Lifestyle and home remedies

For temporary relief of itching, try these self-care measures:

• Avoid items or situations that cause you to itch. Try to identify what's causing your symptoms and avoid it. This might be wool clothing, an overly heated room, too many hot baths or exposure to a cleaning product.
• Moisturize daily. Apply hypoallergenic and fragrance-free moisturizer (Cetaphil, others) to affected skin at least once a day. For dry skin, thicker creams and ointments work better than lotions.
• Treat the scalp. For a dry, itchy scalp, try over-the-counter medicated shampoos containing zinc pyrithione (Head & Shoulders, others), ketoconazole (Nizoral, others), selenium sulfide (Selsun Blue, others) or coal tar (Neutrogena T/Gel, others). You might need to try several products before finding one that works for your hair and condition. Or you may find that alternating between products helps. Don't use a medicated shampoo right after having a chemical relaxing process — rather, use a neutralizing shampoo.
• Reduce stress or anxiety. Stress or anxiety can worsen itching. Many people have found that techniques such as counseling, behavior modification therapy, acupuncture, meditation and yoga can help reduce stress or anxiety.
• Try over-the-counter oral allergy medicine. Some OTC allergy medicines (antihistamines), such as diphenhydramine, can make you drowsy. This type of pill might be helpful before bedtime if your itchy skin disrupts your sleep. Antihistamines do not help with the itch that follows a shingles infection.
• Use a humidifier. A humidifier may provide some relief if home heating causes the air in your home to be dry.
• Use creams, lotions or gels that soothe and cool the skin. Short-term use of nonprescription corticosteroid cream may temporarily relieve an itch accompanied by red, inflamed skin. Or try calamine lotion or creams with menthol (Sarna, others), camphor, capsaicin, or a topical anesthetic, such as pramoxine (adults only). Keeping these products in the refrigerator can enhance their soothing effect. Corticosteroid creams do not help with the itch that follows a shingles infection.
• Avoid scratching. Cover the itchy area if you can't keep from scratching it. Trim your nails and, if it helps, wear gloves when you sleep.
• Take a bath. Use lukewarm water and sprinkle in about a half cup (100 grams) of Epsom salts, baking soda or an oatmeal-based bath product (Aveeno, others). Use a mild cleanser (Dove, Olay, Cetaphil), limiting its use to the underarms and groin. Don't scrub too hard and limit your bathing time. Then rinse thoroughly, pat dry and moisturize.
• Stay well rested. Getting enough sleep might reduce the risk of itchy skin.