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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Lifestyle
Natalie Parletta

Ditch the itch: what’s the best way to soothe mosquito bites?

‘I don’t know if using avocado to treat mosquito bites is the best way to go,’ says Dr Cameron Webb.
Experts say an array of creative home remedies, including avocado, aloe vera and honey, are acceptable ways to soothe itchy mosquito bites – as long as they don’t irritate your skin. Composite: Getty Images/Chemist Warehouse/Aero Healthcare/CDC

If you experience ugly, itchy red welts after being bitten by a mosquito, you’ve probably tried everything to soothe your skin and stop the itch. Home remedies such as avocado and ice, or over-the-counter treatments, can provide temporary relief, but before we get into the desperate, wacky and more helpful measures for reducing itching (pruritus), it helps to understand what’s causing it.

Dr Cameron Webb, an entomologist at the University of Sydney, says the female mosquito injects saliva with a cocktail of proteins into our skin through a long needle-like tube called a proboscis.

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