Beating the Itch with Therapik

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that a gadget from a website as cheesy and poorly designed as therapik.com, would ever prove to be useful. Thanks to a review from Gizmodo, I can now say that yes ladies and gentlemen, there actually is a gadget out there that can effectively mitigate the annoyance and itchiness that come from mosquito bites.

As a full time resident of the Midwestern United States, I am very familiar with mosquitos and the persistent annoyance they leave behind long after they've sucked the life out of me. It was for this reason that immediately clicked on an article titled “Bug Bite Relieving Gadget Review” a few weeks ago. If not for the effusive accolades that Gizmodo gave the device, I would have run for the hills after seeing the Therapik website. It’s just one “buy now and get a mini Therapik free” claim away from being a late night infomercial. Thankfully though, the review’s praise and the low price of $12.95 made me think “What the heck? I might as well try it.”

It’s late in the blood-sucking season for my hometown’s unofficial state bird, but just the other day I FINALLY got a bite! I can’t believe I am saying this, but for the first time in my life I was excited to get bitten. Now I could try the Therapik out! 

The Therapik works on the following principle: “patented technology delivers heat in the specific temperature range necessary to neutralize the venom from over 20,000 different species of insects and sea creatures.” Now, I’m not sure if that’s total male cattle dung or if this is all placebo mind games, but it really does seem to do what it says it will.

Shortly after my bite, I applied the Therapik to my skin and hit the giant button on the side. Initially I felt nothing, but after 10-20 seconds I could feel a mild stinging pain. At that point, the instructions advise you to stop, wait 60 seconds, and then try again until the itch subsides. For me it took about half a dozen applications, after which I set it down and forgot all about it. An hour later, I could no longer see any sign of the bite, nor did I feel any pain or itching. Next day, another bite, same procedure, same awesome result! Relief!

I can’t promise that this will work for you, but I can say it’s worth a try for the low price of $13 (+$3.95 shipping) if you live in a location plagued by these pests. Please let me know what you think of it if you decide to take the plunge.