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kaiakai
January 27th, 2012, 12:32 PM
I have been dealing with chronic hives for years. I hate taking drugs and medicines, so most of the time I just tough it out and only take an antihistamine if I simply cannot take the itching anymore (or if I'm going to be out someplace and I feel them coming on- most of the time I get them at night so I don't worry about being seen)

I never really thought about it before, but now.....
the past few times I have broken out, I've noticed the hives on my scalp and I cannot help but scratch my head. All the while imagining all the damage I'm likely doing to my hair!

:(

Madora
January 27th, 2012, 12:53 PM
Sorry, don't have a clue. Have you gone to see a trichologist (hair doctor)?

Is there something in your diet that triggers the hives? Could it possibly be something in the air?

I hope you're able to find some kind of solution. That would drive me nuts.

kaiakai
January 27th, 2012, 12:59 PM
It's not just my head... my whole body gets covered. The weird part is that at night it's concentrated on my upper body, and in the morning it's mostly on my legs.

Yeah, I've been to all sorts of doctors and had all sorts of tests done.. everything always comes out completely normal. More than one doctor has told me that I am his or her "mystery patient".

In any case..... scratching my head could be doing a lot of damage, right? Even if I am "careful"?

ktani
January 27th, 2012, 01:02 PM
I understand your concern and agree that excessive scratching is not a good idea, as it can abrade hair cuticles. You can blunt your fingernails with a file but scratching hives is not good either, anyway. Ask your dermatologist, GP or pharmacist, for something topical for relief.

I break out in hive - one at a time, lol. I have found the catnip I use on my hair and skin soothes it. If you try that - patch test first.

Catnip, http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=118

kaiakai
January 27th, 2012, 01:07 PM
I understand your concern and agree that excessive scratching is not a good idea, as it can abrade hair cuticles. You can blunt your fingernails with a file but scratching hives is not good either, anyway. Ask your dermatologist, GP or pharmacist, for something topical for relief.

I break out in hive - one at a time, lol. I have found the catnip I use on my hair and skin soothes it. If you try that - patch test first.

Catnip, http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=118

Topical stuff does nothing for me. After dealing with this for 9+ years, I've found that scratching actually helps!

But, another reason to try the catnip :)

ktani
January 27th, 2012, 01:11 PM
Topical stuff does nothing for me. After dealing with this for 9+ years, I've found that scratching actually helps!

Mine will stop itching on its own over about an hour or so and look less red - it gets red, hot and itchy. Catnip - fresh out of the fridge cools it and has taken the redness away in a few minutes and it is more than just the temperature difference. I cannot think of anything else to suggest.

Good luck!

kaiakai
January 27th, 2012, 01:19 PM
Mine will stop itching on its own over about an hour or so and look less red - it gets red, hot and itchy. Catnip - fresh out of the fridge cools it and has taken the redness away in a few minutes and it is more than just the temperature difference. I cannot think of anything else to suggest.

Good luck!

Oh, and one hive at a time?? That's odd!

turtlelover
January 27th, 2012, 01:23 PM
I've dealt w/ chronic hives for a long time, too. A low carb diet of mostly unprocessed food and certain supplements (Zyflamend and a few others) seems to help me. It is a miserable problem to deal with, but mine are 90 percent better now.

ktani
January 27th, 2012, 02:26 PM
Oh, and one hive at a time?? That's odd!

I have had 2 lol but mostly just 1. I asked my doctor about it and there is no immediate cause I can identify other than stress. It can just happen. I get them on my face.

ETA: http://www.medicinenet.com/hives/article.htm
"Hives At A Glance
Hives (medically known as urticaria) are red, itchy, raised areas of skin that appear in varying shapes and sizes.
Hives are very common and most often their cause is elusive.
Hives can change size rapidly and to move around, disappearing in one place and reappearing in other places, often in a matter of hours.
Ordinary hives flare up suddenly.
Physical hives are hives produced by direct physical stimulation of the skin.
Treatment of hives is directed at symptom relief while the condition goes away on its own.
Antihistamines are the most common treatment for hives.
Hives typically are not associated with long-term or serious complications."

BlazingHeart
January 27th, 2012, 02:36 PM
I use chamomile tea on skin irritations and have heard it is good for soothing hives, so there is another thing you might try topically.

cuties
January 27th, 2012, 02:53 PM
Are you allergic to something that can cause hives? diet wise?

You can try applying pure unrefined shea butter on a small area and see if it helps? Shea butter is supposed to have very healing properties. I sometimes put it on my scalp and itching goes away, but then again I do not have hives but just a dry, sensitive scalp that turns oily by day 2.

