Why is my Skin Itchy After Shower? That is a question that will be discussed and answered in detail below. Causes, home remedies, treatment of itchy skin after the shower that may be red, not itchy, painful, sore, causing blisters between legs are also explored here. The whole body might itch after bathing but in some cases, it may be itchy legs after shower, scalp, or hands.
Feeling itchy after a shower; experiencing itchiness after taking a bath is not only irritating, but it can also be very embarrassing. Medically, itching is called pruritus, and it not only leaves scars on your skin, but it can also cause permanent damage to it. The itching sensation can happen to a particular area, or all over the body.
- The number of people visiting the dermatologists for medical help on the basis of skin itchiness has increased over the years. Different reasons have been identified as to why itchiness after a bath has become a common condition.
- Most of these conditions can be managed at home because the causes are normal things that can be changed. However, in cases of skin infections and allergies, medical intervention may help a lot.
The skin is very sensitive, and people who feel itchy may opt to scratch their bodies, a process that leads to skin infection and damage that may cause the skin to become scaly.
Itchy Skin After Shower No Rash
Frequent bathing has been known to remove a protective layer of oil from the skin surface. When the protective oil layer is removed, this may result in excessive skin dryness that can lead to itching.
- Using hard water may also contribute to itchy skin bathing with no rash. Hard water contains calcium, which causes itchiness and dryness.
- Cleaning products may cause the skin to react resulting in itchiness with no signs of rashes. In most cases, the itchiness takes a short time ad may disappear after a while. However, when the itching becomes worse, the examination of the products used in bathing should be considered.
In case the bathing products may be the cause for itchy skin, changing them may be a good option to avoid damaging the skin. It is a good sign to experience itching with no rashes as this may mean that the condition is slightly normal and may have fewer negative effects on the skin.
Itchy Skin after Swimming
Swimming is the ideal workout for people with allergies and asthma. However, some people experience itchy skin after taking a swim.
Cercarial dermatitis or swimmer’s itch is a rash on the skin that is caused by an allergic reaction to infections from certain parasites. The tiny parasites are released from contaminated snails that swim in salt and freshwater sources such as oceans, lakes, and ponds.
Swimmer’s itch is very common during the summer season. Its symptoms include:
- Burning
- Itching of the skin
- The appearance of small reddish pimples
- Crust or scales on the skin surface
- Rash or skin lesions
The pimples often appear within a period of twelve hours after swimming in contaminated water and may develop into small blisters. Itchy skin after swimming can last for a week, and at times longer, but it eventually goes away.
Red Sore Skin after Bathing
You will be taken aback at the number of people that experience sore red skin after bathing. In many cases, the individuals experience itchy bumps on their upper backs, stomach, neck, as well as the chest area.
- The bumps are horrible as they itch a lot, and can easily drive you crazy. Often, the bumps disappear within thirty to forty minutes after taking a shower. It is very disturbing for one to have irritation for that long. The thought of experiencing this-every time one takes a shower is distressing.
The sore red skin after bathing is brought about by dehydration. Consuming lots of water can easily avoid it.
Make sure to take lots of water each day, as this will help get rid of all your skin problems.
Rash after Shower, Bumps
After taking a bath, some people will spot little red spots on their shoulders, neck, face, and even shoulders. The spots appear in the form of raised inflamed bumps that are red in color, and which look like heat rash.
- The condition where these spots appear after taking a shower is known as Keratosis Pilaris. The condition cannot be passed on from one person to another based on the sharing of bathing items, meaning that it is not contagious. However, research has shown that women get these spots more than men do.
- Often, the rashes and the bumps will go away on their own. The rashes may be because of an allergic reaction to the chemicals that are found in water.
Even though the rashes will disappear on their own, there is a need to consult internists to get a complete workup if the problem persists.
Itchy Skin after Shower during Pregnancy
Having an itchy skin after shower during pregnancy is very normal. Skin itchiness is a common symptom that affects most pregnant women. The itchiness may be a result of changes in your hormones and may occur in your breasts, abdomen, and other body parts.
- Eczema is a condition that is not well predicted among pregnant women, but it causes itching especially on elbows and the knees. When a pregnant woman feels itching on folds of the skin, she should consider finding a physician who would help her deal with the condition.
- An increase in the blood supply during the pregnancy may also lead to itchy skin. Mild itching should not worry you, but severe itching, on the other hand, maybe a sign that things are not right.
- For instance, the itching has been found to be a sign of liver problem among pregnant women, a condition that medical practitioners describe as obstetric cholestasis. Thus, seeking medical attention may be a good strategy for reducing risks that may affect a woman’s internal organs when she is pregnant.
Pregnant women should, however, be very careful about the type of itching they experience and seek help from their doctors in dealing with the condition.
