Home Remedies for Hives
WARNING: This home remedies site is intended to be archival in nature. The natural remedies here are submitted by numerous people from around the world, and we have no way to test or verify every remedy. As such these home remedies should be used for academic purposes only. Never use any home remedy or other self treatment without being advised to do so by a physician.
NOTICE: This page was generated previously and may not be up to date. To view the most recent page, go to the dynamically generated version of the Hives home remedies page.
Hives Home Remedies:
Submitted at 2012-05-05 03:16:11
I have had hives twice in my life and I know the horrible itching and burning sensation. I found a method from the internet that relieves the itch immediately but temporarily. Just use your blow dryer on the area that is itching. It feels amazing. Within seconds the itch is gone. The itch will return until the hives have diminished, so the other remedies listed on this website would be good to try also. But if you can't stand the itching one more second, get your blow dryer out for immediate relief. I think I would have gone insane if I hadn't tried this, the itch was so bad.
rating: 8 (2 votes)
Submitted by lw at 2010-09-14 19:35:45
I have hives and when they inflame, I soak for several minutes in an epsom salt bath and it goes away for most of the day. I do have to do it again in the morning but it soothes in such a short time.
rating: 7 (5 votes)
Submitted at 2005-05-26 14:08:23
Make a paste with 2 cups of oatmeal and 3 tablespoons of cornstarch. Add a little water to make it into a paste. Apply to affected area for 15-30 minutes. It dries the hives up within a couple of hours.
rating: 7 (67 votes)
Submitted at 2004-07-17 02:36:20
Drink tea made with a couple teaspoons of powdered stinging nettles (add honey and/or lemon for flavor).
rating: 7 (6 votes)
Submitted by Amy at 2012-01-15 02:27:44
I got hives about two years ago and got the again. I don't know what causes them though.
I have tried some remedies though.
1) Epsom Salt Bath
it helps a lot. Cool water with about two cups of epsom salt is perfect.
2) Baby Oil
Massagimg it into my skin worked well. The redness disappeared and itching stopped. What i recommed is to do it twice a day and put extra on the redder and puffier areas.
rating: 7 (6 votes)
Submitted at 2007-05-15 01:11:30
I have had severe hives and the only remedy I have found EXTREMELY helpful is applying ice cubes or an ice pack DIRECTLY to the hive. When the hives are extreme, and are very warm, the cold ice is the only thing that takes away the itch, and ice is proven to repel histamines. I am still searching for a remedy I can take with me! But if you have access to ice or a frozen bag of fruit, it will give instant relief and take the swelling down fast.
rating: 6 (41 votes)
Submitted by Kirstin at 2012-04-14 19:44:51
Last night at about 3am, I found this page and I amsender ally grateful. I have been broken out in hives for about 5 days now. I've been covered over my entire body at one point or another, and was, literally, being driven insane by it. I read all the previous comments and chose the only one I had in the house at 3am (apple cider vinegar). And it worked! Don't get me wrong, it was excruciating when the vinegar hit the broken skin, but I followed it with an ice cold shower and it's been improving all day. I FINALLY feel like it might be coming to an end....Thanks!
rating: 6 (3 votes)
Submitted at 2005-11-01 13:26:55
Take an Ice cold shower or bath and sit in front of a fan on high for about five minutes. wear thin clothes like a t shirt and sleeping pants/shorts. works every time for me!
rating: 6 (48 votes)
Submitted by dawnie at 2009-06-19 17:14:53
hello all! I've been covered with hives now for about four days! Been to the ER 3 times and urgent care once. I was prescribed steroids and given shots but these things won't get rid of it but rather just gives you a little break; I was told by the Doctors that Hives just needs to run it's course. In the meantime I have tried everything to alleviate the pain/itching. The oatmeal remedy mentioned here does really help for about an hour or so, but it's super messy. I tried vinegar and that gives a little relief as well. But the thing that I found really helped was Fels-Naptha. Old timers probably remember it, and what I recalled is that as a child,mom used it if we had gotten into poison ivy and it took the itch away immediately. Luckily I had some so I gave it a try and it worked! For those who don't know, Fels-Naptha is an old fashioned 'heavy duty Laundry bar soap' (says on the wrapper). It may be hard to find but its out there (I think I got mine at Home Depot) Anyway, it's a large rectangular soap and what I did was wet one end with water and rubbed it on the affected areas like a roll-on and did not rinse it off. It lasts about 2-3 hours and smells much better than vinegar and isnt messy like oatmeal. It does say on the wrapper that it is a skin irritant and 'to avoid prolonged contact with skin' so you might want to try just a tiny area to see if it bothers you at all. Anyway, my family has used it for years to take itch away and it's always been fine, and even better, it took away the itch from my hives and the swelling went down. Good luck!
