Does It Work? Bug Bite Soothers

What experts say about anti-itch gadgets and lotions

- By Stephanie Anderson Witmer

One big bummer of summer: all bees, and other critters that love to snack on your body. You can prevent bites and stings in the first place by wearing long sleeves, tucking your pants into socks when you're in a buggy spot, and using mosquito spray, especially at dusk, says Melissa Piliang, M.D., a dermatologist at Cleveland Clinic. Still, bites happen (and good luck getting your kids to cover up when it's hot out!). There are several after-bite products on the market-can they really stop the itch?

HEAT PENS

WHAT THEY ARE: Portable pen-shaped devices that press heat onto the spot of a bite.

WHAT WE KNOW: Typically when dermatologists treat skin conditions in which swelling, itching, and pain are present, they use cold therapy, not heat.