Skin Welting

Dermographism in a patient with hives

If you have hives, you likely will also have a condition called physical urticaria. What happens is that any stroking of the skin, or scratching will form a raised line where you drew the line. This is also called dermographism. It will flare up within minutes of the scratch, and basically seeing what occurs is all that is needed for a diagnosis. If you are having hives it is important to tell your treating aesthetician so that they can advise you if doing treatments like microdermabrasion is safe at that time. We don't fully understand the causes, but it happens in as many as 5% of the population and will last weeks, months or years. Relapses can occur even after the condition resolves. Some women report worsening during their menstrual cycle but this hasn't been confirmed by all studies. It's possible that a skin infection or antibiotics trigger it. Using over the counter antihistamines is not a bad first line of treatment, and others may need prescription strength or even other types of medication. Some people need chronic medication to control the symptoms.