rating: 6 (8 votes)
Submitted by KE at 2010-09-16 12:38:03
Chronic Urticaria
Mix 2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, and 10-15 drops of Oregano oil, smooth over entire area. Of all the things I have tried, this is the best. You may spend 30.00 for the Oregano oil, but we spend more on other attempts for relief and antihistamines.
rating: 6 (2 votes)
Submitted by Roger Handley at 2006-01-24 23:59:34
I suffered from outbreaks of hives for years. I still have white scars on my forearms where I scratched without relief. The dermatologist told me that stress was the problem, but the stress ended and the hives continued. I finally kept a journal of where I went, what I did, and what I ate each day. Eventually I discovered that drinking tea was the cause of my hives. If I drink tea for several days, I have hives; if not, I don't. It wasn't easy finding the cause, but living without hives is a blessing!
rating: 6 (15 votes)
Submitted by Tracey at 2011-03-24 18:55:26
this is going to sound really strange, but the only thing that takes the itch out of my hives is holding a blow dryer to them! Does anyone know why???
rating: 6 (15 votes)
Submitted by Stephanie at 2011-03-15 14:49:36
Entire body hives from scalp to bottoms of feet; think caused by a prescription med for my colon. Made mistake of taking a warm bath with soda. Do not do that! It made matters MUCH worse. Went to E.R., got steroid shot which helped for about 2-3 hrs at the expense of $500. Then took 3 doses of the E.R. prescribed Prednisone tablets. At the most, I got 1-2 hrs of relief after waiting over an hour for it to 'kick in' at all. Quit that after 3 doses although rx was for 9 doses. The risks of taking it WAY outweighed any benefit. During the first 3 days, ice packs are the ONLY thing that gave me any relief at all, but it is impossible to keep ice packs on your entire body. On my fourth day since this started, I was as bad or worse off than the beginning; at this point, I took a cool shower (no soap), patted dry, applied Caladryl lotion to every square inch of my body affected, dried the lotion with a blow-dryer set on cool, dressed in lightweight cotton pj's. I then took 1 generic Claritin antihistamine tablet, 2 generic Zantac (75 mg each) (although it's for stomach ailments, the e.r. doc said it has an H-2 blocker which can help with allergies, hives), and 2 extra strength Tylenol (I cannot take Advil because of a colon condition, but if you can take it might work as well as Tylenol) (I also cannot stand to take Benadryl, it gives me restless leg syndrome, but if you can take it might be as effective as the Claritin). Since then I have sat very still so that my clothes or movement are not aggravating the hives. I have now had about 3 hrs. of total relief, which is more than I had combined relief since the beginning. If it flares up again (which I assume it probably will for a few more times) I intend to take the Claritin and the Zantac every 12 hrs. and the Tylenol and Caladryl as needed.
rating: 6 (10 votes)
Submitted at 2010-09-03 14:49:29
With the swine flu scare I discovered a great remedy for the itching of hives: antibacterial gel! I just apply it once or, at most, twice after the itchiness starts, and it is gone in a few minutes.
rating: 6 (14 votes)
Submitted by GP at 2011-04-13 23:17:49
I have had Hives, and found that a simple remedy to fade it away within 5 mins. This is to put some Apple Cider Vinegar in a spray bottle and spray the effected areas. It may burn a little at first but the Hives will fade away within 5 Mins. This treatment repeated will dry the hives, and cause them to go away much quicker than anything I've tried. It's cheap, and at the grocery store.
rating: 6 (18 votes)
Submitted by T2theC at 2011-06-27 17:15:23
my suggestions
oil or vaseline
i believe in part the oil shuts and closes the pores suffocating the reaction and it forces the reaction/poison/infection to seep out...vaseline creates a like barrier too albeit a messy goopy one.
