Best way to treat tarantula urticating hair

aLDoDarK

Arachnoknight
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Messages
162
Hi guys,
It's been a week+ that my hands feel so itchy, actually it already started to get better on the third day, but whenever I take care all of my tarantulas even without touching em at all, it does still itch. One of my Adult Nhandu Chromatus has a bad day and there's a big bald spot on her abdomen, I just thought that it's the one that keeps my hand itch.
Well.. do you guys have any idea on how to treat the urticating hair just to make it feel a lot better soon.
Maaan... it even doesn't feel itch sometimes it does hurt!! >.<
 

Scoolman

Arachnolord
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 9, 2010
Messages
612
you can try hydrocortizone cream. You may just be very sensitive. They dont sem to bother me very bad. Some species affect me more than others/
 

sugarsandz

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jul 28, 2012
Messages
144
Do you get any red spots on your skin with the itching, if so I'd try Benadryl. It is kind of sedating though, for me very sedating.
 

aLDoDarK

Arachnoknight
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Messages
162
@Scoolman : I guess that Nhandu species could be the worse I've ever know after Lasiodora. the itch stay last longer then the brachypelma species, I'm not sure if hydrocorizone is available at the chemist, will check it out soon. THanks man!
@sugarsandz : I've got red spots on my skin and it feels burn and itch. and thanks man I'll try to use benadryl soon.

I just wondering if any of you ever got an urticating hair on your eyes, that's the one that keeps me thinking and maybe could bring me nightmare if that happens >.<
 

sugarsandz

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jul 28, 2012
Messages
144
I also just wanted to add to the Benadryl thing. Seeing as how you are getting the red itchy spots without handling your tarantulas and it's been a week I would strongly suggest keeping a bottle at all times. I'm curious, are you allergic to bees or wasps? I ask because if you are you might have an allergy to your little spiders as well. If you have insurance I would go to an allergist or general practitioner and request an epipen (kinda pricey). If you accidentally breathed in any hairs your throat could swell up(worst case scenario).

I have chronic hives so I'm cautious around my ts as it is. I have to take Benadryl every four hours and it sucks but it helps a lot with the itching. Good luck! :)
 

aLDoDarK

Arachnoknight
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Messages
162
I guess that I don't have any allergic to bees and wasps, it's only a normal symptom that happen to me, just itch and a little red dots, but well... it does really annoying, especially when I woke up in the morning, I really want to scratch my palm -.-

Anyway, good luck for you too sugarsandz :)
 

jen650s

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
May 29, 2007
Messages
333
Best way to treat is to avoid exposure to begin with. I know that is not really practical, but with that kind of reaction I would keep an antihistamine always available, wear gloves and a dust mask for cleaning, limit handling, and maybe switch to OW species...
 

Shrike

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 8, 2006
Messages
1,598
I also just wanted to add to the Benadryl thing. Seeing as how you are getting the red itchy spots without handling your tarantulas and it's been a week I would strongly suggest keeping a bottle at all times. I'm curious, are you allergic to bees or wasps? I ask because if you are you might have an allergy to your little spiders as well. If you have insurance I would go to an allergist or general practitioner and request an epipen (kinda pricey). If you accidentally breathed in any hairs your throat could swell up(worst case scenario).

I have chronic hives so I'm cautious around my ts as it is. I have to take Benadryl every four hours and it sucks but it helps a lot with the itching. Good luck! :)
Why would an allergy to bee and wasp venom suggest that the OP is also allergic to a tarantula's urticating hairs?
 

poisoned

Arachnodemon
Joined
Apr 17, 2012
Messages
690
Best way to treat is to avoid exposure to begin with. I know that is not really practical, but with that kind of reaction I would keep an antihistamine always available, wear gloves and a dust mask for cleaning, limit handling, and maybe switch to OW species...
Or NW that lack urticating hair. Or NW, that don't kick. (I'm in love with NW that lack urticating hair).
 

sugarsandz

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jul 28, 2012
Messages
144
Why would an allergy to bee and wasp venom suggest that the OP is also allergic to a tarantula's urticating hairs?
This is just what I've heard from my Dr. and it's actually the bite that could cause a sever allergy if you are also allergic to bees. Sorry I didn't state the bite and not the hairs, my bad.
 

