IamA 21 year old female with dermagraphism aka the skin writing disorder. AMA!

Nice to see another weirdo out there! Finding it hard to get a decent shot with my phone.

http://i.imgur.com/902dYtP.jpg

What's your biggest day to day annoyance? Mine has to be leaning on my face at work. Face likes to go red and puffy.

Biting my lip on accident, my lip swells up a fuck ton, haha.

When you wake up are you lop-sided?

i wish, that'd be pretty cool

Do you have any tattoos? Thoughts on getting tattoos with this skin condition?

I do have tattoos, 11 of them. Some of them are very large. To be honest it's quite hard to find an artist who will tattoo you, as you have to show them how to use an EPI pen before hand and because usually, I take about 10 Benadryl before getting a tattoo (you have to notify the artist that you do this) and you can't be all butt hurt if they deny you, it's safety. I'd recommend not getting tattooed anywhere besides a shop and not by someone who is new to tattooing, it could be bad.

Can you explain this further? Why is the Benadryl and EPI pen necessary if the reaction you have is itchy skin. What I mean to ask is what other complications are you preparing for with the EPI pen?

It's an allergic reaction. Technically I am allergic to sugar, but you can't stop consuming sugar due to an allergy to it because you would die. When pressure is applied to my skin it releases sugar as a defense to the pressure, so of to much pressure is applied to much sugar in my body is released at once and flows through my veins witch will cause anaphylaxis, so EPI pen is nessicary.

Wow, I'm surprised by your answer! That's great to hear it doesn't stop you from being tattooed. I assume you have a small handful of trusted artists, then? Any issues with different colors/brands of ink?

I don't have any diagnosed skin problems but certain colors in a few of my tattoos raise up and get itchy every once in awhile and I wonder if it's the brand of ink/color used.

I have a huge rose on my knee cap, it was awesome when I first got it, then I got it colored and my skin rejected most of the colored ink. So now all of my other tattoos are just black and grey. here are some photos for you! http://imgur.com/XHw81tI http://imgur.com/CGsCKOu

Hey! I also have this condition.

I liek to write lyrics on my body parts

Although mine doesn't itch very much but welts very easily.

Do you have to continue taking antihistamine after you got tattooed?

I take it until my tattoo isn't welter anymore, so sometimes it's welter for an hour, sometimes 5 hours. I just like to be precautions and not go into shock!

Do you take any meds that bridge the gap between benadryl and an epi pen? Like getting a tattoo, is it just benadryl and if shit gets worse you use the epi pen? Also, could you draw me a picture of a boat? lol kidding.. kinda

I've tried a lot of long term allergy medications but none of them work because none are really meant for a sugar allergy, more like pollen or animals, but Benadryl brings down swelling and hives, so that's why I normally go to that, I've formed more of an immunity to the side effects of it and It just work against my swelling now! and of course here you go. http://imgur.com/Im7BmnA (just so you guys know this won't cause me to have to use an EPI pen, only constant hours of being tattooed or a massive amount of pressure, not putting myself at risk)

How long will it stay like that?

Also, you should take commissions for writing birthday messages like that.

how long will it stay on my skin? uhh, about twenty minutes, it's just gets bigger and more distorted and then goes away. If it's ever too much pressure I just take a hot shower and the itchy effect goes away,when I first got this, I'd take up to 9 showers a day because I couldn't handle it.

oh yikes, is there any other way to relieve the itching? like lotion or something?

not bumping into things, or touching anything is the only other thing besides hot showers or taking Benadryl. I've become super used to it, the only part that sucks is that you can't scratch your body when you have an itch because more welts will happen and then it's a never ending process,I haven't itched my back in 8 years and if I do, hot shower..

How did you first find out that you had this disorder? Does it run in your family?

when I was 13 I kept getting welts constantly, and I live in California and there's a massive bed bug problem here. I lived with my grandparents at the time and I'd always think we had bed bugs and I'd always notify them about it, they thought I was crazy and I also thought I was crazy due to the fact that I would take a hot shower and my "bites" would go away immedientally. They thought I was so obsessed about the bed bugs that I formed an allergic reaction in my mind and then they finally took me to a dermatologist, who notified me I needed to have allergy tests done. after 5 years of allergy tests and my welts never going away and no cure for dermagraphism, it was found out that it's related to being allergic to sugar, which you can't not consume.

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I'm fine while having sex, but it's after sex that's always super annoying because I'm always very itchy. If there's ever any contact like spanking or chocking I have huge welts on myself afterwards, but it's just itchy, never too horrible.

What about, you know, inside?

hahahaha, inside i'm fine!

She keeps her fingernails long for just such an occasion.

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

What happens to your boobs while/after being grabbed/held/squished?

Hand prints.

If you're up for the lightning round, I have a few more for you!

• How have your partners reacted when you tell them about your disorder
• Do you avoid kissing/holding hands because of it?
• Have you had to use the EPI pen yet?
• Do you get regular check ups with a doctor?
• What is your favorite sandwich
• Has your condition ever caused a very memorable awkward situation? If so, what was it?