i also like oatmeal baths i use aveeno with colloidal oatmeal...actually they make a few products geared for itchy skin
i have my mattress encased in an allergy cover, i vacuum all the time
i wear socks,slippers, never barefoot,wash everything regularly
i avoid tap water
my air is always on at night
i have no idea why i get hives i get them usually at night Ive had them for 7 years on and off they control my life when they are not in remission
thank you for all the advice i am learning!
rating: 6 (12 votes)
Submitted by Anonymous at 2010-08-20 22:26:46
Calamine lotion is an effective remedy for hives. It will help relieve the itch. Also, if you know what triggers it, you can try an allergy drug - antihistamine. A dose of antihistamine can prevent or minimize hives.
rating: 5 (4 votes)
Submitted by Thomas at 2012-03-06 12:07:29
I had a massive breakout in hives for no reason at all. Just poped up one morning. Went to the doctor got tons of prescriptions; Dephenhydramine (Benadryl), Famotidine, Hydoxyzine HCL, Prednisone, OTC allergy Meds, Vitamins, and a strick diet, along with topical cream 2% Diphenhydramine. None on this worked on me, I began to get concerned that it was never going to go away. On about the 4th day I tried a mixture of the following;
1. Emu Oil
2. Calamine anti itch (together with the emu oil) helped with the itching and swelling
3. GARLIC CLOVES! The only one that really worked. (split the garlic in half and rub the actual garlic on the hives. Do not be shy with it!)
4. Top it all off with Vaseline and continuously rub it in.
Felt them finally going away that night when i was trying to sleep. The morning came and so far so good. No hives anywhere that I put the garlic and emu oil along with vaseline.
Trust me GIVE IT A TRY!
rating: 5 (8 votes)
Submitted at 2004-07-17 02:40:12
Bathe with a few cups of finely ground oatmeal, a cup or two of chamomile, and under a cup of baking soda.
rating: 5 (23 votes)
Submitted by Candle at 2010-06-08 17:30:07
I have tried ice and it works perfectly but it is not always practical so I bought this menthol analgesic ice gel from the dollar store it is supposed to provide an ice cold feeling to soothe pain. I applied on a small area first to test it and it was fine. After a minute of covering the whole area with the gel, it started to get cold and all the pain, itching and swelling were gone. Of course, I had to use it few hours later and before I slept again but it was so easy to use and next day the hoves was almost gone
rating: 5 (12 votes)
Submitted by Liz Hammond at 2011-06-25 09:49:02
I started getting hives about 6 weeks ago after starting new medication. I went on this web-site and tried several remedies including applecider vinegar.....only helped a little. Tried Nettle tea...only helped a little...same with Calamine lotion and an anti-itch spray called 'Tecnu' with Calendula. What worked SO WELL for me was making a paste of fine ground oatmeal and cornstarch ( 3 to 1 conc.). I leave it on area about an hour....swelling and itch decreased considerably. Hope this helps anyone out there suffering from this. Getting Hives awful....red, swollen, insanely itchy !!!
rating: 5 (14 votes)
Submitted by Katie at 2007-12-31 22:52:23
okay, i got the hives after trying a benzoyl peroxide acne wash and here's what i did to get rid of them and it's pretty specific. This dude on yahoo! answers told me how he used vinegar when he bathed on his hives, and then another chick told me peanut butter. So i did both. When i showered i just poured some vinegar on my hives. It stung at first, but only for a minute or so. I rubbed it in for about 10 minutes. I got out and made sure it was dry and kept it that way for about 10 more minutes. Then i put some peanut butter on the hives and kept it there for about an hour. I scrubbed it off and went to sleep. The next morning, the hives werent altogether gone, but way less red and less noticable. Then the next night i did the same thing, but it didnt help, so i recommend not doing this 2 nights in a row. Now today, i tried my own theory: a baby powder paste. You put some water (not alot, about a 1/2 tbs full) and add baby powder and mix til pasty. Three poofs out of the bottle of powder should do it. Then take an old toothbrush and scrub the paste on the hives. Not only does it get rid of the itch, but makes the area smooth and not red! Do this for about 10 minutes, then rub with hands into skin until whiteness of powder is almost unnoticable. Keep on skin for hour under shirt, or longer, i have had no problem with this unless you are allergic to talc. Then rinse or shower off.
i just want to say thank you to everyone who helped! and i hope i could help someone with this also!
rating: 5 (6 votes)
Submitted by connie at 2005-02-21 04:36:11
If you get hives, rub some non-scented (store-bought) baby oil. Your hives will go away right before your eyes.