Itchy Legs after Shower
According to recent studies, of all the people who experience itching after taking a shower, about forty percent experience itchiness in their legs.
- The itchiness starts about ten to fifteen minutes after getting out of the shower, and will usually last for another fifteen to thirty minutes.
- Scratching is very common among people who experience itchiness on their legs. It may, however, result in skin damage if scratching becomes a routine.
- There are also individuals – Fifty-five percent of those who experience itching after a bath – who experience itching and stinging throughout the entire body.
Although the two problems manifest in different areas of the body, this kind of itchiness often disappears on its own, but when it becomes too painful, you should consult a doctor.
It is a problem that is attributed to circulatory problems within the body, and a visit to your doctor should help you overcome it.
Itchy after Shower Symptoms
Itching or scratching a part of your body after a shower can lead to you further aggravating the problem, this may result in self-injury.
The most common symptoms of itching after showing include:
- Bumps
- Spots
- Redness
- Blisters
- Skin dryness
Having experienced these symptoms means that the skin is disturbed, and it may seem uncomfortable to take a shower rather than enjoying it.
The realization of such symptoms may be very stressful to an individual, but the fact is that they disappear with time as the healing process takes place.
Even as the skin heals, the wound left behind by previous itchiness may lead to new itchiness as the cells grow to form a new skin layer.
It is, therefore, important to reduce the degree of scratching the skin after an irritation.
Itching & Temperature
The temperature of your bathing water is another important factor to consider when it comes to understanding the itchy after shower feeling.
Very hot water that burns the skin can trigger pain, which will lead to itching. The hot water makes the surface blood vessels to dilate, and blood rushes to this area. It is something that can cause abnormal sensations.
At times, when there is a minor injury to your skin, or have an allergy, the heat from the water can worsen it and make your itchy after shower symptoms more intense.
Additionally, hot water can also dry the skin excessively.
Reasons and Causes of Itchy Skin after Shower
A good shower is capable of leaving your skin surface clean, but if you are among the many people who experience itchiness after bathing, then you probably find the experience more annoying than refreshing.
According to WebMD “Bathing or showering too often strips the natural oils from your skin, causing it to become dry. Hot water also robs your skin of moisture”.
Skin irritation means that the body tissues may be damaged, or the skin is sensitive to touch, a situation that has to be examined to avoid more skin damage.
The method used to ease the irritating itch will depend on its cause. For people who are prone to allergies, their itchiness may result from the utilization of a particular soap.
A bath that is too hot or cold can also dry your skin resulting in itching. Additional causes of itchy skin after shower include:
1. Dry Skin
Different kinds of soaps have different effects on the skin. Some people’s skin may become dry as a result of the kind of soaps they use. Such people are thus advised to identify the right kinds of soaps that they can use to reduce the extent to which their skin becomes dry
2. Aquagenic Pruritus
Aquagenic Pruritus is a condition that causes the body to itch as a result of water left in the body after taking a bath. After taking a shower, the skin needs to be dried well. Not drying the body as required makes the skin become moisturized, a situation that makes one’s body itch after taking a shower.
In addition, water solutions such as salt and chlorine when not eliminated from the skin result in skin irritation. Aquagenic Pruritus does not cause redness on the skin, but when the condition becomes worse, you may require the help of a doctor for treatment.
3. Infections
The water used for bathing may have bacteria that cause skin infection. The bacteria get through the pores of the skin resulting in instances of itching.
4. Skin disease
People with different kinds of skin infections are likely to experience itching after a shower. Skin disease causes inflammation, and when such skin is exposed to water that has bacteria, it results in instant itching.
Bathing requires one to scratch the body, meaning that the skin is exposed to a pressure that affects skin stability.
5. Heat
Hot water used in bathing may result in instances of skin irritation. The skin should not be exposed to hot water as this may affect the normal body temperatures, and these changes may result in body scratching.
Heated water when used repetitively results in drying of the skin, a situation resulting in feeling of pain when taking a shower.
Inflamed skin is at more risk because hot water dilates the blood vessels resulting in sensations that may cause irritation. In addition, the skin may minor injuries that are exacerbated when hot water is used in bathing.
6. Scrubbing
In some instances, the skin is exposed to extensive scrubbing when taking a shower. This can cause skin irritation especially when a hard bath sponge is used.
7. Poor diet
Failing to eat a balanced diet that contains nutrients needed in retaining the skin may result in skin sensitivity. This means that the skin may lack some important elements, making it sensitive to some of the factors discussed as causes of itchy skin.
8. Chemical irritants
Some of the ingredients used in making toiletries such as soaps and bathing shampoos contain chemicals that are very sensitive to the skin. This means that when one uses them, they bring about irritation as they are not compatible with the skin.
