[REPOSTED WITH PROOF] I recently made a post about dermatographism in which I can write on my skin, AMA

What is the most embarrassing/ awkward moment that you’ve had because of this condition?

Honestly nothing special, you kinda get used to it quick. When you’re young your friends will draw dicks and other stupid things on you but that’s about as bad as it gets

Edit: for some reason my post has been removed by the mods, I’m trying to find out why and see if I can get it reinstated. Sorry peeps!

Have you ever made yourself breakout to get out of something? Like a test, a date or a family event?

Nope, I think tests are too important to be avoided.

As for dates and family, I’m usually pretty upfront if I just don’t want to go.

Is it possible to have had this then no longer experience it? I remember when I was younger I would always ‘draw’ on myself whenever bored and have the same result. Also, I remember my father always telling me it meant I could never get a tattoo but now I’m in my twenties and want to get my first tattoo, but I can’t ‘draw’ on myself any more, thoughts?

Yes, as mentioned in my post above, some people do outgrow it whereas some people have it for life. No one knows why.

How long does it take for the "text" to appear after you "write" it?

About 2-3 minutes

Is this a very common condition?

It’s not as common as high blood pressure, diabetes or asthma, but it’s not rare either.

I had this condition as a child. Turns out I have celiac disease.

Have you been tested for it?

I haven’t. But I’m pretty sure I don’t have celiac disease

There are some associated conditions for it, but there’s usually no need to test for them unless the patient has signs or symptoms that clues us in on such things. But it’s also the reason why I emphasised seeing a doctor if you think you have a similar rash, it could always be something different.

How easily were you diagnosed? I've had this condition since grade school, am now I'm my 30s, and this is the first I've heard of anyone else having it.

Pretty easily. I saw a GP who suspected I had it, who referred me to a dermatologist where I was diagnosed pretty quick.

Also learnt about this condition in medical school as it’s not that uncommon, so most doctors should know about it. Most people just aren’t bothered enough by it to see a doctor, though.

Curious, a lot of people with a mast cell disorder especially mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), have dermatographism. Do you have it, or the symptoms of it? (Wierd allergic type reactions to things you can't have antibodies to. Like stress, sunlight, heat, cold, exercise, chemical smells, etc)

Also, curious does pressing harder when your dermatographism is flaring bad make your marks last longer?

(I have MCAS and dermatographism myself, just curious as to other's experience)

You’re right, most people with MCAS have dermatographism, but not everyone with dermatographism has MCAS. MCAS is a multi-system disorder.

I don’t have MCAS, as my symptoms are limited to the skin. Stress is a definite trigger, as it is for most other conditions. I haven’t been able to identify any other triggers.

Pressing harder doesn’t seem to affect the duration of the rash, at most it might just be a bit bigger.

Hope you’re doing well and that treatment’s been working for you! Take care

What is the best thing you've drawn on yourself?

Dickbutt definitely takes the cake

Would you say that this condition hindered you for anything? Like, oh I have a really important interview in an hour, scratch the door frame up your arm and now there is a giant line

Mine is not so bad where it itches all the time, especially with the medication, so it doesn’t affect my daily activities unless it flares in my sleep as I mentioned above:) but I’ve never missed anything important due to it

Greetings, fellow skin writer! Mine has diminished significantly as I've aged and is usually worse when it is hot and humid. My mother has it, too. Do you also have any relatives with it?

I’m the only one, but my family does have a history of asthma and eczema, which are related conditions.

What is your favorite Pokemon, and why? Bonus points: Digimon?

Magikarp. Useless but great potential.

Argumon cause that’s the only one I know. Was always more into Pokemon as a kid

Damn, that's a good answer. I'm totally stealing that from you even though I was always an Ivysaur man.

Did you have a binder of Pokemon cards? My binder got stolen, and I was always pretty sure I knew the kid that did it because all of a sudden he just happened to have all the cards I used to have...

Ivysaur beats Magikarp though. But I’ve always preferred Blastoise amongst the original starters because of the badass cannons.

I used to have so many Pokemon cards! But I threw them all away years ago. SIGH

But I threw them all away years ago.

Threw... threw them away!? You must hate your inner child.

Being a lazy person, when spring cleaning I tend to just throw stuff out, especially if I haven’t used it in a long time

Ever drawn anything really ornate/complicated for the fun of it?

Nope, I’m not particularly artsy and pretty lazy so dickbutt was the hardest I’ve tried

Waffles or pancakes?

Pancakes with maple syrup for breakfast, waffles with ice cream for dessert. You can have the best of both worlds

Has a girl ever written her number on you? I think it would be cool.

Talked about this in a comment from my earlier post.

So, no:(

What’s your favorite color?

RED(dit)

What are the downsides to this condition? It seems to be pretty harmless.

For most people, like me, it’s just mildly annoying due to the itch. As I mentioned above, rarely it affects my sleep but it’s not a big deal because it doesn’t happen often. For some people even light contact can be a trigger and they perpetually have severe rashes all over their body, in those cases it can really affect your life a lot.

Do you know what would happen if you got a tattoo?

It might make it hard for the tattoo artist due to all the rashes and skin swelling, but other than that it’s deemed rather safe.

Any idea why it just "appeared" at 14?

For most people the age of onset is around puberty. So it’s rather expected

Have you ever asked a girl to write her number with her fingers on your arm?

Talked about this in a comment from my earlier post.

So, no:(

I also have this condition, but does your skin also burn when you do it? I'm pretty much stuck taking an antihistamine every day or so.

Nope it doesn’t burn, at most it itches a little:) I take antihistamines everyday

What do draw with? Just your finger? So is it just when your skin connects with itself?

My fingernail or a toothpick. Any hard, slightly sharp object would do,

Can you write on your penis too? It'd be a nice idea for Valentine's day for your SO.

As I’ve mentioned, it doesn’t affect my genitals, so I couldn’t even if I wanted to.

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Yes, with dermatographism you’ll get red marks and rashes in the pattern of your scratches, regardless of whether it’s deliberate or not.

You should see a doctor for it. Even though it sounds like it’s probably just plain dermatographism, there can be an association with other conditions which are more severe. Your doctor should also give you antihistamines which would help you with symptomatic relief and control.

If you could perminatly cure your condition would you?

Probably yes, while mild all things considered, it’s still a health condition or disease. So while I’m okay having it too, I don’t see why not get it cured if possible.

Does it happen to your dick during sex too?

Nope, I’ve already mentioned this above!

Are there any complications or actual drawbacks to having this condition? Because to me this just seems fucking cool to have

answer to a similar question

I have three questions, sorry for the overload.

So it only works with pressure? If you were to put some adhesive tape on your skin and peel it off, would it leave no rash?

Have you ever gotten slapped or something and just leaving a huge rash, startling the "attacker"?

How did you find out you had this condition?

No worries!

The act of peeling it off might cause a rash, in fact I believe I’ve had a tape-shaped rashes before. But the adhesive in itself won’t do anything.

It takes about 3-5minutes to fully form, and by that time the bro who slapped me isn’t paying attention to it and neither am I.

I started getting recurrent rashes on my body at around 14, initially I thought I was just allergic to something I ate/some detergent or environmental factor and just dealt with it. After a few weeks where it was really affecting my sleep, I saw a GP who suspected what it was, and referred me to a dermatologist to confirm it.

Do you find yourself being more conscious about what you touch? I'm always resting my elbows on my desk, would that cause you a rash or is the pressure too light?

Not really, like I’ve said, most of the time my skin is normal and doesn’t act up in any way. When I start to itch and feel it coming on I quickly take an antihistamine tablet which keeps it from becoming a full blown flare. I always rest my elbows on tables, it doesn’t cause a rash in that situation.

What do you mean by draw? Do you just run your finger across your skin and it appears red for a while?

Run my fingernails along my skin with moderate pressure

Because of this post, thousands of people scratched themselves. How does that make you feel?

EDGYYY.

I’m kidding. Please don’t scratch yourselves. Or do it gently if you have to.

if u dont kno de wei do u eva make a map on your skeen?

Only the queen knows the way

Do you know if this condition has a spectrum of severity?

I’ve seen a lot of people comment that they have it too. I do as well to an extent but definitely not as severe as yours. Just wondering if taking antihistamines would help me in my day to day life. I tend to blush and get red on the neck sometimes too.

It definitely does. Some people get flares even with high dose antihistamines, and can react to simple thing like light touch.

If you’re sure it’s dermatographism, then antihistamines is the first-line of treatment, but I’d recommend you consult a doctor for a proper diagnosis and treatment recommendations. Keep in mind that for good control you’ll need to take antihistamines daily and not just when it acts up, unless yours is really super mild.

Do you by chance have issues with mouth sores too?

Nope. If you do, that could mean something much more serious

hey! i have it too. do you have tattoos? i've thought about getting one but am unsure of how my skin would handle it.

also, what i have is like a dormant condition that only responds to stimuli such as accidental scratches. if i get scratched, that spot gets itchy. Are your flare ups just random spots that start to get itchy even without stimuli? does your skin get red first and then you see the hives once you start scratching?

I’m personally not interested in tattoos, but it would be possible if the tattoo artist is okay working with your skin and your condition is not too severe. All the trauma and physical pressure is likely to cause a reaction during the tattooing process, and all the swelling and redness could make it hard for them to do a good job. But it’s unlikely to cause anything life-threatening or dangerous. To be safe, I’d consult your doctor beforehand on whether you’re a suitable candidate for tattoos, and please do let your tattoo artist know during the planning stages as well.

When I do get a flare, I just start to get itchy, so I scratch, resulting in more rashes and more itchiness. It’s a vicious cycle so I do my best to take my antihistamines ASAP stop the cycle.

Does the rash itch or hurt? If so, are you frequently irritated by your sensitive skin? If not, what does it feel like?

Questions answered here

Do you have utricaria pigmentosa?

Nope, that’s a different condition altogether.