What Do Hives Look Like

And What to Do About Them!

What do hives look like? Learn how to tell whether you have hives, see our hives photos and discover natural hives treatment options.

It is not uncommon when a rash breaks out on our skin for people to tell us "it's just hives", but what do they look like? How do we know if the rash we have is hives? Or what caused it? Or what we should do about it?

What are Hives?

Hives appear as a result of an allergic reaction to something you may have eaten, inhaled or brushed against your skin. It is your body's way of fighting back against the irritant and appears as a very itchy rash.

The rash appears quickly and disappears just as fast, usually within 24 hours.

Hives do not always appear in the same spot and a breakout of hives is not, in most cases, a serious condition. It can, however, be very annoying and worth finding out what is causing them.

On rare occasions hives can create breathing problems, depending on the severity of the allergic reaction and medical treatment should be sought immediately.

What do hives look like? In most cases hives appear as small, red, itchy welts that look like mosquito bites. They are slightly raised with flat tops and can vary in size. See some hives photos and also .

Hives can be very small or large enough to cover a large area of your body. In most cases hives will disappear quickly. If they keep reappearing, it is time to consult with a physician or a natural health practitioner, and try to find out what is causing the hives.

What Happens When You Get a Hives Breakout?

A break out of hives can be extremely itchy and annoying! They often arise completely out of the blue and can, therefore, be a very unsettling experience. The first break out may be frightening as well.

If you are prone to hives you may find the breakout of hives uncomfortable and embarrassing. You just want your red, itchy, blotchy skin to go away. Their presence causes stress and stress only aggravates the hives. There are things you can do to prevent and treat hives.

Once you have the answer to "what do hives look like?" you are on your way to doing what you can to prevent future breakouts.

The best hives treatment is to discover your hives causes, and to eliminate those irritants from your daily life. In many cases you may not be able to figure it out right away.

Hives Causes

Hives are often caused by food allergies. Determining what food it is may be a bit difficult but by using a process of elimination diet you can often discover what it is. You can have tests done but they are often expensive and time consuming so if you can figure out the cause yourself it will save you money.

A breakout of hives can also be caused by medications. If you recently started a new medication, ask your doctor if there is another option.

Other culprits are infections, insect bites, exposure to extreme temperatures, hot or cold, chemicals, food additives, cleaning products, cosmetics and even hot water. Even stress can bring on an outbreak of hives. Learn more about causes of hives .

When you answer the question, "what do hives look like?" then you can decide whether or not your rash is in fact hives.

Tips for Hives Treatment

While you are investigating your hives causes, there are a few things you can do to be more comfortable and to help your body clear the hives.

• Treat the rash with cold compresses to relieve the itching.

• Take an oatmeal bath to reduce the redness and soothe your skin.

• Wear loose clothing

• Avoid hot baths or showers

• Avoid the sun and excessive heat

• Do what you can to decrease your stress

• Drink plenty of pure water to help your body eliminate the allergens and irritants from your system.

• Eliminate toxins from your environment, your body and your skin care and personal care products.

  My free eBook Clear Any Skin Problem Naturally has a simple, five step program to help you to detoxify and clear your skin.

New Approaches to Hives Treatment

One of the challenges of having sensitive skin is that sometimes the hives medecine you take to get rid of the rash can actually make the problem worse! Each of us has a unique body and what works for one person may simply not work for another.

If you've tried home remedies and other natural hives treatments and you are still plagues by breakouts, you may want to try homeopathic hives treatments.

Homeopathic remedies can be a great solution for those of us with sensitive skin. Why? They help the body to clear up the skin rash without the side effects often encountered by using medicines or even herbal remedies.

If the remedy doesn't work for you, the worse thing that happens is that you return it for a refund. This is a gentler and safer approach for those of us that tend to have bad reactions to medicines or even herbal remedies.

One of the best homeopathic remedies I've seen for hives is Hive Away which acts quickly to stop the redness and itching, and is safe enough even for pregnant and nursing mothers.