itchiness until the enzyme is completely gone. So, using heat to denature the enzyme, making it impossible to do it’s job, makes the itching go away.
I thought the itchiness was due to your immune system reacting to the saliva. And as you scratch it, you cause additional inflammation which causes a bigger response and thus more itchiness.
Whatever it is, killing it with fire works. Though I got a bit carried away a few nights ago and I have a burn mark on my leg now. Be careful kids!
Wait so the if you scratch it, it itches more that my parents used to tell me was a real thing?
Yeah. If you scratch too much or too hard, you can tear the skin, so now you have additional itchiness from your body having to heal the tear.