Summer’s over. Why won’t my bug-bite marks go away?
Dear Beauty Editor,
Mosquitoes destroyed my ankles this summer, and they’re still covered in spots. Can I get pedicures while the bug bites are healing? And what’s the best way to get rid of the marks and get my skin back to normal?
Help!
Amelia
It may be October, but if you look at the ankles on display in New York, many people still have bug bites — or the spots they leave behind. So I wasn’t surprised to hear your query. The answer to the first question is pretty straightforward. “Technically, if the skin is broken, you have a wound — whether it’s new or scabbed over — and you shouldn’t expose it to potential infection,” says board-certified dermatologist Melissa K. Levin, MD, the founder of Entière Dermatology in New York City. “You can get your toenails painted, but if you’re being safe, you don’t want to soak or treat any skin that’s still healing.” The second question is a bit more complicated, as the treatment depends on how far you are in the healing process.
Why do insect bites take so long to heal?
Brendan Camp, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York, says any injury below the knees, especially below the ankles, will take longer to heal than it would elsewhere on your body. “Part of this has to do with blood circulation, which is affected by gravity and venous insufficiency as we age,” says Camp. “Less efficient circulation limits the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to cells, which can affect the rate at which they heal.”
Anna Chacon, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Miami, says our skin also has fewer growth factors as we get older, which can also slow healing. If you remember when you were a kid and got way more bug bites than you do now, they never really stuck around that long.
How do you prevent mosquito bites from scarring?
The best advice is easier relayed than followed. “Avoid scratching so the skin won’t scar,” Chacon says. She told me about the Bug Bite Thing, which I’m apparently the last person to know about (after I mentioned it on Instagram, a dozen people messaged me to say it really works). “It removes the mosquito’s saliva using suction,” she says. “Your immune system stops reacting and responding and you no longer experience itching and swelling in the area.” The thing is you have to use it right away.
The Bug Bite Thing
A dozen people messaged me to say it really works by removing the mosquito’s saliva using suction.
How do you get bug bites to stop itching?
Once the swelling and itching set in, it’s time to switch to anti-inflammatory, soothing topicals. Camp suggests applying a lotion with hydrocortisone (try Cerave 1% Hydrocortisone Anti-Itch Cream) or one that has a calming ingredient like aloe or pramoxine (Gold Bond Rapid-Relief Itch Cream has a combination of the two). In the past, I’ve found anti-itch and soothing creams equally — and only mildly — effective at curbing my compulsion to scratch. So, if you’re like me, Camp says the best thing to do is just cover the area with a bandage: “That limits your ability to damage the skin.”
CeraVe 1% Hydrocortisone Anti-Itch Cream
Gold Bond Rapid-Relief Itch Cream
How do you get rid of the marks from bug bites?
The reason insect bites cause lasting discoloration is twofold. “When red blood cells are metabolized, they can leave behind an iron-containing compound that imparts a tan or orange color to the skin,” Camp says. “Inflammation from scratching can also cause hyperpigmentation from the deposition of melanin pigment in the dermis, or scarring, which can cause permanent discoloration.” Once the hyperpigmentation has kicked in, you want to prevent UV damage that might worsen it (keep the area covered or wear sunscreen when exposed). Then, you can speed up the fade process “with ingredients that encourage exfoliation or cell turnover, such as glycolic acid, lactic acid, salicylic acid, adapalene, and retinol,” Camp says. And if the mark has faded some but is still visible, it’s time to go into brightening mode. “Look for serums or moisturizers that include vitamin C, niacinamide, or azelaic acid,” he says.
All the ingredients above were once relegated to face products, but there are now tons of body lotions and serums with spot-fading actives. The one that’s really been working for me is Iota’s Supercloud Body Serum+. The formula has niacinamide and mandelic acid as well as some vitamin C–rich fruit extracts. But I think it’s working well because it also contains copper peptides, which are known for their wound-healing properties.
In years past, my bug-bite marks have lasted until the following summer (just in time for me to get a new batch and begin the healing process again — sigh). But with this brightening body serum, I’m on track for clear skin by Thanksgiving. Here’s hoping that’s what happens for you, too.
Iota’s Supercloud Body Serum+
This really works for me.
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