Relief from prickly heat rash?

[msdroz]

Hi there... last time we were in Disney my son developed a bad prickly heat rash half way through our trip. The suggested remedy was to avoid the heat and sun, which is virtually impossible in Florida summer. I'm going to contact his pediatrician, but am wondering if there are any remedies you have found that work to keep the rashes at bay?

We do have him bring a spray bottle, cooling towel and wear moisture wicking clothes but I think we need additional tips if you have any!

Thank you

 

[friedela]

Does the rash hurt at all? Or does it just look bad? I have heard about this rash, I never saw any when we were there but the weather wasn't super hot either.

 

[marcyleecorgan]

Zinc oxide cream.

 

[KevM]

I’m not sure if it’ll help keep it at bay, but aloe vera is helpful for sun rash.

 

[msdroz]

Does the rash hurt at all? Or does it just look bad? I have heard about this rash, I never saw any when we were there but the weather wasn't super hot either.

It's extremely itchy and the more you itch it the worse it gets, kind of like hives. My son gets it almost every summer with his first exposure to hot weather and it lasts for several days. We are a ski family and aren't built for the heat lol

I will check into the zinc oxide, thank you marcyleecorgan!!

 

[AngolaHeartsDisney]

there is a great Benedryl cream for rashes, relief of sunburn. My kids always get this rash and it was so bad I could not put on zinc oxide or any sunscreen because the rash was so bad. It helps amazingly..
Benedryl Itching stopping gel- extra strength- it is a big tube- don't leave home anymore with out this!

 

[TavieP]

I'm a big fan of Snake Brand Cooling Powder.

 

[DLgal]

Taking a daily antihistamine, like Claritin or Zyrtec will help keep this at bay.

This rash is caused by histamines...essentially, your body is "allergic" to the heat, and the sudden dilation of blood vessels that needs to happen to cool you down at the skin surface causes a histamine release. This happens to me when I do a hard workout after a long period of inactivity, if I take a shower that is too hot, etc. It's a pain. My younger son gets this as well when we go to Florida in the summer. Taking Claritin for a week prior to our trip has basically made it stop happening.

 

[msdroz]

Taking a daily antihistamine, like Claritin or Zyrtec will help keep this at bay.

This rash is caused by histamines...essentially, your body is "allergic" to the heat, and the sudden dilation of blood vessels that needs to happen to cool you down at the skin surface causes a histamine release. This happens to me when I do a hard workout after a long period of inactivity, if I take a shower that is too hot, etc. It's a pain. My younger son gets this as well when we go to Florida in the summer. Taking Claritin for a week prior to our trip has basically made it stop happening.

Interesting... will try that out, thank you! I thought it had to be benadryl and that would make him too tired! Thanks again!

 

[Kt75]

Taking a daily antihistamine, like Claritin or Zyrtec will help keep this at bay.

This rash is caused by histamines...essentially, your body is "allergic" to the heat, and the sudden dilation of blood vessels that needs to happen to cool you down at the skin surface causes a histamine release. This happens to me when I do a hard workout after a long period of inactivity, if I take a shower that is too hot, etc. It's a pain. My younger son gets this as well when we go to Florida in the summer. Taking Claritin for a week prior to our trip has basically made it stop happening.

I just asked my dr today about preparing for our trip in a few weeks too, she said the same. Can i ask what kind you take / dosage since I haven't taken either before

 

[DLgal]

I just asked my dr today about preparing for our trip in a few weeks too, she said the same. Can i ask what kind you take / dosage since I haven't taken either before

There is really only one dosage of most of these as they are 24 hour formulas. 10mg I think. One pill per day. My son is 12 so he takes the adult dose, but we used the kids version when he was younger.

Claritin doesn't cause drowsiness. Zyrtec does so it is better to take at night.

 

[DLgal]

Interesting... will try that out, thank you! I thought it had to be benadryl and that would make him too tired! Thanks again!

Benadryl is considered a "fast acting" antihistamine so it's good for hives and sudden allergic reactions but it only lasts 4 hours and causes a lot of drowsiness.

Claritin or Zyrtec or Allegra will provide a consistent source of antihistamine into the body so it works all day.

Just make sure you do NOT use Benadryl cream in addition to oral antihistamines. That can be very dangerous.

 

[4fordisneyworld]

My daughter has super sensitive skin and we have dealt with this in Disney more than once. You have been given some great suggestions already. The one thing I would add might be looking into an “organic” sunscreen. We look for brands that don’t have all the junk in them. I usually have to find on Amazon.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Cornstarch as a replacement for baby powder (don't know how old your child is) and before that sun protection which can be protective clothing and/or a high level of sunscreen. I'd use these remedies prior to other more aggressive over the counter choices.
DGD (now 12.5 y/o) is susceptible to various skin aliments and as such I purchase sunscreen wipes for her since it covers more areas than sprays.

 

[Kt75]

Can you recommend the sunscreen wipes?

 

[NYCgrrl]

Can you recommend the sunscreen wipes?

This is the version I use now:

https://www.allure.com/review/md-moms-baby-silk-sunscreen-wipes-spf-30

and you can buy it at Amazon or here:

https://mdmoms.com/

I used to be able to buy it at Sephora's but don't think they carry the line anymore.

 

[DLgal]

For sensitive skin, use a physical rather than chemical sunscreen. Zinc or titanium dioxide formulas vs. oxybenzone/avobenzone formulas. The zinc/titanium are just made of finely powdered minerals that reflect the sun better than the chemical type. Most dermatologists recommend these types. I use CeraVe brand sunscreen on my sensitive skin. It's a pain to blend in, and it makes me look even paler than normal, but it works A LOT better than the other kinds.

 

[Beth33]

I don't have specific advice for heat rash, but wanted to mention our sunscreen. We use the Waterbabies Pure and Simple mineral (i.e. physical) sunscreen. (There's a "Free" version out now that looks the same but it's a chemical not a physical sunscreen. Always check the active ingredients to make sure that it has the zinc/titanium, not just chemicals.) It's worked well for my kids' sensitive skin and you can buy it at the store rather than having to go online. Sometimes the store doesn't have the Waterbabies one and you have to buy the Coppertone Kids Zinc Sunscreen, but as of last year it's the same thing in a different bottle.