Is Dermatographia Contagious or Permanent? Quick Answers

Is it contagious?

No. There is no germ involved. Welts appear because mast cells in your skin release histamine when pressed. Touching, hugging, sharing towels or a bed with someone who has it can't pass it on.

It's worth saying clearly, because visible welts sometimes get people asked to cover up at work or the gym. You can reassure anyone who asks.

Is it permanent?

For most people, no. Studies following people with dermatographia suggest it often settles within a few years, though a meaningful minority have it for a decade or more. There's no way to predict which group you're in.

Even when it lasts, it rarely stays at the same intensity. Most people have good stretches and bad stretches.

• Will dermatographia go away on its own?

Why it comes and goes

Flare-ups usually follow something that lowers the skin's threshold:

• Stress and poor sleep.
• Heat, hot showers and sweating.
• Illness or a recent infection.
• Hormonal changes, including periods, pregnancy and perimenopause.
• Some medicines, such as aspirin and ibuprofen, in some people.

• Stress and dermatographia
• Hormones and dermatographia

When it's not going away

If welts appear most days for more than six weeks despite a daily antihistamine, it's time to see a doctor. The dose can often be adjusted safely, and there are further options if tablets aren't enough.

See a doctor urgently for swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or any difficulty breathing. That isn't typical dermatographia.

• Dermatographia treatment: what actually works

Frequently asked

Can you catch dermatographia from someone?

No. It isn't an infection and can't be passed between people.

Is dermatographia permanent?

Usually not. It often fades within a few years, though some people have it much longer. It tends to come and go in flares.

Why does my dermatographia come and go?

Stress, heat, illness, hormones and some medicines lower the skin's threshold for a while, so flares follow those periods.