Born with Dermatographism
by Anonymous
So I am 15 years old and I was born with dermographism or dermatographism. Apparently when I was born I was really white and looked like cotton because of the hives or welts or whatever you wanna call them. The doctor just told my mother that one child per year was born like this. My parents never talked about it further with my doctor and we ended up moving to a different country when I was two years old.
One time when I was about eleven, this doctor prescribed me a specific body milk for my skin condition. It didn't really do anything. The doctor just said to use it when my skin itches. Last year I went to the doctor because I had to get a vaccine. I had to take my shirt off and I started getting those hives and the doctor noticed and said, "Oh, so you have insert name I couldn't understand here," and I was like what and she said I had sensitive skin. I think she did say dermographism. I am almost completely sure she said that.
At first I thought I had atopic dermatitis, but it didn't match the symptoms completely but this skin problem does. Anyway, I have never really taken dermographism seriously since it was from birth that I have had it and I just found it to be a normal thing. I am not bothered by it or ashamed. My friends find it weirdly cool and we often have some fun drawing on my skin. It's just very weird that I haven't found anyone yet who was born with it like me but apparently we're rare.
Moderator's Comment
There are submissions by parents of very young children that have dermatographism on this website. Some are very young. However, this is the first time I have encountered someone with this condition right from birth. Perhaps this other children also had it from birth and it was not properly diagnosed as dermatographism. Anyways, thank you for your submission and glad to hear that it does not bother you a lot.
Diagnosing and Treating Dermatographism
by Welsey Pollard
(Fort Wayne IN )
In September of 2016, I one day wake up with a dot on my arm. The next day I had four dots together and I go to clinic and they tell me it was a rash. I went back few weeks later because it was on my neck. They treated it like it was bed bug bite. I then went to my family doctor for the hives and he sented to an allergist for allergy testing. I went for the test the first time and I nearly passed out on them. The second time I return to the allergist, I had the dots on my skin and photos to show the doctor. He took a stick to my back and drew a Tic-Tac-Toe board and then told me I had dermatographism. For treatment, I am taking Zyrtec twice per day and use Gold Bond Moisturizing Cream daily to help with the itch.
Swollen Face and Dermographism Welts
by Anonymous
My skin problem started off with what looked like the welts you get from regular scratching on my face, except these weren't caused by scratching and just stayed on my face 24/7. These skin type welts also were found on my fingers, not my hands however, and were very itchy. I was taking medicine for a few weeks at the time and the skin welts subsided somewhat. One morning I woke up and the entire left side of my face had swollen up like a balloon. I went to a doctor who had no clue as to what caused this swelling or what it was for that matter.
For a period of another week, the swelling would still occur but not nearly as severely as the first flare-up. Then as suddenly as it came, it left, but it transformed to regular dermographism, making a ridge where I scratched, along with a red patch surrounding it. I would deal with that for a few months and then for a short while, it would switch back to the way it first started, either on my face and fingers, or the rest of my body. This skin condition was never a combination of the two, only one or the other.
While the rash is on my face, it is emanating heat which I can feel bounce off my pillow when I sleep. I also notice that the dermographism on the rest of my body is more common when I am cold and get goosebumps. This is probably since the raised goosebumps rubs against each other like scratching the skin.
Non Itchy Dermographism Skin Hives
by Ivy
(CA)
I am 29 years old now and as far as I can remember, I have lived my life with the symptoms of dermographism. I was essentially born into this skin condition. For 29 years I didn't have any idea what this unusual skin problem was. I never thought that what I had been experiencing was a disease that I had on my skin. I just believed that the skin problem was hereditary because my father and my sister have dermographism as well.
It all changed today in my physiology class when I found out what I really have on my skin. I'm surprised that this is really called a disease. I found this healthy skin care site with plenty of dermographism information and after reading the conditions of other people, I realized that maybe what I have is just a mild case of dermographism. So far I am not allergic to anything that might trigger the disease and cause all the hives to pop out. I don't feel itchy or uncomfortable at all. I don't get hives after I shower. I only get the hives when my skin gets scratched or slapped. I have no plan of taking antihistamines because it might have an effect on other parts of my system.
I am so glad that I finally have the answer about my skin. To everyone else, thank you for sharing your experiences and wish you all the best on your treatments.
Dermatographism Reoccurrence
by Linda
(RI)
I have had this dermatographism skin condition since I was young, although I did not know the name of this skin problem until recently. I remember my mother commenting on it when I was younger. I also have asthma and usually I am more sensitive to bug bites than most people. For example, a mosquito bite will last longer with me than with the average person.
Generally, the dermatographism has subsided and has not bothered me much since I was young. However, I am now almost a 49 years old female, and this skin problem has returned and has been recurring for the last year or so. I was diagnosed with Lyme last year, but it was treated.
I am wondering if anyone else has seen this condition return after many years' absence?
Moderator's Comment
I have read only a very few submissions from readers where they state that the dermatographism has returned after a long period of time. A possible reason for this is that dermatographism suffers may not have realized that they had this problem previously and when it reappears they believe it is the first time. For others that are fortunate enough to have had this skin condition subside, perhaps not enough time has passed for it to reappear.
There is nothing to suggest that it cannot reappear and perhaps the Lyme disease caused the dermatographism to resurface. It is likely that they hypersensitivity of your skin will be with you all your life, but dermatographism can also disappear for good.
