Overview
Bug bites are one of many people’s pet peeves because most of them aren’t painful, just annoying because they’re always itching. And as we all know scratching them just makes it worse. If you end up with a lot of bites it can really drive you mad as you’ll be tempted to scratch all of them and it can really become unbearable. If you end up using an antihistamine to help with the allergic reaction, that’s a pretty extreme measure for something that can apparently be treated without the need for over the counter medication.
The Claim
The makers of Therapik say that it provides clinically proven results, and that their product is FDA cleared. They also claim that it works on a myriad of bites, including those from the ubiquitous mosquito, angry insects like hornets and wasps, bees, and even fire ants that are notorious for the problematic bites that they give. They even say that this works on jellyfish stings, and also covers most bugs that bite or sting as a defense or attack mechanism.
The Hype
The hype comes from the design of the unit, and the fact that it doesn’t use any chemicals or drugs and just a red light. It’s pretty much a space age way of dealing with bug bites, using infrared heat from an electronic bulb. For many this will provide enough intrigue to try it out, just the thought of being able to treat an insect bite with an electronic device. Aside from that it’s also stylish, so it looks like a technological wonder. The way it actually works is a little less amazing, but the fact that many are saying it works adds to the hype as well.
The Cost
The Therapik unit is around $30 on Amazon. It’s a little pricey, but when you compare it to the cost of other bug bite treatments, and consider that this is a one-time purchase that can be used again and again, it’s not bad.
The Commitment
They say the typical application takes about 30 seconds, so there’s really not a lot of involvement on your part. You simply hold the unit on your bite location and press the button. Continue holding it there until the heat from it becomes more than you can stand. That’s it. They say that if you apply it once and the pain keeps on, you can apply it again as needed. Since there’s no chemicals or drugs involved it’s nice that you can reapply as much as you need to, and this might be necessary if you were bitten by an insect with a big stinger.
Evaluation
The science behind Therapik is pretty sound. They say the reason why it works is that the venom or substance delivered by most insects that “bug” us is sensitive to heat, and so if you apply the right amount of heat it breaks down and therefore doesn’t have its effect on us. What their device does is provides the right amount of heat so that it kills off the irritant, but doesn’t burn the skin, and provides the heat in a very localized area. The result is that you don’t suffer from the adverse effects of an insect bite.
Since you’re in control of how much heat is being delivered there’s little chance of burning yourself. First, you’re the one holding it against the bite, and second when you release the button the heat stops being generated so there’s basically two fail-safes to this. You can either remove it from your bite if it gets to hot, or let go of the button. By holding on there until you can’t stand it any more, you should be raising the temperature to the point where the venomous substance from the insect can’t survive and cause harm.
The Therapik is getting a Thumbs Up review from us, as it’s getting great reviews from those
that try it, and most users seem very happy that they no longer have to use creams, lotions, or scratch incessantly at their bites. Of course this is a reactive product, meaning that you should still take proactive measures to not get bitten in the first place, whether with insect repellent or avoiding places that are infested with bugs. But sometimes things happen and you end up with a bite and this would be a good thing to have handy in just such an occurrence.Our Recommendation
If you frequently get bug bites in spite of your best efforts to prevent them, this would be a great product to buy. It should eliminate your need to use things like calamine lotion or AFterBite, and it’s reusable and powered by batteries so you can buy it once and use it again and again. There are cheap knock offs that get lousy reviews so be sure to go with the name brand on this one, because it doesn’t cost much more and actually works.
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View Comments
Insect bites range for me from small bumps (rarely) to larger bumps and welts (more often) and insanely itching welts with blisters (chiggers). Biting insects love me usually although the feelings are not mutual so I appreciate anything that reduces the horrible tormenting itch that follows a close encounter with one. Therapik seems to work pretty well at reducing the intensity of the itch and shortening the duration. I find that the sooner that it is used on the bite, the greater the effectiveness. Sometimes you have to use it several times depending on how badly the bite itches but it outperforms cortisone cream by far in my experience
This works well!
I'm a beekeeper so I often get stung, the stings are not only painful but they result in itching and swelling. I find that while Therapik does nothing for the immediate pain it does a really good job of minimising the swelling and eliminating the itching.
I bought this product a few years ago. It didn't seem to do much for mosquito bites, but today I was stung by a wasp, most likely a yellow jacket. It hurt terribly and over the years I've had some bad reactions to these stings. I wasn't home when this happened, but did get home within about 15 minutes. I used the Therapik and didn't really expect it to work, but it did!! The pain went away and the area is not swollen; it's like it never happened! I'm a believer!! It works!!! Mosquito bites are annoying, but bee stings are so much worse and I am so grateful I have this tool! Thank you Therapik!!!
I have had to his device for a few years, I highly recommend it. I am so allergic to mosquito and flea bites, and have found this to be the only thing that truly provides relief.
This device worked well for about a month, then the heater part died. The red light still comes on (OK I put a new battery in it) but still it doesn't heat. It does illuminate my skin nicely but that's not the point. Cheaply made not to last. Waste of money. Use tour hair dryer instead.
Does is help with someone that is allergic to wasp and bee stings?.
I'm allergic, wouldn't be without one. Keep one in my purse, car, and house.
This looks interesting however does it help someone that is allergic to bee and wasp stings?
Great review...have had one for a while and works like a charm...Don't spend 28.99.Buy it @Therapik .com for around 13 dollars +3.95 handling.
Thanks for the tip. I am going to get this for my husband. He is always outdoors fishing or hunting. I am always buying Off or some type of spray that he hates putting on. I will go to the site and buy it where you bought yours. It has to work better than annoying sprays. thanks again. I will post a review after he has tried it a few times.
Looks good and it's a huge plus that is FDA approved. I go hiking 3 days a week and when I come home I usually have about a dozen bug bites on my body and they can really itch badly at nights before going to sleep. I hate sleeping with ointment on but it wasn't like I had a choice until now. I'm definitely giving this a try.