Poison Ivy Horror

CollegeFanatik
Tue, 03 Jul 2007 18:18:07 +0000

Poison Ivy and I have a hate/hate relationship. A few years back I went hiking and must have gotten it all over my face because my face swelled up (like yours) and I had to go to the emergency room it was so bad! I looked like the Elephant Man! I don’t remember how long it took to clear up but it was awhile.

The oil that the doctor says keeps spreading is the urushiol oil. The oil can live on your skin, your clothing, just about anywhere for 1-5 years. Specimens of urushiol several centuries old have found to cause dermatitis in sensitive people. Once it makes contact with your skin if you don’t get it off within something like 2 minutes it will affect you and it’s almost too late to do anything about it. You can minimize spreading it by getting rid of the oil.

Go to CVS or something and buy this product called Tecnu. They’re the only brand I’ve used that will actually kill this d*mn oil. Wash all your clothes in it (ALL your clothes, including the sheets your sleep on, pillow cases, even couch cases you’ve lounged on because the oil might have accidentally been transferred) remember - it doesn’t DIE or become ineffective for YEARS! Wash your body with the body stuff Tecnu provides and you’re on your way to a full recovery.

Please heed my warnings if you want to kill it - people have been known to get poison ivy years after hiking just by touching their unwashed hiking gear. That oil is my nemesis. Grrr.