• Abbildung eines elektronischen Mückenstich-Stifts und eine vergrößerte Ansicht der Hautoberfläche. Der Stift zielt auf die Stelle des Mückenstichs ab, um den Juckreiz zu lindern. Die Haut zeigt eine leichte Rötung, die durch den Stich verursacht wurde. Der Hintergrund besteht aus einem Farbverlauf in Blautönen.

    bite away®
    Functioning Principle

bite away®: The original heat pen

bite away® is the original heat pen, providing effective and long-lasting itch relief. How does bite away® work?

If you’re bitten or stung the insect’s saliva triggers an immune reaction in the skin. Immune cells are activated and histamine is released. Histamine can then bind to the nerve cell receptors and the affected area of the skin can start to itch. bite away® can alleviate this skin reaction with concentrated heat. This is called local heat therapy and is based on two potential modes of action.

 

Mode of action 1: Heat stimulus as a counter-stimulus

Inhibition of the neuronal signalling pathway for itching can be achieved by a targeted counter-stimulus using heat-related activation of the TRPV-1 receptors.1 In simple terms, the application of heat acts as a “counter-stimulus” on the nerve cells in the skin. This counter-stimulus can inhibit transmission of the itching signal to the brain and thus alleviate the perception of itching.

Mode of action 2: reduced histamine release

There is also a second possible mechanism of action. Studies have shown that the application of concentrated heat can have a positive effect on various immune reactions. It is assumed that inhibition (heat shock) of the mast cells reduces the release of histamine and other inflammatory mediators (in vitro).2 Reduced histamine release can lead to relief from the sensation of itching.

bite away® applies heat therapy

The original heat pen bite away® applies targeted heat to the skin. It was demonstrated in a clinical study with mosquitoes that bite away® can provide long-lasting relief from itching in as little as one minute4. In a real-life observational study, it was demonstrated that one application is generally enough to stop the itching3.

1.    Yosipovitch et al., J Invest Dermatol. 2005 Dec;125(6):1268-72.  
2.    Greaves and Mongar, Immunology. 1968 Nov;15(5):733-42.
3.    Müller et al., Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2011; 4:191-196.
4.    Wilhelm et al., Itch 9(2):e0074, April-June 2024.