Its driving me crazy. I have never had sensitive skinor any type of skin problems but a couple of years ago I started suffering on and off with extreme itching and prickly sensations after a shower. It wasnt everytime but gosh was it horrid. In the last month I had an attack of what i canonly describe as prickly heat 24hours after sitting for an hour in the park on sports day with the students. I had a high level sf cream on. Since then I am a mass of itchiness, no real sign of skin lesions except when I scrath then I come up spotty as in a heat rash. Its affecting my arems legs back and hands and occasionnaly other bits non on my face.
I have a doctors appointment book next week and have been before re the shower thing but they wernt really interested. have tried e45, diprobase and now washing in oilatum. The only thing that seems to hep a bit is calmamine (sp ) lotion.
Anyione any sugestions before I go mad

Being itchy after a shower isn't that uncommon. I find my shins itch like mad after one - I feel like ripping the skin off - but it only lasts about 20 minutes.

Try changing your soap to a delicate one...your deodorant to one that contains talc...and at the extreme ,take a benelate tablet before bedtime.   I Became itchy when I got my new pup....it was a reaction to the puppy coat,the breeders cat dander, etc...now  it's much better as his adult coat is coming in,and ive clipped him short...but the heat isn't helping....a cool shower,repeat above and good luck!

I suddenly became very sensitive to any perfumes on my skin and sunshine when in my thirties. It was set off when I changed deodorant. I ended up being covered with an itchy red rash almost from top to toe. The doc prescribed hydrocortinzone cream, which made things worse so I ended up on steroids for several weeks which cleared it all up. This happened on and off over several years until I realised that I was sensitive to perfumes in anything. Not exactly useful then as it was very difficult to find skin creams or sun protection that didnt have some form of perfume in them, a lot easier nowadays. I still have to be very careful with face cream in particular and the sun, but I have noticed my skin seems less sensitive then before.

I was reding an article in the Mail  couple of weeks back about a staggering increase in the number of people with dermititis, excema and other skin allergies.  Research done has identified an ingredient only recently added to some toiletries as the culprit.  It's a long name, can't remember it but is commonly referred to as MI.  It was specifically in some L'oreal products, Wet Ones/Wipes, Piz Buin sunscreen,and one or two other major cosmetic companies were named.

It might be worth reading whats in the products you use and if MI is in, chuck them in the bin.

I've always found Aloe Vera gel soothes minor skin irritations so might be worth a try.

I had this on holiday once. Hadn't had it before, or since.
I think it was the sun lotion I was using.
Try taking some anti-histamines.

I've always had very sensitive skin but I find washing with pears soap and taking piriton daily helps me . When I can't bare the itching I too use calamine lotion it does help soothe and cool but when I use it too much I find it dries my skin out even more .

thank you people working through your suggestions. I have stopped using perfumed things except shampoo. Its a pain literally that showering brings it on as well :( as a cool shower feels like what i need.

Really odd as I have never been one to have allergies skin or other wise thats my sister who has those.

I used to be really itchy - especially my scalp, which I could have ripped off at times and was usually in a state of 'broken skin' from itching and scratching it.  Can't tell you the number of times I checked for lice and realised there were none.  Some days I could just have screamed with the itching :(

Then I started checking the ingredients of my toiletries, and noticed that I only itched when I used the ones that contained Wheat protein, or Triticale (another name for wheat)

This made sense too as I can't eat wheat or gluten without problems, but I'd never thought about it causing probolems on my skin.

I binned all the toiletries whith wheat in them and always read the labels now - and thankfully I no longer itch :-D

Maybe it's something you are allergic to, but don't realise?

I have a friend who once worked in the R&D department of the Body Shop (before it wws sold to L'Oreal), and she told me many people have problems with Sodium Lauryl Sulphate in toiletries and shampoos.

I used to find a lot of popular shampoos made my scalp itchy and scabby, until I avoided using anything with SLS added.

I also have the problem with the shower itchiness but have never worked out what causes it! I usually just moisturise or use aloe vera gel after a shower which helps stop the itching.

My sister can't use soap or she has skin reactions.... detergents, handwash, shower gel etc are all ok, but not ordinary soap.

And I almost always get a heat rash on my hands in very hot weather, which can get very itchy and takes about two weeks to go.