DoubleCrowned
January 27th, 2012, 06:33 PM
I understand your concern and agree that excessive scratching is not a good idea, as it can abrade hair cuticles. You can blunt your fingernails with a file but scratching hives is not good either, anyway. ...

I am confused. What is the fine line between scratching and scritching? After reading that even BBB bristles should not be allowed touch the scalp, I avoided scratching my scalp. Then I joined LHC, and started scritching, which is pretty much was scratching would have been, at least the way I do it. I don't think it has harmed my hair. My answer to OP would have been that ordinary scratching will not hurt her hair unless she is actually digging it out or damaging her scalp. Is there a thread OP and I can study on this?

kaiakai
January 28th, 2012, 01:38 AM
Are you allergic to something that can cause hives? diet wise?

You can try applying pure unrefined shea butter on a small area and see if it helps? Shea butter is supposed to have very healing properties. I sometimes put it on my scalp and itching goes away, but then again I do not have hives but just a dry, sensitive scalp that turns oily by day 2.

Nope, I have had all sorts of allergy testing done. The only test that has ever come up positive was a skin test with my own blood serum.

So, the most conclusive diagnosis that I've gotten is that I'm allergic to myself.

I don't bother with topical stuff.... it's not worth the results I get. I do like shea butter, though, I use it on my lips sometimes.

kaiakai
January 28th, 2012, 01:41 AM
I am confused. What is the fine line between scratching and scritching? After reading that even BBB bristles should not be allowed touch the scalp, I avoided scratching my scalp. Then I joined LHC, and started scritching, which is pretty much was scratching would have been, at least the way I do it. I don't think it has harmed my hair. My answer to OP would have been that ordinary scratching will not hurt her hair unless she is actually digging it out or damaging her scalp. Is there a thread OP and I can study on this?

Scritching, eh? Yeah I've been trying to do it gently and "along the grain" so to speak. BBB bristles not allowed to touch the scalp?? I don't use a BBB, but it seems like it would be good to stimulate the scalp like that??

simplysnuggle
January 28th, 2012, 01:56 AM
I have eczema on my arms and the nape of my neck. Tea Tree oil and/or diaper rash cream actually have helped me in the past. Scratching will just irritate it even more and could possibly make it spread. It feels good while you scratch but after it just get worse. Good Luck and "happy" scratching.

kaiakai
January 28th, 2012, 02:06 AM
I have eczema on my arms and the nape of my neck. Tea Tree oil and/or diaper rash cream actually have helped me in the past. Scratching will just irritate it even more and could possibly make it spread. It feels good while you scratch but after it just get worse. Good Luck and "happy" scratching.


I can see how scratching would be bad for eczema, as the skin is dry and almost raw, right? Hives are just raised wheals, nothing is irritated or open on the surface and so it doesn't cause any damage to my skin. Scratching doesn't make my hives worse or make them spread.

AND even if topical stuff helped me, for the most part I wouldn't be putting it on my head (in my hair!)

simplysnuggle
January 28th, 2012, 02:15 AM
Have you tried tea tree oil? It's said to be very good for your hair. I love the smell too.

haibane
January 28th, 2012, 06:41 AM
I use the teeth of a metal fork to scratch my scalp. The metal is perfectly smooth so i can't see it harming the hair, and the ends are too blunt to break the skin.

kaiakai
January 28th, 2012, 07:09 AM
I use the teeth of a metal fork to scratch my scalp. The metal is perfectly smooth so i can't see it harming the hair, and the ends are too blunt to break the skin.


Oh boy, then I will REALLY look like Ariel! Great idea :)

Kelikea
January 28th, 2012, 07:44 AM
Have you had any relief at all from any medication you've tried? My allergist told me that hives is basically your body "freaking out". Once you find a medication that works, you take it until you stop breaking out, then slowly wean off of it. If you drop too suddenly, they will come back, and you have to start over. It can be a long process, but worth it for the relief. I had good luck with claritin. And, no the Dr. will not be able to tell you what is causing them, unless you break out in reaction to the same thing, every time. I used to get hives, and the boys I took care of, and both of our doctors said that we would probably never know what made us break out.

Kelikea
January 28th, 2012, 07:46 AM
Oh, I almost forgot, my mother used to have terrible hives and she gets relief from folic acid. Whenever I get a rash of any kind, she tries to give me folic acid. Weird, I know, but worth a try. It can't hurt.

