Why is My Hand Breaking out in Hives?

You may also hear it as: “My whole hand has broken out in hives”. This is a common cause for concern. In this article, we are going to look at why this reaction happens and what steps you can take to reduce the itching.

So you’re sitting at work and your hand starts breaking out in hives. Don’t panic! Hives, itchiness, or swelling of any kind on the body can be alarming, but the good news is that it’s rarely dangerous. Here I’m going to take you through what happens to cause a hive, how to tell if it’s serious, and what to do about it (if anything).

Why is My Hand Breaking out in Hives?

The short answer is that you’re allergic to the soap you used.

The longer answer: it’s a little more complicated than that.

When you wash your hands with soap, the soap breaks down proteins in your skin. This can cause an allergic reaction in some people they’ll break out in hives. The most common allergens are perfumes, preservatives and additives, fragrances (natural or synthetic), lanolin and vegetable oils, detergents, dyes and colorants (including FD&C Red 40), rubber latex (latex gloves), balsam of Peru (a tree extract), cocamide DEA, polyethylene glycols (PEGs), propylene glycols (PGs), glycerin; sodium lauryl sulfate; sodium Laureth sulfate; triethanolamine salts; and many other ingredients in cosmetics and personal care products!

If you’ve never reacted to this, it can be scary. But there are a few reasons why your hand might break out in hives and they’re all pretty normal!

You might be having an allergic reaction to something you’re touching or eating. If you’re allergic to penicillin, for example, your body will react by breaking out in hives.

You may have a condition called dermatographia, which causes the skin on your hands to become very sensitive and easily break out in hives.

If you’re stressed out about something, it can cause a physical reaction in your body. The stress hormone cortisol is released when your body is under stress and it can cause hives as well as other symptoms like headaches or nausea.