How to Keep a Poison Oak Rash From Spreading
Anyone who has ever made contact with poison oak knows that the itchy, painful rash is worth avoiding. Once you have the oil on your skin, it is important to try and limit its damage. Once the oil has been absorbed into your skin, the rash will rarely spread. However, you must prevent infection to ensure that. More than half of people are thought to be allergic to poison oak, which is why the rash can become so severe in some people.Things You'll Need
- Rubbing alcohol
- Calamine lotion
- Aloe vera gel
Instructions
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1
Remove clothes that may have residual oils on them. Seal these in a plastic bag and do not touch them again until they have been washed. Put them through the laundry multiple times before wearing them again.
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2
Shower as soon as you realize that you have come in contact with poison oak. Do not use harsh soaps or bleach-based cleaners on your skin in the shower. Doing so with further irritate your skin and make the rash worse. Clean under your fingernails carefully.
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Use rubbing alcohol to further clean the affected area once you have rinsed with warm water. If you do not have immediate access to a shower, rubbing alcohol may help you eliminate oils faster.
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4
Collect anything you may have touched after coming into contact with poison oak and wash or sanitize it. Hard surfaces may still have traces of the oil on them, so be careful handling any contaminated items. Further contact with the oil will result in more poison oak rash.
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5
Do not scratch your poison oak rash. Though the blisters do not actually contain the substance that caused the rash, scratching can lead to infection. This will make the rash worse or spread it.
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Apply calamine lotion and aloe vera gel to help reduce the itching and heal the skin. The less contact you have with your poison oak rash, the less of a chance you have of causing an infection.
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See your doctor if the rash is extremely bad. Your doctor can prescribe stronger steroid creams to help treat the itching.
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