# How long until the pepper burn subsides?



## ASusan

I carelessly cut up spicy peppers for salsa this afternoon, and under my thumbnail and forefinger are BURNING. How long until this goes away?

(and should I get out of diaper duty? I think that's a good precautionary plan.)


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## jenjenl18

hugs...I did this once while making dinner. I tried every internet trick I found on the internet and let me tell you they did NOT work! I got myself drunk and woke up the next morning, hands still feeling weird but not burning and hungover horribly!
GL!


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## cristeen

The first thing to do is dig your fingers into a dish of salt. Work the salt under your nails to absorb some of the oils, then wash your hand well. Then try washing your hands in milk. You'll have to really work to get the milk under your nails.

If that doesn't work, expect that they are going to burn for at least a day. Chalk it up to lesson learned, and next time use a spoon and a fork (or gloves).


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## californiajenn

Milk will help. DH is mexican and he taught me this. The burn won't go away completely but it will help.


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## WaitingForKiddos

DH, who had a fire penis last night from an adjustment after munching jalapeño peppers, says a cold shower helps.









Really, I say after icy water on it, it should go away soon.


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## Frisha

Milk for pepper it neutralizes the capasin. Water will only spread it around. I did this a few times I have tried several things but the milk right away cause if you wait too long the damage is already done so it doesn't seem to do anything but it does keep it from getting worse or spreading it to somewhere else.


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## avivaelona

Whatever you do do not get "intimate" with your intimate parts.

Trust me on this one.


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## AnnaMoon

*One answer - Mustard!*

Yellow hot dog mustard is the only thing I've been able to find to cut the burn. I don't eat hot dogs, but I do keep a big ol' bottle of mustard in the fridge (nice and cold) just for pepper burns. I pour mustard in a bowl (or two bowls - one for each hand.) Then I slip my hands in until the mustard completely covers the burn area. I leave them for at least 30 minutes. When time is up, don't rinse in water, but bulk off with a milk or vinegar wet towel. Keep the mustard bowls handy for a bit and re-bathe the hands when the burn comes back. My burns usually have subsided after the first soak.


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## arrrstin

I registered here and am bumping this thread because it was the first result from google and I'd like to help anyone else out there searching in the future.

Regarding the OP, pepper-burn, specifically of the skin, is especially hard to treat and here is why: The skin is made from multiple layers of oil and water, making both oil and water hard to penetrate very deep. While molecules can shimmy though the various layers, it takes a while even when using a fancy drug that had been emulsified (can absorb into both water and oil). The burning is actually happening deep under the skin. The capcasin is bonded to the substrate through something similar to static electricity and, since vinegar is acidic, it's electronic properties can hopefully interfere with that of the capcasin or even break it down into different molecules that don't cause pain. 

tl;dr: The milk, mustard, or vinegar needs time to penetrate the skin to reach the targeted area. It also couldn't hurt to use an analgesic like aloe or something added to neosporin+pain relief 
:nerd:


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