I get bad hives and the doctors medicines never worked...only after a couple of hours. I went to see an OLD herbalist and she just rubbed simple baby oil on me and it disappeared right away.
rating: 5 (88 votes)
Submitted by Sandy at 2011-05-07 00:17:48
Chronic hives for three years caused by stress.Tried Benadryl, nothing. Tried Zyrtec 1 tablet daily for a year then every other day and now down to 1/4 Zyrtec every other day. If I miss a dose I break out again. With face, neck swelling I am afraid to go off the meds entirely. Small amount of Zytrec works and is cheap. Good luck to you who are affected!
rating: 5 (10 votes)
Submitted at 2011-12-07 08:55:20
Keeping area cold using ice pack, keeping body cool by wearing natural materials and cool showers, keeping area out of sunlight, bathing in ocean water and if not available bathing area in cool purified water with plenty of sea salt (unbleached) but the best and quickest solution i have found is apply pure good quality lavender oil directly - i did this twice in one day and they just disappeared by the end of the day
rating: 5 (11 votes)
Submitted by anjali sharma at 2010-09-13 04:06:32
Home remedies for hives:
Bath therapy for hives: A cool refreshing bath always works wonders in case of hives. The best method is to add some tablespoons of cornstarch and few spoons of oatmeal.
Tea therapy for hives: Stress is also known to trigger the onset of hives in a person whose family has a predilection for it. If you suspect that emotional stress has triggered the condition of hives, then it is recommended to take soothing sips of herbal tea.
Acupressure for hives: Some patients have found acupressure to be extremely relieving in terms of getting rid of hives. Deep massaging and putting the right pressure the trapezius muscle between neck and shoulder till it actually hurts, is found to reduce the onset of hives.
Cool compressions: Compressing the hives affected area with cold compressions is again an effective way of getting rid of the problem.
Calamine lotions or Benadryl are common anti-histamine drugs that are easily available in the home.
rating: 5 (7 votes)
Submitted by aNgel . at 2008-07-15 06:17:16
Im a young teenage girl and i got hives recently. I dont know what i got it from , i read in this natural cures book that a way to cure or relieve hives is by drinking 2-3 cups of nettle leaves and dandellion tea everyday . I've been drinking it everyday . Right after i drink the tea, my hives go away and i havent had an outbreak or anything eversince. Even those little bumpy marks from old hives outbreak are almost all gone! please, please dont scratch no matter how itchy as it may worsen and spread, scratching will also leave scars and tiny, dry bumps . Hope this helps in someway !
rating: 5 (15 votes)
Submitted by Cass at 2010-08-20 22:22:19
I have suffered from chronic hives for the last 15 years. I have recently found St. Ives body wash in oatmeal shea butter use it in a cold shower it helps for 4 or 5 hours. Also a cold bath with a gallon of milk dumped in it soak in it for a half hour or so. It also helps for 4 or 5 hours.
rating: 5 (4 votes)
Submitted at 2011-04-27 19:02:40
I've got chronic hives for last 5 years. Once it flares up, not only you have to bear with itchiness but also start to deal with stress and frustration. Home remedies help only for short period of time, within 4-5 hours later it will appear again.In my experience, the best thing is to take 25 mg atarax (hydroxine)tablet, cut into 1/5(5mg) and take 5mg dose daily.I take one tablet for 5 days, helps save money on medicine plus low side effects and no more hives.
rating: 5 (10 votes)
Submitted by Dania at 2011-07-27 03:49:32
If you think you are suspected with Hives, Go and see the doctor, take your blood test to see whether you are infected with H.pylori . this bacteria could be one of the problem for hives to appear. I had Hives for 3 months i didnt have a clue of what cause it. i tried many remedies. Took Blood test and saw the results infected with H.Pylori. went for 7 days treatment. within the 5th day the hives began to dissapear. And now i dont have it anymore. Hope this works for you.
