How does poison ivy keep spreading once you've already got it?!
Question:
How does poison ivy keep spreading once you've already got it?
So it bubbles and the bubbling keeps getting bigger, but is that because the poison ivy chemical is still on the surface of the skin, or does it come back out of the already inflamed part?
Answers:
If the rash seems to be spreading, there could be a few explanations:
- Your skin absorbs the oils from the ivy at different rates. You may see the rash begin to appear in different places as the oils are able to penetrate the skin.
- The oils may have gotten on some surface that you continue to come into contact with. For example, a pet, your clothes, a towel. You need to clean any materials that might have come into contact with the oils to prevent further exposure.
- The oils may have attached to your soap. If you used bar soap after you were exposed to the oils, the oils may have attached themselves to the soap. Everytime you wash with that soap, you can expose yourself again. Throw away your bar soap and use liquid soap to wash.
The rash won't spread because your scratch, but the itch can be hard to handle. I've found Benadryl is very effective in drying the rash and calming the itch. Other people use Calamine lotion. It can also be be helpful to dry the rash out by spending some time in the sun. Just be sure to read all of the warnings on the labels if you are going to treat your rash with lotions. It's hard, I know, but it will end in a few days. Good luck!