DoubleCrowned
January 28th, 2012, 08:51 AM
Scritching, eh? Yeah I've been trying to do it gently and "along the grain" so to speak. BBB bristles not allowed to touch the scalp?? I don't use a BBB, but it seems like it would be good to stimulate the scalp like that??
Yes, here at LHF folks want to have the bristles touch the scalp. I think there is a lot of misinformation about hair and scalps reported as fact in the news and magazines, and I have a hunch that scratching your scalp is not going to harm your hair. I am presuming that the hives are an occasional occurrence, though, and that you are not breaking your skin by scratching it.


Oh, I almost forgot, my mother used to have terrible hives and she gets relief from folic acid. Whenever I get a rash of any kind, she tries to give me folic acid. Weird, I know, but worth a try. It can't hurt.
Not so weird... your family may have a genetic tendency to need more of certain vitamins or minerals that others. If I had hives, nutrition is where I would be looking for relief. Any time an allergy is suspected or there is inflammation, vitamin C might help.

Topically applied aloe vera is soothing for many skin troubles, but no topical can cure the reason for the rash.

HelloKitteh
February 9th, 2012, 12:34 PM
Have you heard about the health forum CureZone? Some people might have tried something that will work for you too. Careful not to end up in a vitamin buying frenzy though :brains:
You might find some people talking about a calming oil/cream that works for you, and at least if you put it on when you scratch it will reduce the risk of damage? Can't remember seeing this in the reply, but I'd scratch one way, from roots toward length of hair, with the tip of my fingers rather than nails, so the cuticle don't suffer.
Maybe a local anesthetic? Clove oil could work maybe? it's quite cheap sold in pharmacy for toothache. If you ever try, try on an unscratched skin in case it burns? Anything on the hair/scalp will reduce rubbing if nothing else...
Good luck, let us know if you find out a solution.

heidi w.
February 9th, 2012, 12:51 PM
Instead of scratching your head with your fingers/hands, I suggest Scritching. Do you know about scritching? It may help prevent continual breakouts? Hands have a lot of oil on them and can carry a lot of bacteria. I also recommend that you wash your hair detangling tool, such as a comb, each time you wash your hair. PLUS I recommend you change your pillowcase often.

These may help your situation a little bit.

I also recommend that you don't go overly long between hair washes.

Might an antibacterial help with the hives? Such as Nizoral shampoo. Might you do better without shampoos that contain sulfates? That's a possibility.

Apparently most hives go away within weeks, sometimes less, such as withiin hours within a given day. Sometimes hives can occur in response to medicine, and most of the time, apparently the above suggestions may not help or hinder the outbreak of hives. This proved to be interesting reading to me.

heidi w.

heidi w.
February 9th, 2012, 12:54 PM
I am confused. What is the fine line between scratching and scritching? After reading that even BBB bristles should not be allowed touch the scalp, I avoided scratching my scalp. Then I joined LHC, and started scritching, which is pretty much was scratching would have been, at least the way I do it. I don't think it has harmed my hair. My answer to OP would have been that ordinary scratching will not hurt her hair unless she is actually digging it out or damaging her scalp. Is there a thread OP and I can study on this?

As it concerns your hair, scratching your scalp skin probably doesn't hurt your hair anywhere near as much as you might think. Overall, almost everyone scratches their head, and hair is generally not having a problem because of it for the most part.

But those with scalp skin conditions, such as myself, have to be careful about scratching the skin because scratching with the fingers or fingernails can actually introduce skin aggravations.

heidi w.

kaiakai
February 9th, 2012, 01:15 PM
It's not really a scalp condition... I get the hives EVERYWHERE. It's not a bacterial thing, and I don't have any raw skin or open wounds or anything like that.

CureZone.. yes, I am familiar with it and honestly I think it's a little out there. Actually I was in the middle of a parasite cleanse when the hives first started 9 years ago. I've done other cleanses since and they haven't had an effect one way or the other.

woolyleprechaun
February 9th, 2012, 01:17 PM
Probably a job for the doctors or dermatologist :( hope they go away soon!

kaiakai
February 9th, 2012, 01:18 PM
I've been to doctors of all kinds, most call me their "mystery patient" :)

planetqueenie
February 9th, 2012, 01:46 PM
Oh boy, then I will REALLY look like Ariel! Great idea :)

haha! that's cute! I'm sure you have tried aloe vera or chamomile right? Maybe try changing your diet, eliminate some common alergens like dairy, eggs, gluten, you know, and see if you get any relief. I used to have really bad acne, no topical product or different types of skin care techniques helped, so i decided, ok I'll change my diet. I already ate healthy, but I cut out dairy and presto 90% acne all gone within 2 weeks and hasn't come back!