Prevention Strategies to Itching After a Shower
The following are important prevention strategies for reducing skin itching and irritation
- When taking a shower, it is important to use lukewarm water as opposed to using hot water that has been found to have significant negative effects on the skin. Most especially, people should avoid taking long showers using hot water as the skin becomes very exposed and may cause itching.
- Gentle scrubbing of the skin is an important strategy that a person should use to prevent itching of the skin. Using a rough material to scrub the body results to skin exfoliation, which in turn results in irritation and scratching
- Some kinds of soaps may be dangerous to the skin, more so the antibacterial soaps. Recommendations have been made for the use of baby soaps while taking a shower, and these make the skin smooth and reduce the chances of causing skin inflammation.
- It is important constantly to use the same products such as soaps and shampoos while taking a shower instead of having to change them frequently. In addition, proper rinsing of the body should be done to remove the soapy substance from the skin.
- Using the right towel to dry the skin after a shower is an important issue that people should consider to reduce the extent to which they cause skin irritation. The towel should as well as absorb water from the skin and individuals should ensure that no water is left on the skin.
- After bathing, the skin becomes dry, and dry skin may cause skin irritation. Thus, moistening the skin would be a major strategy towards preventing skin itching. It is advisable for people to use moisturizers that are not scented and they are not sensitive to the skin as the scented ones.
- Ensuring that the water used in showering is not hard water, one may consider installing a machine used in softening water as a prevention strategy to body itching.
- Protecting the skin texture is a good prevention strategy for skin irritation. It implies that depending on the area where an individual stays for long; they should consider identifying measures important in reducing skin sensitivity. People are advised to keep off very hot or very cold areas, as well as put on clothes that cannot affect their skin.
Remedies for Itching After a Shower
Remedies are measures taken to help relive a certain disorder, in this case, the measures taken to relieve the itching of the body after having a bath.
- Having a very quick shower without taking a lot of time in the bathroom is a good remedy to reduce itching. The material used to scrub the body should be very soft so as to ensure that the sensitive skin is not irritated.
- Before putting on clothes after having a shower, a person with the condition of skin itching after a shower should consider cooling off the body. This would be very effective when the air conditioner is used in a hot or warm environment.
- To ensure that itching subsidizes, there is a need to consider using products such as petroleum jelly instead of lotions.
- Some people may consider using lemon as an anesthetic product to reduce skin itchiness. Lemon is an anti-inflammation property, which when used on the itching parts may bring about better results on reducing irritation.
- Aloe Vera is a substance that is used in preventing the skin from impurities, and using this substance may mean a lot to relieve itchiness after having a bath.
- Taking a balanced diet, a lot of fruits and high water consumption may mean purification of the body as well as the skin. Thus, there is a need for people to consider this as it adds Vitamins A, B, and E to the body.
Treatment for Itchy Skin after Shower
When the skin becomes very itchy and irritating after a bath, it may cause embarrassment, and one may opt to seek medical advice and treatment. People are however advised to learn and take note of the preventive strategies to avoid getting medical treatment unless it is in extreme cases.
- Keratosis Pilaris condition may be treated by the use of urea, which is among the properties used in soften the skin and improve its appearance.
- Antihistamines may be prescribed to individuals experiencing skin itchiness, as this will help to relieve itching. Antihistamines also reduce redness on the skin.
- Eczema is a condition that may be treated by the use of emollients, which are medical moisturizers that dermatologists have identified to be fit in helping patients retain water in the skin. The moisturizers are effective as they make the skin to become smooth, and reduce chances to which people scratch their skin to feel better.
- Experiencing itchiness and rashes after a shower may require the doctor to examine the cause of those rashes in order to come up with the right medication. However, dermatologists advise people to eat healthy food and consume a lot of water.
- Over the counter, drugs are also available as a form of treatment. Lotions that are meant to reduce itching are found easily and can be helpful to the people who suffer from this condition. Moisturizers that soften the skin are also available and very helpful in reducing rashes and redness of the skin.
What to Note When Treating Itchy after Shower Condition
Itching after the shower is a common condition that affects many people. Some of the symptoms associated with this condition are bumps, spots, redness, blisters, and skin dryness. The manner in which one deals with these symptoms determines whether the skin will be more damaged.
Some people experience itchiness with rashes and others experience no rashes at all. In most cases, these are not issues that one should be really concerned with.
The reason is that the conditions are not very serious and they get to disappear with time. In cases where there is persistence, assistance from the doctor may be helpful in dealing with the condition.
Prevention strategies have been identified as well as home remedies for the condition. They are important in ensuring skin itching is reduced in the best way possible. In addition, treatment measures have been identified for patients with severe cases.