Sketch': Mother has rare condition which means she can DRAW on her skin and watch it disappear in an hour
A mother-of-five has a rare skin condition which means she can draw on her own skin and watch it disappear - like an Etch a Sketch.
Sarah Beal, 43, from Arley, Warwickshire, has such sensitive skin that the slightest scratch can cause it to swell.
But she has also realised that the condition - known as dermatographia - allows her to create patterns and pictures on her skin which disappear within an hour.
Dermographism or 'skin writing' is a type of urticaria, or hives - where a raised, itchy rash appears on the skin.
Ms Beal said: 'My skin is so sensitive that sometimes even clothes can feel uncomfortable.
“When I lie in bed, the quilt can feel like needles pressing into me.
'I can scratch my arm or my back and long lines will come up on my arms where I’ve scratched.
'But I think being able to draw on my skin is so cool - it’s my party trick.
She added: 'The etch a sketch comparison is pretty accurate - although I wish a good shake was enough to get rid of the itching.'
Dermatographia is thought to be caused when the cells under the surface of the skin release histamines under the slightest pressure.
Histamines are chemicals released in the body as part of an allergic reaction, causing the skin to swell.
Ms Bell only discovered her dermatographia just three years ago.
She said: 'It just came out of nowhere. At first I just thought my skin was getting more sensitive as I got older.
'I’d scratched my skin one day and it got all itchy and raised, but it was nothing serious enough to do anything about.
'But as it got worse I knew something wasn’t quite right - I could give my back a scratch and before I knew it my skin would turn red and be really painful.
'Eventually I Googled the condition and I just couldn’t believe it.'
She also discovered the unusual quirk of her condition just by chance.
She said: 'I don’t know why I thought of it, but after seeing my skin raise at the slightest touch, I wondered if I could draw on it.
More article and pictures at link:
Read more:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2573639/Im-human-Etch-Sketch-Mother-rare-condition-means-DRAW-skin-watch-disappear-hour.html#ixzz2v6YwEiDA Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook