itchy! scabies, or something else?

Two weeks ago, I began getting very small, raised bumps on my skin. They were not frequent, and very scattered (maybe 4 or 5 at random, like my collar bone, my thigh, and my navel). My skin would become very itchy, and then a bump would appear where i was itching; they're not discolored (they're white when I scratch them, turning the surrounding skin red, like a tiny mosquito bite). A few hours later, after ignoring the itches, they would go away. However, after a week or so, a new set of bumps would appear. It's been going on like this for weeks now and intensifying, but still with only a few bumps at any time on my skin. They're focused around my inner arms, inner thighs and calves, stomach, and have now spread to the backs of my hands.
I thought it might be scabies, so I looked up a home test for it--the "ink" test, but it showed nothing other than a small, pore-sized bite in the center of the bump that I was testing, no burrows. I've performed the step multiple times on multiple bumps, and the same thing occurs. I was wondering if anyone had any insight to what this could be. I'm planning on going to a clinic soon (I haven't been able to go as I'm waiting for an insurance card that's on order). Any help in the meantime would be greatly appreciated.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
It can be due to hives or an allergic reaction. Wash the areas several times with fresh water. Do not use any cosmetic products at the sites. You can apply some calamine lotion at the rash as it will help in soothing the skin. You can take some OTC oral antihistamine medications like Benadryl or Claritin and see if it helps.

For mild-moderate symptoms a weak steroid may be used (e.g. hydrocortisone as dermacort), whilst more severe cases require a higher-potency steroid (e.g. clobetasol propionate, fluocinonide).But they are available under prescription and should be taken only after consulting a dermatologist. Symptoms  can be exacerbated by dryness of the skin. Use good quality moisturizers to prevent moisture loss from the skin.

I hope it helps. It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.