As if sunburn wasn’t bad enough.....
watch out for HELL’S ITCH this summer.
“Hell’s itch is this deep, painful, almost throbbing, itch that happens one to three days after a sunburn, often on the upper back and shoulders,” says dermatologist Melissa Piliang, MD.
People have described their experiences as feeling “like fire ants are biting you under your skin,” “wanting to rip your skin off” or “an uncontrollable itch that, when scratched, causes stabbing pain.” The symptoms seem to come in waves and typically relent within 48 hours.
Hell’s itch appears to only affect a small percentage of people. “Anyone who has a sunburn could get it, but it seems to be more common in fair-skinned people and people who have been at higher altitudes where the sun is more intense, like in the mountains,” Dr. Piliang says.
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