My itching started twice around 4 in the morning while sleeping. My first tendency was to use my fingernails but that became too harsh. Then I used a cloth (with some fuzz on it) to rub the area gently. While not as satisfying as a good hard scratch, it didn't cause the unsightly redness of brutal scratching.

I've suffered since I was a child with itchy red hives all over my body. Only recently I've found that hand gels that simply cleanse your hands actually removes the terrible itchy feeling.

I've had a keloid in the face area for about 5 years now, and it swells a little then it would go back to its normal size. From time to time I would have horrible itching. What I would do is take a small cloth towel and pour some alcohol on it, enough to soak the scar, press the cloth against the itching area and hold it there for about five minutes. No more itching! It works for me.

I have intense itching on my legs, arms, back of knees, breasts, etc. It's been so long, I don't really remember when it started, maybe 10 to 20 years. I take antihistamines, use all types of lotions with some success. When it is unbearable, I use ice cubes. That generally manages to soothe the area. If one cube doesn't do, two will. That's the fastest way for me to get relief. Sometimes, the pills and lotions just don't do it.

I check my allergies with a naturopath, take anti candida capsules from a health food store, go on sugar and gluten-free diet, also anti-dairy if necessary, and no MSG or aspartame. I bathe in warm water with baking soda (very effective) and apply cortisone cream for small areas. Benadryl at night helps the itch but knocks me out.

My legs started swelling 2 weeks ago and now yellow fluid seeps and there is a large red rash, possible infection. I am on antibiotics, 2 days now, my skin peeling. It is still bright red and itching to the extreme, in some places blood showing.

I managed to order a jar of 33 per cent acetic acid from an inadvertently kind chemist, which had been intended for my chronic middle ear infection, which I diluted with a 5 to 1 mixture of hydrocortisone and water. The jar was so large that it lasted me about eight years and I still have some remaining, they can last forever. I suffered with hives for many years, so badly that the itching became so unbearable that I was willing to try anything. One day I decided to burn it out with the full 33 percent and the itching stopped, but left dark marks and blisters, so I decided to dilute it to a 3 to 1 mixture with anything I could put my hand on: clove oil, tea tree oil, lavender, etc. with menthol. It works for me but it doesn't cure the problem. The idea is to burn it out which may leave blisters, but it's worth it. I went back to order another jar from him and showed him the empty jar but he refused saying 'did we really give you this!'