Burning senstation in my finger tips, borax or jalapeno pepper?

June 10, 2007 7:46 PM

I chopped up a half of a jalapeno pepper this evening but later also did a little hand washed laundry with borax. The fingertips in my right hand are burning - was the jalapeno or the borax??? How do I stop this burning? (assuming milk would help, I don't have any!)
posted by Jujee to health (11 comments total)

Well, about 20 minutes ago, this was posted. It may provide you with some clues.
posted by spiderskull at 7:48 PM on June 10, 2007

If it is the peppers, Wikipedia says milk is the way to go because it actually counters the effect of the pepper. Nothing else will apparently do.
posted by Ironmouth at 7:55 PM on June 10, 2007

This might sound weird, but try rubbing salt on them and washing.
posted by zennie at 7:56 PM on June 10, 2007

If you have no milk, cream or yoghurt, try butter, margerine or plain oil to "wash" it off - capcasin is soluble in oil, so that might help. Dunno about Borax, I'm afraid.

I'll sit back and wait for the finish of the Chilli Trifecta now.

:)
posted by ninazer0 at 8:35 PM on June 10, 2007

You have Hunan Hand. There are several possible antidotes listed in this post.
posted by jessamyn at 8:37 PM on June 10, 2007

Whatever you do, just don't touch your junk.
posted by TheGoldenOne at 8:51 PM on June 10, 2007

Indeed. Digital relations with a female at this point would end in your murder.

Yes, you have Hunan Hand brought on by the capsaicinoids in the pepper. It's being absorbed into the skin under your nails. My understanding is that if you could jam that hand into some ice cream, and let it melt, it would take care of both the immediate heat and "washing away" the capsaicinoids since they are lipid soluble. Lacking ice cream, go for anything fatty you've got. DO NOT go to sleep with your hand burning or it could end up in your eye, nose, ear, or who knows where else.

In the future: only let the knife touch the pepper for any length of time. And whatever you do, do not let anything get under your nails.
posted by Phyltre at 9:32 PM on June 10, 2007

Dilute bleach solution.

Milkfat is a great way to take care of a burning mouth, because its, well, edible. Reacting it with an oxidizer, like bleach, is going to be more effective on your skin.
posted by Good Brain at 11:44 PM on June 10, 2007

You can wash your hands in the hottest water you can stand with some some soap, ideally the scouring kind. This is a good cure for poison ivy, also caused by an oil, and should work for this as well.

A good preventer for this is to put your non-knife hand in a baggy so you don't touch the ribs and seeds.
posted by Foam Pants at 11:48 PM on June 10, 2007

I nth plain old kitchen oil - I got some Dave's Insanity Sauce on my fingers from touching the lid - then I touched my face, including near my eyes - ouch! Coated my hands in oil and washed it off and I was fine.
posted by missmagenta at 12:51 AM on June 11, 2007

oil plus capsicum can equal additional pain - oil will open your pores and cause additional absorbtion. so, while you can rub with oil and wash it off in order to clean it off, make sure you don't leave the oil sitting on there - do it within thirty seconds, and make sure you get it all.

also, liquid antacid works.
posted by entropone at 10:36 AM on June 11, 2007