rating: 5 (7 votes)
Submitted at 2003-11-07 17:47:18
Apply aloe vera gel or vitamin E oil to the affected area twice a day.
rating: 4 (58 votes)
Submitted at 2011-12-04 21:10:54
I've gotten hives from acidic foods and scented lotions/skin products my entire life that would cover my entire body and usually last around 3 weeks and although I have tried everything. Claritan used to carry Claritan Hives which worked the best but they discontinued its production. And yes tempid oatmeal baths and staying cool helps. However I have found that soaking in the ocean or a pool nearly eliminated my hives within 1-2 days. There is something about the cold water combined with the salt or chlorine that completely sucks all the toxins out of my welts and they stop itching for hours and after usually 2 soaks they are completely gone. I highly recomend everyone try it. DO NOT SOAK IN THE HOT TUB, the heat makes them far more irritated.
rating: 4 (14 votes)
Submitted by Angie at 2007-07-10 14:44:13
Hi, my name is Angie, and unfortunately I suffer from the horrible allergic reaction, hives. I don't know if this will work for everyone, but try using GOld Bond Extra Strength (comes in a green bottle). After 5-10 minutes of applying it, the hives will almost completely disappear, and the itching and swelling will stop also. On the other hand, they may come back, so taking a good over the counter medicine along with the GOld Bond may keep them from coming back (unless you're exposed to what you're allergic to again). Hope I helped at least a little :).
rating: 4 (8 votes)
Submitted at 2003-11-07 17:47:18
Take cayenne pepper in capsule form to aid the healing process.
rating: 4 (32 votes)
Submitted at 2003-11-07 17:47:18
Take vitamin C, vitamin E, and zinc to help heal.
rating: 4 (19 votes)
Submitted at 2005-10-24 02:44:37
chickweed ointment is the only thing i've foung that actually get rid of the itch chickweed,peppermint,almond oil,and beeswax
rating: 4 (13 votes)
Submitted at 2012-01-18 10:11:25
I break out in hives from foods like strawberries (the worst!) , tomatoes, and oranges (even if people are eating them around me). I find the best remedies are taking an antihistamine, and if I don't have any, ibuprophen, and using a paste of baking soda and water, and applying this to the affected regions (or adding about 1 cup to lukewarm bathwter and soaking).
rating: 4 (9 votes)
Submitted by Beth at 2006-09-26 01:02:00
Consider a homeopathic remedy( like cures like), and you can get these over the counter at a natural health food/supplement/herb store. The remedy Urtica Urens(Urt-u) 30c potency is a good match if you have at least 4 of these symptoms:
Rash-burning, itching, stinging
With-joint pain
Better-rubbing
Worse-heat, night
Look for Borion(manufacturer).
Works great, no side effects, because if it isn't your match it does nothing at all!
rating: 4 (7 votes)
Submitted by Michele at 2010-11-08 00:19:17
Hives covered my torso, and a few on my face, swelling my lips and eyes. This was happening several times per week, triggered, I believe by stress.:
The remedy that WORKED:m twice a day I made a tea with Aluminum FREE baking soda (bought on internet) and organic cider vinegar. Use a teaspoon of the baking soda, two tablespoons of the vinegar and mix with warm water. I also added some honey--I cut way back on sugar, started exercising 20 minutes, four times a week and took a handful of vitamins--C, D, omega fatty, enzimes, multi vitamin. I have only had a couple of hives in the past two weeks. Oh--I also bought some ph paper and noticed before the tea my sytem was very acidy---and it started to balance--so there you go--All the other remedies for what to do when you actually have a big outbreak is great--but they won't go away if your ph in your body is not balanced.
rating: 4 (13 votes)
Submitted by anjali sharma at 2010-09-10 05:25:31
1.Add a few drops of grapefruit seed extract in a teaspoon of vegetable oil or olive oil. Apply this mixture over the affected area for lessening or eliminating hives. This mixture will also reduce itching of the hives.