Shrike

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 8, 2006
Messages
1,598
This is just what I've heard from my Dr. and it's actually the bite that could cause a sever allergy if you are also allergic to bees. Sorry I didn't state the bite and not the hairs, my bad.
No worries, thanks for clarifying. I'm no expert on allergies or the science behind them myself but that's a topic that has been widely discussed here. Some maintain that it's not possible to react to tarantula venom in the same manner (see the last post):

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/sho...r-bite-kit&highlight=allergic+tarantula+venom

It's probably unlikely that your doctor knows much about tarantulas or their venom, unless he/she has been initiated into our ranks ;) Read InvertFix's P. murinus bite report and you'll get what I mean:

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?133925-Pterinochilus-murinus&p=2097848#post2097848

Given that bees and their kin kill dozens of people of people in the United States each year, I guess I don't blame doctors for making an educated guess when somebody shows up at a hospital with tarantula bite.
 

jen650s

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
May 29, 2007
Messages
333
This is just what I've heard from my Dr. and it's actually the bite that could cause a sever allergy if you are also allergic to bees. Sorry I didn't state the bite and not the hairs, my bad.
Not even close, I carry an Epipen and Benedril everywhere for bees due to allergys. However, there is little correlation between bee and wasp venom, let alone tarantula venom or hairs.
 

sugarsandz

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jul 28, 2012
Messages
144
I think doctors are just being cautious seeing as how there are so many allergies and so many people allergic to numerous things. I still don't know what's causing my issues, I have determined that my spiders aren't causing them as they don't get worse from cleaning enclosures, or coming into contact with my spiders directly. I also carry my epipen everywhere as well as the benadryl. I've never been stung by a bee and I'm trying to avoid it as long as I can.
 

jen650s

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
May 29, 2007
Messages
333
I get stung once or twice a year by bees riding my bicycle or motorcycle, and if I get the Benadryl in me fast enough I can avoid the epipen, but it is no fun. If I don't wash my hands soon enough after handling my Ts I will sometimes get blisters between my fingers from contact dermatitis, but that is nothing compared to a bee sting. And getting bitten (at least by a NW) was not as bad as getting bitten by ants.

To the OP, if I wash my hands with hot water as soon as I have finished in an enclosure I have no problem with the hairs. If I am dumb enough to forget I can still avoid most of the blisters by washing and applying coconut oil between my fingers (I don't know how or why it works, but it does)
 
Last edited:

longviewsteven

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jul 26, 2012
Messages
98
If you take Benedryl (Diphenhydramine) make sure you are okay with being drowsy. Benedryl is the stuff they put in Tylenol PM to help you sleep.
 

Alltheworld601

Arachnoangel
Joined
Jul 27, 2012
Messages
791
some people wear latex gloves when working in the enclosure with really itchy Ts...they don't bother me much, but I imagine the gloves would help you a bit. I get the red dots but not much itching or burning, so it doesn't inconvenience me much. Plus they don't even last a full say 8 hours.
 

MrCrackerpants

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 20, 2011
Messages
1,652
I wear food service gloves. If I get any hairs in me I apply high quality duct tape, remove it and then apply Gold Bond maximum strength anti-itch creme. I have tried all the other cremes. Gold bond works great. It is worth the $9 a tube.
 

VictorHernandez

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 30, 2012
Messages
546
II don't know how, but when I first got my T, I was moving things around in the substrate, and I got hairs on my hands from the substrate. It was so itchy for like a day though. Today I tried holding my T, and she tried rubbing some of with one leg, and she only rubbed once, but I didn't see or feel any.
 

TheGonZ

Arachnopeon
Joined
Nov 10, 2019
Messages
1
Hi guys,
It's been a week+ that my hands feel so itchy, actually it already started to get better on the third day, but whenever I take care all of my tarantulas even without touching em at all, it does still itch. One of my Adult Nhandu Chromatus has a bad day and there's a big bald spot on her abdomen, I just thought that it's the one that keeps my hand itch.
Well.. do you guys have any idea on how to treat the urticating hair just to make it feel a lot better soon.
Maaan... it even doesn't feel itch sometimes it does hurt!! >.<

First off let me remind you that the hairs are a physical irritant. The moment you are exposed to the hairs they burrow deep into the skin. Microscopically they are covered with Barb's that work their way further into the skin when scratched. It takes between 3-9 days for them to naturally work their way out. Forget the Benadryl and aloe. Possibly hydrocortisone cream and definitely stay away from soap and water after initial contact. This will only spreads hairs to parts of the body you don't want to itch (trust me) your best bet is to either use hot wax strips or even duct tape over the area. The majority of the hairs should get stuck in the adhesive and remove themselves when the tape gets pulled off. This will only work on whatever is still on the surface. Any hairs that have already made their way into your skin are stuck there. There's no real remedy to remove imbedded hairs. You just have to wait and try really hard not to scratch after 12-24 hours you should get partial relief 24-36 hours it will still be annoying but not the initial torture of the first 12 hours. 48+ hours will be mild skin irritation and after about a week or so you should be back to normal.

I've been hit with theraphosa blondi (Goliath) hairs in high concentration. Trying not to claw my skin off was challenging. I took 4 Tylenol PMs and still couldn't sleep. I had 65% of my body covered in hives (at this point it was more like 1 giant hive) it literally looked like an acid burn. After about 3 hours it was so unbearable the thought of suicide would not leave my mind. After about 8 hours I finally fell asleep. I don't know if it was the Tylenol PMs or sheer exhaustion that knocked me out but I am grateful because it was way easier to manage the next day.
Point of the story is not to get hit with urticating hairs in the first place. It just sucks!
 
Top