Can Stress Trigger Skin Rashes?

When you’re stressed, it's normal to experience certain physical effects like muscle and jaw tension, headaches, indigestion, and disturbed sleep. However, what you may not expect is for stress to present on your skin in the form of an itchy, tingly rash. 

A stress rash almost always appears in the form of hives. It is more likely to happen if you have a preexisting inflammatory skin condition or autoimmune disorder. 

Here, our expert team explains how stress can trigger acute (short-term) hives and discusses treatment options we may recommend when you seek relief for your rash at Latham Dermatology in Latham, New York. 

Understanding stress rashes 

Stress rashes are common.

Why they happen

Hives are a physical manifestation of your body’s internal attempt to cope with increased pressure, worry, or tension. These intense emotions trigger the release of the inflammatory stress hormone cortisol, which prompts the release of histamine. 

Histamine is an immune system chemical that helps fight off infection (among other functions). Histamine is also what your body releases during an allergic reaction when your immune system is overreacting to an otherwise harmless substance like pollen. 

However, when your body releases histamine in response to stress, it doesn’t cause itchy eyes, sneezing, and a runny nose as it would during a seasonal allergy reaction. Instead, it causes inflammation and itchiness in your skin tissues.

What they look like

Histamine-driven inflammation doesn’t just make your skin itchy — it can also cause leakage from the tiny blood subcutaneous vessels. As this blood pools just beneath your skin, it forms visible welts across the skin’s surface. The resulting hives may:

• Appear as raised, itchy bumps of varying size
• Look like slightly raised, swollen red or pink patches 
• Form in several clusters of tiny dots or large welts 
• Cause uncomfortable burning or tingling sensations

Stress-induced hives can be made worse by warmer temperatures, which is something of an annoying irony, given that stress itself can induce elevated body temperatures. 

Who’s prone to stress rashes?

While anyone can develop a stress rash, they’re more common in women. They also tend to affect people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s more so than adolescents and older adults. 

If you have allergies — especially if hives have been part of your allergic reactions in the past — you’re more vulnerable to stress-induced hives. You’re also more likely to get them if you have an inflammatory skin condition like eczema, rosacea, or acne. 

In fact, in cases where another skin condition is present, stress may trigger a flare of that condition in addition to the hive welts it causes.  

Lastly, one in five people (20%) who develop chronic stress-induced hives also have some type of autoimmune disorder, such as lupus, thyroid disease, or rheumatoid arthritis.  

Relief for stress-induced hives

Fortunately, stress-induced hives often resolve in 1-2 days as your body systems calm and your histamine levels decline. In the meantime, you can get relief by: 

• Taking an OTC anti-itch medication (antihistamine) 
• Applying a cloth-covered ice pack to soothe inflammation
• Using a topical lotion with a cooling agent like menthol
• Wearing loose, smooth cotton clothing that isn’t scratchy
• Taking a cool bath with baking soda to relieve itchiness
• Taking comfortably cool showers several times each day 
• Avoiding overheating — protect your skin from the sun
• Avoiding alcohol and caffeine, which can worsen hives

If your stress rash lasts longer than a few days despite your efforts, schedule a visit with our team. We can take a closer look at what may be going on and develop a plan to ease your symptoms and clear your skin.  

Finally, if you frequently feel stressed or anxious, look for healthy ways to calm your nerves and emotions. Daily exercise, mindfulness practices, breathing exercises, spending time outdoors, and finding ways to connect with others are just a few stress-reducing strategies that can help you prevent stress rash recurrence. 

Dealing with a worrisome rash? We can help. Call or click online to schedule a visit with our team at Latham Dermatology in Latham, New York, today.