Dermagraphia

[questionrayee]

I have been living with dermagraphia for as long as I can remember, I am currently 19 and find this to be one of the biggest struggles I have. I was officially diagnosed a few years ago and the allergy specialist told me he had never seen such a bad case, I had to have all my allergy testing done and read a specific way, only to find out I have a couple mild allergies nothing bad, My brother and niece were also diagnosed with the condition which makes the doctor believe it is genetics in my family. I have tried everything possible to control my outbreaks which are extreme but never lasting days like some people. At times my whole body will cover in hives, when I was younger I would cry having to take a shower due to the heat. Currently my biggest problem is my scalp, it itches constantly, I am currently using mild and organic cleansers on avoid using product in my hair. My scalp is so itchy and the more I scratch the worse it gets. Any suggestions?  PLEASE HELP!

[questionrayee]

Thank you both so much for the comments. this has been such a frustrating experience for me, being college age and on a budget has proven my quest to be a challenge. I am a very shy person and being comfortable with this kind of condition has never been easy, I have slowly learned over the years that certain thing just don't sit well for, for example I can't wear lace or and rough feeling fabric. I have also heard that being on a daily antihistamine is not a great idea due to the fact that if you miss a pill or change pills for some reason your out breaks just get extremely bad. As it sits now I NEVER shower daily but usually every other or every third day, I find that when I wait longer my scalp on itches more. I try my best to not scratch but sometimes I'm not even aware that I am scratching, I swear I do it in my sleep ;)
Thanks for all the info guys!!

[TheLightSeeker]

Hey questionrayee.
Happy New Year and Welcome to the forum.
Is it your New year's Resolution to cure your dermographia ?
If not, you may want to consider it. I do not want to offer false hope,
but there's possibility of complete or partial recovery.
Good recommendations from tschock for relief.

Are you familiar with Energy Medicine? Energy Medicine is a field that can address your condition probably the best, as it is mainly Energy based!
Do a search for "Allergy Antidotes" or "NAET". There are thousands of practitioners and doctors trained in these, around the world, treating allergic conditions of all types, very successfully. I can attest to this, as I have been using "Allergy Antidotes" with remarkable results!
As I don't know where you are-I'm in Ontario- just do a search for your area
Absolutely non-invasive, no drugs and very efficient. Even great for children and babies!
There's also suspicion of underlying yeast/fungal issues with your condition, so you may want to try for a few weeks an anti-fungal diet and with Extra Virgin Coconut Oil  (EVCO) supplementation -2T daily to start, as a substitute to any cooking oils (they are contributing to oxidation and free radicals with inflammatory consequences). Gradually up to 4T daily.
It is the best natural anti-fungal, anti-microbial, anti-parasitic and anti-viral
agent. Check it out at the coconut research center website.
And finally screen EVERY commercial product you use on your skin, nails, hair, for safety at the cosmetics database website. Do not fall for the words
Natural, Organic, Doctor Recommended etc. as most of this is marketing!
I certainly hope that this info will help you.
Please do not hesitate to post again or pm me directly if you need more details.
Niko

[tschock]

The only thing that I can suggest is to try different allergy medications to find which one works for you.
Keep in mind that sometimes a less expensive antihistamine may work better than one that costs a fortune.
I personally have found that the only one I can take is a cheap one from Walmart...it's the only one that doesn't put me to sleep or make me sick.

Secondly...you need to stop scratching...that is what makes it worse, as you well know. It's the "touch/scratching" with this disease that makes it what it is.
Having had both measles and several bouts of chicken pox as a child, I know this is EXTREMELY hard to do.
Try wearing a hat, so that way when you DO scratch, your fingers are making contact with your hat and not your skin.
I'm not sure what your doctor has suggested.
Do you take prescription allergy medications?
Have you tried using topical ointments?
Gold bond?
Calamine lotion?
Can you use Nizoral? It is a shampoo made for eczema and such.
Try not to wash your hair...especially in the dry months. Not sure where you are, but around here the dry months are from September to March...winter. When you do need to bathe, make sure it's a quick one...don't linger, and dry off quickly. Apply skin lotion if you are able to.

I suffer from extreme dry skin and eczema, so I try not to shower or bathe too much during those months...yes, I do get rather stinky at times, but at least I'm not scratching my skin off. lol
Besides...that's what deodorant and perfume are for. lol
Try using baby powder or one of those waterless (powder) shampoos in your hair.
The baby powder will absorb any oils so that you don't have to walk around with oily hair...I know at your age that looks are sort of important. lol
The baby powder will also give it a clean scent.
Try not to rub it into your scalp...you want the oils to stay there.
Simply sprinkle it on your hair and comb it through.

Other things that control itching are witch hazel, tree tea oil, and oil of oregano. They may sting for a few seconds, but they can work wonders.
Most grocery stores now carry these items, so you don't have to go to an expensive herbal store.

Good luck, and keep us posted.