14 DAY TRIAL // A 43-year-old woman from Arley, Warwickshire, suffers from a rare condition that causes her skin to swell even at the slightest scratch. That allows her to draw anything on her skin and then just watch it vanish.
The patterns and images she makes on her skin look like something you’d draw on an Etch A Sketch and disappear within an hour.
Sarah Beal's skin is very sensitive due to a rare condition called dermatographia – one of the most common types of urticaria also known as “skin writing.” This skin disorder is seen in 4–5% of the world's population and it means that the skin becomes raised and inflamed when stroked, scratched or rubbed.
The root cause of dermographism is not known, but increased incidence has been observed following prolonged exposure to microwaves.
It is believed that dermatographia appears when the cells under the surface of the skin release histamines under the slightest pressure. This causes an itchy rash on the skin and triggers a type of allergic reaction. Symptoms can be induced or worsened by periods of anxiety, physical stress, heat, cold or anything that causes stress to the skin.
“My skin is so sensitive that sometimes even clothes can feel uncomfortable. I can scratch my arm or my back and long lines will come up,” Sarah said, according to the Mirror.
“But being able to draw on my skin is so cool – it’s my party trick. The Etch A Sketch comparison is pretty accurate, although I wish a good shake was enough to get rid of the itching,” she added.
The condition can be painful, but the woman also has fun with it by creating pictures that vanish soon enough without treatment. Just like on the Etch a Sketch toy, which was invented by Andre Cassagnes and lets you draw pictures using dials then make them disappear by shaking it.
Sarah, who runs The Sugar Sweet Cake Company, was diagnosed with the condition three years ago. Initially, it was a shock for her, as she thought her skin was getting more sensitive because of her age.
“I couldn’t believe it. I grabbed a spoon from my kitchen draw and with the handle I drew a heart on my arm. When I saw the heart appear on my skin, I loved it,” she said.
Although the condition can be treated by substances which prevent histamine from causing the reaction, the woman says she does not take regular medication to control her sensitive skin.