Ugh Hives

[Zaex]

Does anyone have any go-to recommendations or methods for hives. I believe mines are stress related but I could possibly be allergic to a new product (although the hives are only on my forehead). I have combination skin that’s often sensitive.

[WinglessOne]

@Zaex  I also have combo skin (though mine's mostly dry) that's fairly sensitive. I'm quite prone to inflammation, and certain ingredients give me itchy hives—especially benzoyl peroxide, which I can't use. I do also get stress related hives. To treat them, I usually take an antihistamine pill. If that's not enough to calm them down, I apply a hydrocortisone cream (I like Aveeno's because it also contains soothing oats); calamine lotion would also work. Sometimes I also need a cold compress. After those treatment steps, I apply a petrolatum-based balm (Aquaphor Ointment or CeraVe Healing Ointment; if you're sensitive to lanolin, skin Aquaphor and try CeraVe) to damp skin so I can heavily moisturize the area, which reduces irritation. 

If you frequently get hives on specific parts of your face or body and you haven't asked a doctor about them, I recommend doing that. You could have chronic hives that might be an immune system response, and you'll want a doc's help to figure out what's triggering it and how best to treat it. I have chronic hives on one side of my body that seem to come and go randomly, but what's causing mine might not be what's causing yours. 

[Zaex]

Thank you, I didn’t even think about antihistamines or hydrocortisone cream but it makes a lot of sense.