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

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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.

Learn more about treating and preventing dermatographia now.

Take Cooler Showers

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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.

Continue reading to discover the next method of treating dermatographia now.

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