2.The most popular and efficient way to treat hives would be a cool showers or bath.
rating: 4 (2 votes)
Submitted by urkidding at 2011-01-27 15:42:21
Just wanted previous submitters to know - thank you so much for the suggestions. I bought a bar of Fels-
Naptha soap at the grocery store and washed my hives very well. Then I put on the generic icy-hot. It burned so badly for a couple of minutes and then my skin got super cold. It stayed cold and itch free for a long time. I was able to sleep without taking the stong ( rx ) antihistamine which causes drowsiness the next day. THANK YOU again !!! :)
rating: 3 (8 votes)
Submitted at 2006-05-29 17:16:15
Take a swim in a cool pool. The cholorine will take the itch out and help the hives disappear within a few hours!
rating: 3 (20 votes)
Submitted by Anne at 2011-12-03 17:36:56
So I guess I am what you would call a chronic hive sufferer. My first major out break was about 8 years ago when, during allergy season a small area exploded to covering my entire torso. After a heaving two week prescription of Prednisone, they went away, but the itching did not every fully leave nor did a small residual area of hives - mostly concentrated in areas where I sweated and the skin couldn't breath (i.e. along the belt line). Not long afterward, as a pilot I started a job that had me working 7 days on, with 7 days off. It was during the time off that I noticed my hives would improve a bit. I was talking to a friend who worked for a natural doctor and joked that maybe I was allergic to my own sweat. At her recommendation, I started taking a vitamin B stress supplement and something called Liver Force (they recently changed names, and I wish I could recall what the new name is, but my local herbal health food store was able to figure out what I was talking about - maybe New Life or something like that... a purple box with a picture of the liver on it or something...). Anyway, any liver helper supplement will do. When the hives were bad I would take those up to 3-4 pills a day, but weaned myself so that only when the hives broke out (during allergy seasons or stressful work periods). Recently I am finding it is less effective. But if you feel like your hives may be closely connected to stressful periods of your body, give a college try.
rating: 3 (6 votes)
Submitted by leela at 2008-09-14 03:27:44
To help calm hives while your body gets rid of whatever substance that caused them, you can try remedy to help reduce swelling. I got the idea from another home remedy for mosquito bites, where posters said that putting tape over a mosquito bite stops itching and swelling.
I get hives on my face a lot, for some unknown reason, and rather than using tape which probably has some nasty chemicals in it, I use tissue paper. What you do is you take two pieces of double-sheet tissue paper (plain unscented kind) and rip out a square the size of the affected area. Take both pieces together and wet it down until it is soggy but don't crumple it up. Carefully place the tissue over the affected area, making sure theres no air bubbles. The tissue paper should stick to the skin, causing enough surface tension to stop the skin from expanding (swelling) further and as the water evaporates it will cool the skin which will also help the swelling and itching.
The key here is to get it on early, before the swelling gets too bad, and wet the tissue once it dries out.
It works best on hives that are spread out, 1 piece per hive. You can also apply something under the tissue paper to keep the skin from drying out (your natural skin oil is water-soluble so your skin can dry out under the tissue). I like to use emu oil for its anti-inflammatory properties. To further speed the process, sit in front of a fan. This is not the fastest remedy in the world; it needs at least 30 minutes to work and sometimes longer if the swelling is bad, but its something that can help overnight if you do it before you go to sleep.
rating: 3 (5 votes)
Submitted by Rain at 2011-12-18 17:46:26
Combine aloe vera scraped from the plant leaf; aluminum free baking soda; apple cider vinegar in a blender. Blend until you have a light paste. You can apply it directly on the hives and let it dry. Cover and refrigerate the rest of the mixture and apply the following days until hives are gone. It will take the swelling and itch away almost completely after a few hours and begin to reduce the activity of the hives. I also increased my supplement intake of vitamin C; magnesium, D3 and Omega 3's. I also fasted on fresh fruits and vegetable juices only. My hives came from an additive in Vanilla Flavoring. I felt an almost instant reaction like a heat rush once I consumed the additive. Then I began to itch. Simultaneously, I wore a brand new sweater that irritated the very mild hives I got from the additive. By end of day, since I was unable to remove the sweater at work, I had a full blown case of very bad hives, complete with itch, welts, irritation. Ugh! I didn't do much to them at first because I only had hives one other time in my life and my body typically heals very quickly. So I figured they would just go away in a day r two. But they lingered and the inflammation continued. So I had to get serious and this concoction was made from ingredients in I already had and it's working!
rating: 2 (5 votes)
Copyright © 2003-2004 - Webmaster