Also, thanks again for having this AMA!

my current boyfriend thought he might kill me the first time we'd have sex. no, i'm super needy so even if it does make me itchy i need it. haha I have used my EPI pen many times. BLT 2. one time I was in a car with my friend and it was after a concert and I hate a late allergic reaction shock, I had to jump in the back of her car because my purse was in the back seat, she freaked out. once I was in a fight in high school and the girl punched me really hard in the face (first shot, sucker punch) and i went into shock and had to stop fighting to get an EPI pen so, pretty much I looked like a pussy because I couldn't breathe.

When you get a reaction is it itchy or more of a burning hive sensation? I have dermatographism, but the real issue is that literally ever time I blush, sweat, get annoyed, excited, irritated, etc my skin erupts in hives. I'm not sure if the two are related. I've been on antihistamines but that song really help much.

it's more burning. I also think it's a mind thing sometimes because let's say there's a spider in my room, I'll think it's on my bed, then have my whole body inflamed from the though of it.

Why will it go away when you hit menopause?

I actually have no idea, I took birth control at 13 to see if not having a menstrual cycle would do anything but it didn't. It has to do with the hormones in my body no longer affecting my sugar burning cells.

This feels weird to ask, but is there a way to induce menopause? If so, would you explore that?

Have your ovaries removed I'm told.

Yeah, not feeling that.

Have you thought of the possibilities of making money? I bet you that people would pay to have you scratch their name on you. You could set up a fiverr service for it.

"fetish services: writing your name on my skin"

I'm sure there is a subreddit for that. You'll thank me when you are rich.

"thank you" - before i'm rich, so that I won't have to remember.

Jokes aside, had you considered it? Or would you?

I never really thought about it, But I bet people are into it, there's people who are into seeing girls crush lobsters with their feet.If I could find someone into it and who wanted to pay me for it, why not???

How much would make it worth it?

would depend where at I guess.

How about arms, legs, chest, stomach, or hands?

oh probably not much, like if I made it a thing and had multiple people? probably like 3-5 dollars for that, i wouldn't want to charge people a whole lot for something stupid like this haha.

If you hold something too tight in your hands, do your hands swell up?

they don't swell it they just become super itchy, same if i walk barefoot, and we all know how itching the bottom of your feet goes.

If you get a cut, how does your body react?

Has it ever prevented you from doing "Normal" kid/adult activities? I have had a bad stomach an anxiety all my life an I know that was a big one for me.

if I get a cut, it's a normal cut but welter about half an inch off my body, and normally the welt won't go away until I've stopped bleeding.

How long before you got bored with it?

I've been bored with it for the last 8 years. It's very innconvient

You mentioned this was an allergy to sugar, does this effect your diet at all? and if so, then how?

I tried to cut out any sugar that wasn't natural by going on a raw vegan diet and just a vegan diet for a long time but it didn't change anything, so it was kind of disappointing to me.

What I meant was does consuming sugar have any immediate effects, for example does it cause your throat to swell like someone would have with a food allergy?

oh. no, not that i'm aware of, i confuse lots of sugary foods and nothing seems to set of off to where I would have to use an EPI pen just to food. When I was tested for my dermagraphism they told me that when a mass amount of pressure is applied (like a tattoo) about 35 grams of sugar is released through my blood stream, so I'd probably have to consume at least 35 grams in one setting.

What are your hobbies and has your condition affected or changed your ability to enjoy/pursue them?

oh man, before I got this I was in orchestra and drum line in middle school and high school, it didn't really make me stop them but it did put a hassle on it, I do a lot of art and it doesn't effect that at all. i'm a manager at subway currently so it doesn't effect that at all.

Do you have to wear special clothing?

I do not, i just wear normal clothes and cry in the corner about how itchy my body always is. (half sarcastic) i do just wear normal clothes though.

How many times has someone drawn a penis on you?

twice :-(

I went to the doctor for the same thing and up until now I thought he said "demographitalism" which a quick google search told me didn't exist so I thought he was lying to get me out of the room quicker. TIL that doctor was knowledgeable in his field. Who knew?

Haha, yes. there's a few names for it, I just call it dermagraphism because that's the first name I heard and I can't remember the other names, they are similar though!

Odd question but... If you sit for a long time does your butt swell? Because hell, that's an advantage

depends on what i'm sitting on, I've sat on those weird metal bus benches that have holes in them and look like they are braided from metal, and my ass will welt up which the shape of the bench.

Did you ever draw things on yourself when your were bored in class?

oh no, when I was in high school if I ever bumped into anything I'd become so itchy and agervated that I would have to go to the nurses office. I'm more used to it now a days though.

Heyo a fellow skin writer! I never knew more of us existed. Now the real question is how many of your friends insist on drawing dicks and writing their names on you when they find out? (Maybe I just have strange friends)

I've had people write 666 on my forehead while sleeping.

What do you do for work? If you have a job does it effect the way you work at all?

I'm a manager at subway, and nope! only if I bump into things or someone bumps into me or walking, yeah walking haha.

Darn, came here hoping all your answers would, well ya know, be written on your arms or something. Oh well...

But anyway! I have an honest question...(nsfw) and also [Serious]

What is sex like?

I'd probably get a lot more questions if I answered them like that and then probably run out of space which would result in me writing my answers on my forehead and ass,haha.

I answered this a little more in depth a few questions ago. It's fine, but it's what's after that suck, a lot of itchiness once to over and I notice that I have marks all over me, haha.

Are you able to drive?

Yes?