Hi Ariana, I’ve been looking at your blogs and pictures recently, and i just love your work! Some of the patterns you create are just beautiful. Â Ive only had this condition about 3 years, and literally found out in the last few weeks what it was called. So as you can imagine I’m a sponge for information about it now! I have a positive outlook about it, i just think its kinda cool, even if its uncomfortable at times.Â
Anyway I just thought I’d connect and say hi, I’ve attached a couple of my skin pictures too. Be great to chat sometime.
Sarah x
I received this sweet email and cool photos from Sarah in the UK last week. When I wrote her back, I asked her a few questions about her experience of dermatographia.
Skin Tome (ST): Has having dermatographia caused you to feel embarrassed about your skin?
Sarah Beal (SB): Never felt embarrassed about my skin at all, it’s all part of what makes me, well… Me!
(ST): How has your experience of the condition changed now that you know what it is?
(SB): My experience has changed simply because I hadn’t realised until recently what I could do with it. Now I’m learning to love it.
(ST): Do you take any medication for it? If not, what do you do to manage the condition (if anything)?
(SB): I don’t take any medication at all. I’m quite anti medication unless it’s absolutely necessary. So I have learnt to just live with it.
(ST): Do you show people the cool things your skin does?
(SB): Yes I show people, and most love it!
(ST): What causes your skin to welt up, and what does it feel like?
(SB): Scratching usually is what causes the welts, only has to be very light scratching though. Then it starts to itch, a lot! For a minute or two, then it feels hot for a couple of minutes, after that it’s raised up and lasts about an hour.Â
(ST): Thanks Sarah! It’s an honor to have you as part of the Skin Tome community!
Images courtesy of Sarah Beal
2 Comments
Bailey Hawcroft-Hurst
on December 2, 2014 at 7:40 amHi, I’m a graphic design student and currently doing a project on dermatographia- it’d be great if i could meet with someone in the UK to talk to them about their skin and possibly take a few photographs if they were cool with it! Please get back to me asap and let me know, I think everything about this is so beautiful and rare. Thanks very much!
Ariana Page Russell
on December 3, 2014 at 1:09 pmHi Bailey! Thanks for the note. I don’t have anyone to send you to, but good luck on your project. Sounds interesting!