Desitin baby cream tends to work well on active hemorrhoids for many of the same reasons as it works on babies.
Neo-Healar, an all purpose hemorrhoid creamthat aims to cover many symptoms and claims to get rid of the hemorrhoids in as little as three days.
Why does Desitin work as a hemorrhoids treatment?
And do you use either Rapid Relief Desitin or Maximum Strength Desitin?
First, Desitin baby cream contains zinc oxide, which is a skin protectant that forms a thick barrier on hemorrhoids against wetness and irritating fluids. Zinc oxide is drying, and mildly germ killing without causing a lot of irritation to hemorrhoids. It can help reduce the size of blood vessels and as a hemorrhoid is an enlarged blood vessel, reducing its size is a good thing.
Maximum strength Desitin has 40% zinc oxide, while Rapid Relief Desitin has 13% zinc oxide. Rapid Relief Desitin has a few additional ingredients that really help with hemorrhoids though. So which one you use likely wont matter a great deal.
Maximum Strength Desitin also contains cod liver oil, which is a moisturizing ingredient that helps form a barrier and lubricates the area. It also contains a multitude of vitamins and helps with wound healing.
Lanolin is a skin conditioner that helps keep hemorrhoids from flaking and getting irritated. It comes from sheep’s wool, and can be very effective for hemorrhoids symptom relief. However, avoid it if you have any allergies to wool whatsoever. It’s only found in the Maximum Strength Desitin ointment, so if you need to avoid it, then the Rapid Relief Desitin treatment is still open to you.
Petrolatum is another ingredient that helps with moisturizing and lubricating hemorrhoids and provides symptom relief from the hemorrhoid chaffing and drying out. It’s found in both Maximum Strength Desitin and Rapid Relief Desitin.
Rapid Relief Desitin has several other ingredients that can help hemorrhoids
Rapid Relief Desitin does have a lot of other ingredients that really help with hemorrhoid symptom relief:
- Aloe vera is a soothing skin conditioner that also help with wound healing.
- Vitamin E acetate is an antioxidant oil-baised vitamin that helps with skin condition.
- Dimethicone is a wonderful skin protectant and lubricant, as is mineral oil.
- White beeswax is an emollient skin conditioner that helps to moisturize the skin and keep it from flaking.
All of these are what makes Rapid Relief Desitin a hemorrhoid treatment in its own right.
Storage and the importance of expiration dates.
Of course, both Maximum Strength Desitin and Rapid Relief Desitin should be kept at approximately room temperature, which is between 20 to 25 degrees C (68 to 77 degrees F) and away from sunlight. In addition, if a tube or tub of paste has been opened, it should be thrown out after a year or at the expiration date, whichever comes soonest. If stored unopened and factory sealed, it will last until the expiration date listed on the package.
If you use expired Desitin, or a tub or tube that’s been opened over a year, the oils could be rancid and the active ingredients could have broken down due to exposure to light and oxygen, so it’s not really a good idea to then use it as a hemorrhoids treatment.
Desitin is for Hemorrhoids Relief, NOT for Hemorrhoid Cure
Desitin is all about symptom relief. It won’t do much of anything to cure your hemorrhoids over the long term. In addition, a good program of symptom relief can help keep hemorrhoids from getting worse, considering that they get even bigger when irritated.
How to treat hemorrhoids provides information on products that help cure hemorrhoids as well as relieve there symptoms of pain, itching and some even treat constipation problems as well.
Many people think that symptom relief is a waste of time. After all, you want your hemorrhoids gone, not just temporarily relieved. Well, the problem with this is that hemorrhoids can often take up to six months or much, much more to get rid of completely and some wont go away on their own. Suffering with them until their gone is often not an option, at least for anyone who wants to go to work or have a life.
One of the most important things that Desitin cream does is to stop the dehydration/rehydration cycle. The cycle of getting wet and then drying out repeatedly makes the skin chapped and cracked. Due to the nature of intestinal fluids and the salt of the body’s moisture, the same thing can happen to your hemorrhoids – they get wet from body moisture and dry out when the perspiration stops. Desitin cream gives irritated hemorrhoids the exact sort of steady, oil-based moisture they need while keeping this dehydration/rehydration cycle from continuing.
Desitin cream isn’t exactly designed for hemorrhoids, but it’s very effective and a good option for people who may be allergic to more traditional hemorrhoid creams.
Safety When Using Desitin For a Hemorrhoids Treatment
Desitin is actually formulated for newborn infants, which means it’s very gentle, tender and mild – and very safe.
Remember, if you’re allergic to wool or to cod, avoid the Maximum Strength Desitin for hemorrhoids treatment. If you start to notice an allergic reaction of any kind, such as increased redness, inflammation, rash, or hives, then discontinue use of Desitin as a hemorrhoids treatment immediately.
Remember also that Desitin cream wasn’t originally formulated for hemorrhoids treatment. Desitin for a hemorrhoids treatment may work very well for you, but you may have symptoms that Desitin treatment really can’t help with. If your symptoms don’t start getting better or your hemorrhoids get worse within seven days, then it’s time to go see a doctor.
Desitin is not formulated nor is it suitable for internal treatment. Some hemorrhoid creams can be squeezed into the anorectal canal for internal hemorrhoid treatment. Desitin as a hemorrhoids treatment should not be used in this way for any reason. You could either overdose on one of the active ingredients or cause damage to your internal mucus lining by trying to do so.
Conclusion: Should Desitin Be Used For Hemorrhoids Treatment?
Desitin for hemorrhoids is a relatively safe and reasonable application for external hemorrhoid symptom relief.
However, Desitin as a hemorrhoids treatment is not a substitute for a hemorrhoids cure. When Desitin is used for hemorrhoids relief, it’s important to take the time to formulate an overall hemorrhoids cure plan and then waste no time implementing it. When Desitin is used properly as part of that overall plan, it works great as a hemorrhoids treatment!
Desitin and Hemorrhoids Treatment – References:
Brown, H. E. (1976). Zinc Oxide Properties and Applications. New York: International Lead Zinc Research Organization.
Terkelsen, LH, et al. (2000). “Topical application of cod liver oil ointment accelerates wound healing: an experimental study in wounds in the ears of hairless mice.”. J Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 34: 15–20.
Physician’s Desk Reference, PDR Network LLC, November 2009
Research and main write by Loni L. Ice, editing and additional writing by D. S. Urquhart.
Leave a Reply