Anti-Histamines.  I suddenly became allergic to EVERYTHING after picking up an itchy skin problem from a dog.  I was allergic to the fungus on his fur and it's gotten worse over the last 2 years.  Now, when I come out the shower, I am covered in red hives where the towel has rubbed and the only thing to get rid of the itching is anti-histamines.  The hives are still there but the itch has gone.  Horrible.  And it makes me think of all the poor neglected pups that live with fleas!  Drives me crazy!
Also, there is major high pollen this summer.  Everyones allergies are going mad at the minute.

jg have just read your link number three aquagenic puritis, describes mine completly think I shall take article to teh doc with me. In the mean while Ishall try what it says in number one many thanks

I found aqueous cream very good. It can be used in the shower instead of soap and then applied as a cream too. Its very soothing and really calms down my inflammed skin when the eczema plays up

Aloa vera Gel and keep it in the fridge,nice and cool when you apply,

Sheila

Like Freds Mum, use aqueous cream, no longer as a soap but still apply it as a cream every day & have done for years. Recommend it to every one, it's not expensive either.

I'll look into the aqueous cream, thanks for the recommendation :)

Ever since the sun has been out I've had what looks like hives over my forehead, I thought it was burnt but no, couldn't work it out, then recalled a few years ago that most sunscreen used to make me burn, the worst being Nivea, this is what I was using and also their face cream, its still there but slowly going since I stopped. Back on Hawaiian Tropic now and aloe Vera instead of face cream..
Never had anything like this or any real skin allergies before...
Odd isn't it?

Hope you get it sorted Chris

thanks sue it driving me mad and everyone around me watching me scratch ! I didnt know yu could use aqueous cream as soap, thats a thought as it will replace stripped oils as well as moisturise.
If I buy many more things I shall ahve boot sale to get rid of all teh potions and lotions I have tried and failed with LOL

>jg have just read your link number three aquagenic puritis

See that my legs start itching horribly after a shower, even if I use no soap or showergel or anything, only water, I think I must have something similar. It's odd that it's only my shins, though, and nowhere else.

JG could you be allergic to the washing powder on the towels?

I have to be very careful which washing powder I use, and whether the formula has changed as DS gets really bad itchy exzema with some powders ;-)

I thought of that, but it happens even if I air-dry. Luckily it doesn't last long (no more than 20 minutes) but I could cheerfully rip the skin off! Oddly it doesn't happen at all when I have a bath, only a shower.

Mine was only my arms to beging with but it has speadr to anywhere on my body recently. Airdrying makes no difference. It has been worse recently since the weather has been so sticky as if perspiration starts it off too. The itch feels like its comingg from teh inside out unlike ordinary itches and also prickly and burning

I have suffered from this type of reaction and mine turned out to be food allergies.
Mine used to come up after I had been outside doing a training session at the dog club, always in the summer.
At first I thought it was midges, or pollen or some plant  I was coming into contact with.
The culprit turned out to be Vimto !!!!
The high amount of additives and colouring in the drink were what I was allergic to. I could not believe it at first as it is something I had had for many years since childhood, but the manufacturers must have changed something.
In the winter I was fine but then I would have a hot drink, it was only when I went back and kept a diary of what I had, done, what I had eaten and drunk that a pattern emerged.

I have had sensitive skin for several years now, during a big flare up my hands, elbows, upper arms, calves and recently even my bum cheeks and back have been covered in a combination of raised bumps, small blisters you name it and it happens. I can and do scratch till I bleed which then of course causes infection. It's total hell.

I had 'prick tests done a few years ago and it turns out that I am allergic to ALL parabens, quarternium, colophony, nickel, petroleum jelly and parrafin and another that I have forgotten.

All of these products are used in lotions, potions, toothpastes, adhesives, glossy paper, cleaning products you name it, so just picking up a shampoo can be hell to find.

My GP glibly told me that I am allergic to the 21st century.

I find that I regular have to take anti histamines, usually prescribed ones that cannot be bought over the counter like Fexofenadine Hydrochloride and the only 'creams I can use must have Urea and Lactic acid in the like Calmurid and Eucerine but too much of the Eucerin can have an adverse effect and the calmurid stings like mad when applied plus it's £15 for a small tube.

Stress can pay a very large part in making the flare ups worse but hey it's hard not to be stressed when you feel like a flaming red itchy strawberry

Pinky I empathise I know how badd I feel and you must have it far worse. Quite how not to be stressed haha !

I have started mysef on loratidine antihistamine after trawling  'tinternet for ideas and shhh 2 days and I am bearaby or the itches are.If this works I really need more than one a day so will talk to doc next week

I hope you get some relief soon and that it clears up quickly

If the antihistamines are not working go back to your doctor, as they could prescribe a course of steroids which will probably give you more relief and calm things down.
I had such a bad reaction once that my lips and throat started to swell, at the hospital I was given a cortisone injection that reduced the swelling very quickly.
Keeping a diary of everything you have used touched or ingested may help to identify what is causing the problem.