Is this poison ivy?

brownrexx · August 23, 2017

Yes the oil is what causes the skin reaction and if you have the oil under your nails or on your hands, you will definitely spread it by scratching.

The actual rash does not spread by scratching, it just seems to.

I had a really bad case of it last summer when I helped trim an overgrown hedge that was full of PI. I wore long sleeves, gloves and a hat and somehow it got all over my arms and even on my neck. I think that I was pushing the hat out of my eyes and touched my neck but anyway it was so bad that I actually considered going to the doctor. It itched almost unbearably for 3 weeks until it finally went away.

August 23, 2017	#18
brownrexx Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Southeastern PA Posts: 1,420	Yes the oil is what causes the skin reaction and if you have the oil under your nails or on your hands, you will definitely spread it by scratching. The actual rash does not spread by scratching, it just seems to. I had a really bad case of it last summer when I helped trim an overgrown hedge that was full of PI. I wore long sleeves, gloves and a hat and somehow it got all over my arms and even on my neck. I think that I was pushing the hat out of my eyes and touched my neck but anyway it was so bad that I actually considered going to the doctor. It itched almost unbearably for 3 weeks until it finally went away.