Recently I discovered the main reason for Itching. So there is no Itching since August 2011.
- I Stopped using soaps except once in 15 to 30 days.
- Bathed twice in summers and ones in winters with clean cold or luke warm water. Spent more time while bathing with plain water.
- Started using my towel very gently and stopped using the towel as scrub.
- Reduced my water intake to 2-3 glasses a day.
- Stopped using moisturizers completely
- Stopped using shampoos.
Adding 1/4 spoon of salt to drinking water for 3 to 7 days might help getting rid of Itching faster. There is complete relief.
Three top causes of Itching
Soaps
Excessive Hydration (Add 1 pinch of Salt 3-4 times in a day to water)
Scrubbing with towel after Bath or while exercising
Other Causes of Itching
Excessive use of Antibiotics
Use of excessive spices.
Scientific Reasoning
Itching medicines are of mainly two types. Anti-histamine and Corticosteroids.
Histamine is an organic nitrogenous compound involved in local immune alerts that regulate physiological function in the gut and acts as aneurotransmitter. Histamine is involved in the inflammatory response. As part of an immune response to foreign pathogens, histamine is produced by basophilsand by mast cells found in nearby connective tissues.
Histamine – a chemical found in some of the body’s cells – causes many of the symptoms of allergies, such as a runny nose or sneezing.
Histamine causes swelling on the area of effected. Hence by Antihistamine that swelling is tried to be reduced. Now comes the side effects part. There are serious side effects of use of histamine. It is not a perfect solution. The primary aim is to reduce swelling. This swelling can be better managed by slow and planned dehydration.
Corticosteroids
This also aims the cells of the body. it damages the cells and tissues of the body. By this action the fluid in the body is reduced on the area of damage. That way it numbs the area where this is applied or sensivity is reduced in general. This has much serious side effects. Moreover over a period of time Corticosteroids wear out and the problems comes back. Since the underlying cause is not resolved, the problem is aggravated in future.
Role of Soap
The role of soap is to remove oil from the skin. The oils are not soluble in water. The very definition of soap says that it removes the oils from the body. Now it may be noted that maximum itching happens in folds of the body. Where the chances of rubbing is more. Oil is natural protector against rubbing. When excessive use of soaps remove excessive oils, the oil production of the body suffers.
So stopping the use of soaps will promote oil production and save the body against itching.
In most of the cases of itching, it is reported to start after first experiences of sex. To my mind there is excessive use of soap after initial experiences of sexual activity. Personal Experience Itching is caused due to excess water / fluids just under the skin.
Itching is aggravated due to use of soaps or other ointments, friction of arms or legs.
The medicines (Itch guard) etc are essentially steroids and causes thickening of the muscles. As the steroids wear off Itching comes back. Steroids are not washed out completely after bath. It is likely to spread to other body parts by using the same towel at various parts of the body. Use of steroids is responsible for Itching as much as soap causes itching.
I had been using ointments for last 35 or more years. I never got complete relief from Itching. I had to use Itch guard or some other ointments every now and then.
Recently I discovered the main reason for Itching. So there is no Itching since August 2011.
- Soap is used to remove particles which are insoluble in water. Oil is insoluble in water.
- Sebum is excreted from skin. This consists of oils.
- Use of soap will remove this oil from the depth of the skin. Then it will take much longer time to regenerate the necessary oils.
- Oil is essential for the skin. If the skin remains exposed without sebum for long periods of time, the skin will start cracking and it can cause itching as well.
- In case of excessive use of soap, the sebaceous gland are excessively used. This also causes expansion of the pores causing more excretion of the oil which is thick.