Many times!! I am the queen of “I’ve never seen this before” due to multiple rare conditions (such as a pre-cancerous subungual melanoma on my middle finger, which is typically found in black men, 50+, on a thumb or big toe) but diagnosing was tough. I had to sit for around an hour at Children’s Hospital telling them that “no, temperature does not change it. no, it’s not chlorine” because it’s so rare that they thought it was everything else!

Can you take an antihistamine to help with the symptoms?

How long do the hives last? How painful are they and how are u dealing with being allergic to water like what is the biggest impact it has on your life?

Would it be easier for you and still hygenic if you used a washcloth instead?

Is it something which is expected to get better, worse, or stay the same as you get older? Is it only pure water which causes this or is it everything, e.g would milk be different as it contains some fats and proteins?

I think humidity would only factor in if it made me sweat more, although I have noticed worse reactions in the summer.

No clue. I just know when I touch water, my skin isn’t happy.

Hmmm, good question. I remember when I was 9 or 10 complaining about being itchy after swimming in the ocean, but at that point we thought it was a hormonal/puberty thing (as my mom had a short phase of that type of thing around that age) and we didn’t go to a doctor until I was around 12-13 and I walked out of the shower one day and realized I was covered in red splotches and hives. Then, after a few different dermatology/allergist visits, I was formally diagnosed.

What causes the reaction? Like what is the official process behind it?

Does humidity factor into things at all? Do you have to use a dehumidifier in your room during wet summers?

Do you know why your body reacts that way?

I have the same condition and have always blamed some mental factors for it. But i am not 100% sure.

I was in the hospital once to get me checked after i got diagnosed and they invited the whole station to take a look at me because this is such a rare condition. I felt like a zoo animal. Did anything like this ever happen to you?

I can! Sometimes there’s little hives on the top of my feet (and my legs tend to be the itchiest, but there’s usually no hives???) It’s very fun. And honestly, I’m confused too.

When did u first notice it?

I stay inside if possible, and I always have an umbrella. Of course, being wet at some point is unavoidable, so I just take the reaction and bear it lol.

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Shower and suffer. I don’t trade in hygiene for comfort. I try to shower every other day though, to avoid bad reactions, but in the summer it’s every day. Washing my hair adds time to showers and the dripping afterwards adds time to drying off, so I try to only wash my hair two times a week (luckily my hair is naturally not super oily.)

It's confusing. You can wash your hands, that doesn't trigger the allergy, but water on your back and chest trigger it. Sounds fun. Can you wash your feet?

I don’t think I’ve noticed that, no. I think that perhaps my skin would be a little pink at most, but that likely amounts to my skin just being sensitive.

What do you do when it rains ?

How do you shower/bathe yourself?

Do alcohol based wipes have the same effect?

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Is the opposite of surreal ma'amfake?

Yeah, who knows. TIL. I really thought that word had fallen out of use, but it's easy to forget how much language varies.

Maybe it was just more likely in the industries I've worked in with lots of expatriates (Information/Tech focused work, Game development, Oil Industry) or in certain regions.