How to Relieve Itchy Hair from Stinging Nettle

Stinging Nettle is a plant found worldwide. It is considered a perennial herb with medicinal properties that regrows in the same spot each year. The leaves and stems are brittle, hollow, and covered with stinging hairs. These hairs act like needles, piercing the skin when touched. Chemicals pass through the hollow tubes, causing itching and a rash. While painful, the stinging hairs and rash from this plant can be treated.

First, do not touch the area with stinging hairs. If possible, avoid touching or rubbing the affected area for 10 minutes. Pour clean water over the itchy spot but do not touch it. Although it may be very painful in the first few minutes, avoiding touching or rubbing will help prevent the pain from lasting for several days.

• The irritants from the plant may dry on the skin's surface, but they can be washed away with soap and water. By avoiding initial contact and rubbing, the chemicals from the plant will not spread, which could cause prolonged pain, even for days.
• The secretions from the plant contain acetylcholine, histamine, serotonin, moroidin, leukotrienes, and may include formic acid.

Use soap and water. Soap and water help cleanse the affected area and remove the chemicals released from the plant that cause pain, swelling, redness, and itching. In many cases, once the affected area is washed clean, the pain will either subside completely or reduce significantly.

Use a clean cloth. If you don’t have access to soap and water, use a clean cloth to gently wipe the residue and stinging hairs from the affected area until it is thoroughly cleaned.

Use adhesive tape. Lightly apply high-adhesive tape, such as thick tape, to the affected area, then peel it off. This can help remove any stinging hairs still attached to the skin.

Try using depilatory cream. If adhesive tape doesn't remove all the stinging hairs, you can try using a depilatory cream.

• Apply a layer of depilatory cream, let it dry for about 5 minutes, then gently peel off the cream, along with the stinging hairs that will be removed along with it.

Know what you need. The pain, heat, discomfort, and itching can be quite intense. The duration of symptoms varies greatly from person to person, and depends on the initial methods used to cleanse the affected area, as mentioned earlier.

• The rash appears similar to hives, with white blisters rising. The entire area may appear swollen and red, with pinkish-red spots on the affected region.

Use leaves from another plant. Applying juice from the leaves of the St. John’s wort or prickly pear can also help. These plants often grow in the same areas as stinging nettles. Find one of these plants and crush several leaves to release the juice. Apply the crushed leaves to the affected area.

• While the scientific support for these plants in treating stinging nettle irritation is limited, they have been common remedies for centuries.
• The wild St. John’s wort grows primarily in the same areas as stinging nettle. The plant reaches a height of 50 cm to 130 cm, with leaves about 40 cm long. The leaves are broad, oval-shaped, with rounded tips and wavy edges. Older leaves have a light red color at the base.
• The prickly pear is also a blistering plant. These plants grow naturally in areas where stinging nettles are found. The compounds in the juice of the leaves and stems of the prickly pear have been reported to be effective against the itching caused by stinging nettles.

Do not scratch. The affected area may be extremely itchy, but try not to scratch. Scratching can cause further irritation, tear the skin, and prolong the symptoms.

• For children, you may need to use thin gloves or fingerless gloves to prevent them from scratching. Also, trim their nails short.

Use a cool compress. Applying a cool compress helps alleviate discomfort from stinging hairs. The cooler temperature can help reduce redness and soothe the irritation.

Apply a paste made from baking soda. Simply mix baking soda and water to make a paste, then apply it to the rash. Use cold water to prepare the paste. The paste can help relieve the itching, inflammation, and burning sensation.

• Gently apply any remedy to the affected area by lightly dabbing to avoid causing further irritation.

Use aloe vera. Apply aloe vera juice from the leaves, or use products containing high amounts of aloe vera. Aloe vera can help reduce the red inflammation and soothe the burning sensation.

Avoid hot water. Take a bath or shower using cool water, and avoid applying warm water to the affected area. Cool water helps to soothe and reduce the level of redness and inflammation.

Use over-the-counter medication. Creams, ointments, or topical treatments containing hydrocortisone can help reduce redness and itching.

• Use over-the-counter topical medications containing hydrocortisone to treat the rash. Follow the directions on the packaging. A rash with redness, itching, and inflammation can persist due to the skin being damaged by direct contact with stinging nettles.
• Calamine or Caladryl® lotions can help soothe the skin and reduce itching and burning sensations.
• Over-the-counter antihistamine tablets can also help prevent reactions occurring in your body. These medications include substances such as cetirizine, or Zyrtec®, loratadine, or Claritin®, and diphenhydramine, or Benadryl®.
• Apply antibiotic creams or ointments. These over-the-counter products contain a combination of infection-fighting agents. Apply them directly to the affected skin. The cooling effect of the medication will soothe, and the active ingredients in the cream or ointment can help prevent infection.
• You can take NSAID pain relievers for prolonged pain, provided you are not affected by contraindications.

Seek immediate medical attention if allergic symptoms occur. In rare cases, someone may have an allergic reaction to the plant or one of the chemicals it releases. An allergic reaction can be life-threatening. Immediate medical care is essential.

Recognize allergic symptoms. Call 911 (in the U.S.) or go to the emergency room immediately if you notice any of the following allergy signs:

• Difficulty breathing, wheezing, or a tight feeling in the throat.
• Chest tightness making it hard to breathe.
• Swelling around the mouth, including the lips and tongue.
• The rash spreading beyond the area that touched the stinging nettle, possibly covering the entire body.
• Abdominal pain, cramping, vomiting, or diarrhea, which can sometimes be part of an allergic reaction.

Contact a pediatrician if your child has been exposed to stinging nettles. A doctor may be able to guide you by prescribing topical treatments or suggest remedies tailored for children’s specific symptoms.

Call your doctor if you experience severe symptoms. If the skin area exposed to the plant spreads or if symptoms don’t improve within 24 hours, contact your doctor. The doctor may prescribe stronger topical treatments for the affected area or oral medications to help manage systemic reactions.

Seek medical attention if the affected area seems to be infected. If you have scratched the area and the skin is peeling off, it could lead to an infection.

• If the skin is peeling, feels warm to the touch, oozes pus, or the surrounding area becomes more inflamed, you may have an infection. Call your doctor immediately if you have these symptoms or develop a fever. Your doctor may prescribe antibiotic cream or ointment, or provide you with a course of oral antibiotics.