# Chigger Bites



## Jade Tigress (Jul 19, 2006)

I was out on Saturday night hanging out with the neighbors in the driveway and felt the mosquitos starting to bug (no pun intended...lol) me. 

So, I went and got bug spray, which I hate using because I hate spraying those chemicals on my skin. But everyone around here uses it...West Nile and whatnot.

So anyway I spray myself with it. Got my arms and upper body pretty good then misted my legs, appartently not enough. 

The next morning my legs were absolutely covered, and I mean COVERED, in chigger bites. It looks like I have chicken pox all over my legs and it's been 4 days and they're not fading. Bright red marks ALL OVER MY LEGS. It is so hot here and I'm embarrassed to wear shorts because people are gonna think I have some kind of condition lol! 

They don't really itch all that bad. I'm not scratching them or doing anything to aggrevate them but they are not fading. 

Does anyone know if anything can be done to fade the marks faster? It's downright embarrassing.


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## Lisa (Jul 19, 2006)

Try using a topical hydrocortisone creme on them or an antihistamine.  Ask your pharmacist and avoid scratching!  As hard as that is


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## rutherford (Jul 19, 2006)

By the end of every summer I don't even get marks anymore.

But, for non-chemical bug repellant the Badger Bug Balm works extremely well.


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## Kreth (Jul 19, 2006)

Jade Tigress said:
			
		

> The next morning my legs were absolutely covered, and I mean COVERED, in chigger bites. It looks like I have chicken pox all over my legs and it's been 4 days and they're not fading. Bright red marks ALL OVER MY LEGS. It is so hot here and I'm embarrassed to wear shorts because people are gonna think I have some kind of condition lol!


I know how you feel. I got eaten alive by black flies playing golf last weekend. The difference is that I don't care who thinks what, so I wear shorts whenever possible... :uhyeah:


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## Kacey (Jul 19, 2006)

I agree with Lisa - you can also try baking soda mixed with water into a paste; for some people it can help with the itching.

Chances are you're allergic; that could be why you're still red and itchy.


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## Brian R. VanCise (Jul 19, 2006)

Hydrocortisone always works for me!

Brian R. VanCise
www.instinctiveresponsetraining.com


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## shesulsa (Jul 19, 2006)

Yeah, Pam,  you should avoid any and all chemical and abrasive products on your legs such as further bug spray, moisturizer, dipilatories, sunscreen, self-tanners and avoid shaving and waxing and exfoliating until those heal.

I'm for talking with the Pharmacist as well.  The bright red, to me, indicates something other than just chigger bites - unless the bug repellent got into the wounds and irritated your skin.

Here's an idea - spray the clothes you intend to wear and allow them to dry before putting them on ... this includes the cuffs of socks and your shoes.

Calamine lotion is good for irritated skin but, if you're like me and don't respond to Calamine, try the herb Chickweed.  Get it in bulk, make a strong tea of it and dab it on the irritated skin.  It's WONDERFUL for ALL skin irritations - unless you're allergic to dandelion and ragweed, you should be fine.


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## Jade Tigress (Jul 19, 2006)

Well don't I feel stupid. They're not chigger bites. Two people who saw them told me they were and I don't know what chigger bites look like cuz I never had them before. 

After doing a little research on what chiggers are and what the bites look like, I have come to realize they aren't chigger bites. It kinda looks like it...but I was bitten by small black flying insects. And they don't itch. Go figure. They just look absolutely terrible. Almost like I have small cigarrette burns, or chicken pock marks all over my legs. And they don't look like fresh burns or pock marks, they look like the way either of those things look after healing and leaving a scar. I'll try to get a pic posted tomorrow. I have to leave for class..  

Anyway, thanks for all the helpful advice. But now I don't know what the heck kind of bites they are. And I don't care about itch relief since they don't itch. I just want the ugly red marks all over my legs to go away. They don't appear to have even faded much since I got them 4 days ago. Ack.


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## Jade Tigress (Jul 21, 2006)

Last Wednesday after class I asked my Sifu if he knew anything I could do to about the bites as they still had not settled down any. He knows Tradional Chinese Medicine. He gave me a concoction he had made that was sitting on his desk in a plastic washed out soda bottle. It was pink and smelled awful. Told me to rub some on my legs as needed and bring what was left back to class on Monday. So, yesterday, I used it twice. It was kind of warm at first then felt cool. Kind of like Ben-Gay does. And, I kid you not, the marks started fading within the day. They are looking much, much better this morning. I'm hoping by Monday they'll be gone. Up til now, nothing I used seem to have any effect at all. Yippee for Sifu's who know TCM!!!


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## stingg (Aug 7, 2006)

I've found lemon balm works really well as an insect repellent. And it smells pretty good too. Courtesy of my crunchy-granola organic father. (Hi dad!)


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## Jade Tigress (Aug 7, 2006)

stingg said:
			
		

> I've found lemon balm works really well as an insect repellent. And it smells pretty good too. Courtesy of my crunchy-granola organic father. (Hi dad!)



Thank you! I'll try that. Where do you get lemon* balm*?


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