Conditions
Prickly Heat
Prickly heat is also known as heat rash or miliaria. It is a red and itchy rash on the skin that causes a stinging or prickly feeling, hence the name. Although prickly heat usually occurs in hot conditions, it can affect people in winter if they are wearing too much clothing or sit too close to a heater. Even in summer, the rash is most common on areas of the body that are covered by clothing, but prickly heat can affect any area of the skin.
The rash occurs when sweat glands become blocked, generally as a result of excessive sweating. This is because bacteria and dead skin cells can collect in the sweat glands, trapping the sweat which subsequently bursts out and irritates the skin. The rash itself is usually composed of tiny spots and bumps in an area of red skin.
Prickly heat is not a serious condition and can often be avoided or managed by taking practical steps. For example, spending time in the shade and avoiding exposure to heat will lessen the amount of sweat produced. Loose, cotton clothing will also make sweating less likely than wearing synthetic fabrics. In terms of treatment, calamine lotion both sooths and cools itchy skin, whilst hydrocortisone cream can reduce the itching. However, this should not be applied to the face and as always, it is important to follow the instructions. Generally a prickly heat rash will disappear of its own accord within a couple of days.
A similar condition is polymorphic light eruption (PLE), which is caused by exposure to sunlight. The condition can develop after as little as 20 minutes exposure to the sun, although the itchy spots are often delayed in their onset and may take 5 to 10 days to clear. Unlike prickly heat, it isn’t related to overheating, although prevention methods and treatment are generally the same.
Comments and Questions
You can share your experiences and thoughts with other Embarrassing Bodies site-users below. Comments & Questions are reviewed by moderators, but if you see anything on the site that worries you, please report it and one of our moderators will look at it as soon as possible.
Please note: Unfortunately Channel 4 cannot respond to individual inquiries. If you have any concerns, you can check out NHS Choices, but ultimately it is always best to check with a health professional.
hi there, i have tried everything for prickly heat and someone told me that it may be polymorphic light eruption, what can help this as it spoils my holidays? i have been told that they were givin a steriod cream and they have to always use it while on holiday, but when i mentioned the condition to my doctor he just looked at me funny with a blank face? please help i want to enjoy my holiday for once.
i think i have prickly heat although i am not sure. I have it on the palm of my hand. At room temperature it is purple but if it is in any other temperature it will turn red and will be painful. It is only on my lefthand (my writing hand). Writing also cause painfulness. Is it prickly hand? Nothing seems to work to get rid of it.
please help my daughter gets prickly heat everywhere on her scalp, down her back, her chest,all over her arms, her feet and her ankles but never on her hands or thighs shes had it since she was 7 and is now 15 she cant even go out in the sun for half an hour with out it reacting she lies inside with ice packs on her skin crying and scratching away layers of her skin ive tried everything to prevent it or to slow it down but no allegery cream or tablets work shes begged me to try steriod creams from abroad but the only thing that has ever worked is a cream i bought over the counter in turkey but is no longer produced anywhere in the world i cant see my daughter go through this anymore
Hi Hayley, I to have suffered from prickly heat. What I found that works for me is Avon sensitive sun cream and magi cool prickly heat. I tried this for the first time in greece 2 years ago and it worked. I spent many years trying to find a cure, spending a fortune on creams. Try the avon one and it's a lot cheaper than normal brands. Hope this has helped you.
I'm required to wear uniform at work and noticed a rash forming around the waistline of my pants on a particularly hot day in work last week. It's already warm conditions in my place of work as It's a nursing home, but i'm concerned that the rash has worsened since then as the pricking has not stopped in over a week and the rash is becoming almost purple in colour? I would appreciate any feedback if anyone has experienced this.
I have huge itchy blisters on my hands a nd feet which i beleive were triggered by the sun. Is this prickly heat as the rest of my body is barely affected. i have had prickly heat on my neck and chest in the past, but this is unbearable.This time i have been taking antihistamines and have tried eurax to stop the itch, but no creams or tablets seem to work. This seems to be a yearly event as soon as the sun shines i'm not even sure if the ones on my feet are chillblains as my feet get freezing in the evening! Help!
I have suspected PLE and i get the same symptons as you aswell as on my face.The cream they have given me is Uvistat 50 and is available in boots for £15 or cheaper on the internet, i know its pricey but it does work. I had to walk around all summer with coat and leather gloves on which is very hot but also embarrassing. Hope this helps.
Hi iam 30 and mail since I was 16 till now. When I go in hot water I get prickly type itching all over but no marks on my skin help
Please help! I get heat rash every year on my chest, arms and face, the areas you can see!! Doesn't matter if I am at home or abroad I always get it. Sometimes when it's really hot they turn into blisters including on my face! I work with the public as a hairdresser and clients have many times questioned me thinking I have chicken pox or measles. It's so bad I can't go out at all in the sun at all and lasts the whole spring, summer and into autum. I have tryed everything, strong antihistamine, all creams, facter 60 sun cream, doctors are not alot of help and I am dredding the summer coming as it really gets me down. Please help!!!
I am 22 and have suffered from prickly heat from about age 15. After trying many different sun creams I use Nivea. But this success may be due to the combination of drugs that I take, antihistamene and ibuprofen, with a cream to soothe the rash if it appears. I was told to start taking the antihistamene a week before going abroad and did this this year and was absolutely fine. Hope this helps!!
over the last few years when on holiday I noticed that after a few days of being in a hot country I would start itching all over (feels like something is crawling under my skin) - every bit of my body itches, even my head. I have no rash or raised bumps. I have tried antihistamines which calm it slightly but doesnt stop it. I am at my worst when i am in bed, but my body does not feel hot. i have just started with the symptoms again today as the weather in the uk has been warm. I am at my wits end, sorry got to go now and scratch!!
try magicool it's brilliant for prickly heat i tryed it this year for the first time and it worked.for the first time in years i have found something that really worked for me
i dont know if this is the right section to put this up, but if masturbate or have sex my face flares and i get a rash all over my face it only when i have sex or masturbate, the rash is itchy after i have sex or masturbate but after 10 minutes the rash stops itching but it left on my face for 2 or 3 weeks please someone help me
Important Notice
The information provided on this website (including any NHS Choices medical information) is for use as information or for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical care by a qualified doctor or other qualified healthcare professional. We do not warrant that any information included within this site will meet your health or medical requirements. This Embarrassing Bodies site does not provide any medical or diagnostic services so you should always check with a health professional if you have any concerns about your health.
If you want to embed our videos in your site, read our embedding T&Cs here