How To Prevent And Treat Dermatographia
From eczema to keratosis pilaris to everything in between, there are individuals all over the world who must be extra careful with their skin every day. They cannot use specific products, take hot showers, and they live with antihistamines in their medicine cabinets for emergencies. Skin conditions can be difficult to live with, and dermatographia is one of those skin conditions that causes discomfort to those who live with it. It’s a condition in which even the lightest scratch to the skin can turn red, raised, and begin to look like a hive. Most patients who live with this condition don’t live with much pain. The hive-like appearance of these scratches disappear in under an hour, but the discomfort is there. Here’s how dermatographia is treated and prevented.
Use Fragrance-Free Products
One of the most common causes of skin irritation in individuals with almost any type of skin condition is fragrance. It’s used in products to help make them smell appealing, but it can be damaging to very sensitive skin. If individuals want to help prevent dermatographia from occurring, it’s helpful to use fragrance-free products. Moisturizer, lotion, sunscreen, makeup, and even deodorant with fragrance can cause instant irritation, particularly in patients who suffer from dermatographia. Unfortunately, the cause of this skin condition is not known. Medical professionals believe many individuals experience this because of allergies, but they’ve been unable to pinpoint what kind of allergen causes dermatographia. However, rubbing the skin is an irritant, which means anything from stress to sweat to an emotional reaction can cause a flare-up.
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Take Cooler Showers
Hot water irritates skin, and since dermatographia is a skin condition, it’s not uncommon for medical professionals to recommend their patients take cooler showers to help prevent flare-ups or make them worse when they occur. Hot water can dry out and irritate skin even when it's not sensitive, so imagine what it does to sensitive skin. Hot showers are not recommended, but patients are not resigned to taking cold showers. Lukewarm water is soothing to sensitive skin, which may help individuals avoid causing damage to their skin. Baths are also better than showers, as bath water is gentle on the skin while shower water pelts the skin. If individuals find showering is an irritant, it might be in their best interest to avoid showers altogether in favor of baths. They can, however, turn down the water temperature first, however, to see if that’s the cause of dermatographia.
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Take Antihistamine Medication
When the skin becomes itchy, it's natural to want to scratch it. However, when some individuals scratch their skin, dermatographia appears almost immediately. It’s uncomfortable, and it’s embarrassing to many individuals who are not at home when this occurs. One way to help the skin calm down is to take antihistamine medication. Even if individuals are not sure they're having an allergic reaction to something, it’s helpful for many to use this medication to reduce dermatographia symptoms. It can also help prevent outbreaks if it's used regularly. If patients find using antihistamines works well to reduce the discomfort of this skin condition, they might wish to speak with their doctor about allergy testing. This is because patients might find their outbreaks can be almost completely laid to rest if they can identify an allergen. It might not work if it’s not allergy-related, but it never hurts to check with a doctor.
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Phototherapy
Phototherapy is commonly used as a treatment method for psoriasis patients. It’s a radiation therapy performed in an outpatient setting, and is believed to also work on individuals who suffer from dermatographia. This type of therapy consists of using radiation exposure to bright lights to treat skin conditions. When this part of the skin is exposed to radiation, it stops the growth of new skin cells, which can help stop the appearance of skin writing when dermatographia occurs.
However, the outcome depends specifically on the patient's symptoms. While it works well for some patients, it’s less effective for others. A doctor can help patients determine whether this is the right course of action when they make an appointment. A patient's health history is also taken into consideration when dermatographia is present, which means they must be honest with the doctor about their family history of allergens, skin conditions, and even stress and anxiety issues related to a mental health disorder.
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Apply Tea Tree Oil
Applying tea tree oil to the skin can help with dermatographia outbreaks. This is considered an alternative treatment, but it’s one of the most effective. Medical studies suggest treatments applied directly to the skin are sometimes the most effective. When the skin breaks out, individuals can apply tea tree oil directly to the affected areas for relief, which is often instantaneous in many patients with dermatographia. Some patients may find pure tea tree oil quite drying to their skin, but using skin creams or other skin care products containing tea tree oil (those without fragrance of course) can not only provide the benefits of tea tree oil, but also mitigate the potential drying of the skin.