Some people return from holiday tanned; I used to come home half-eaten. Mosquitoes either love my decidedly basic O-positive blood type, or my immune system really hates their saliva – either way, I have to tool up with more anti-mosquito supplies than anyone I know. And having tended to countless bites, welts and oozing lumps, I’ve learned a thing or two.
My first and unequivocal recommendation (especially if, like me, you’re intolerant to antihistamines) is the Beurer BR60 (£19.99), because it’s the best thing ever to happen to my summers. It may seem defeatist, since it represents a closure of the stable door after the horse has bolted, but the difference this weird little German skin heater makes to already-bitten skin is life-changing. You just hold the device (about the size of a camera remote) directly on to the bite and feel the ceramic plate heat up immediately. The temperature is disquieting at first – you think you’ll burn, but you won’t. You’ll soon crave the blessed distraction and relief, as the swelling flattens, itching slows and healing accelerates noticeably. I’ll never again holiday without it.
