How to make hives go away fast

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated September 16, 2024

Contributions sourced from

15 Ways to Get Rid of Hives

You may be able to relieve hives with home remedies, including aloe vera or an oatmeal bath, and over-the-counter products. But a doctor may need to treat severe or chronic hives.

Hives (urticaria) are a rash on your body. Identifying what triggered your hives is crucial to preventing them from happening again. If you can identify the trigger, you can avoid contact with it.

Although hives are often associated with allergic reactions, they can also occur due to:

Hives generally fade within 24 hours and dont require treatment.

However, you should seek immediate medical attention if you experience any of the following:

dizziness
swelling in your throat or face
difficulty breathing

These may indicate a severe allergic reaction and require emergency care.

If your hives are milder, continue reading to learn how to ease any discomfort and speed up the healing process.

Some remedies and other products may cause a skin reaction. Its best to do a skin patch test before applying.

In most cases, home remedies can help you find relief. Here are a few ways to soothe itchy skin:

Use a cold compress

Applying something cool to your skin can help relieve irritation and swelling. To do this, grab a bag of frozen veggies or wrap a handful of ice in a towel and apply it to the affected area for up to 10 minutes. Repeat as needed throughout the day.

Take a bath with an anti-itch solution

There are several products you can add to a bath to relieve itching. These include colloidal oatmeal or one or two handfuls of baking soda.

Learn more: How to make an oatmeal bath

Avoid products that may irritate the skin

Certain soaps may dry your skin and cause more itching when you have hives. Make sure to use a mild soap thats marketed for sensitive skin. These typically omit fragrance and irritating chemicals.

You should also avoid using irritating moisturizers or lotions. When in doubt, opt for a formula that targets sensitive skin, such as these options. Applying immediately after bathing may also help soothe the itch.

Keep things cool

Heat can make itchiness worse. Wear lightweight clothing and keep the temperature in your house cool and comfortable. Avoid sitting in direct sunlight.

If home remedies arent relieving your symptoms but you arent ready to head to the pharmacy you may want to give a few natural solutions a try.

Natural remedies arent regulated or approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), so use them with caution.

Witch hazel

The natural tannins found in the herb witch hazel can help relieve irritation. Despite this, it may cause contact dermatitis. Its best to test it on a small patch of skin before applying it all over.

You can apply witch hazel to your skin like a mask a few times each day. Let it sit on the affected areas for about 20 minutes, and then rinse it off.

Aloe vera

Aloe vera is a natural anti-inflammatory. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, applying it to the skin can help people with acne, herpes simplex, psoriasis, and other conditions affecting the skin. It is typically well-tolerated.

But, as with any new product, its important to do a skin patch test before application, especially if you have sensitive skin. Some aloe products may also have added fragrance or other chemicals, so be sure to read the label.

You can apply topical aloe vera to your hives as needed, likely a few times a day. Be sure to follow any instructions on the package.

If the above remedies arent enough to help your hives, over-the-counter (OTC) treatments may help relieve your symptoms. Not only can OTC options relieve itching and irritation, but they can also target your bodys histamine response, which is what causes hives.

Calamine lotion

Products containing calamine can help relieve itching by cooling your skin. You can apply calamine lotion directly to your skin:

Make sure you mix the lotion before using it by shaking the container.
Put some calamine lotion on a cotton pad or cloth.
Apply the pad or cloth directly to the hives and let dry.

You can treat the hives with calamine lotion as necessary.

Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)

This oral antihistamine can reduce rash and other allergy symptoms like itching by working from the inside out.

Be sure to follow the dosage instructions on the package. Benadryl usually kicks in within an hour and should start to relieve your symptoms the same day.

Benadryl may cause drowsiness.

Fexofenadine (Allegra), loratadine (Claritin), and cetirizine (Zyrtec)

These antihistamines typically come in 12- or 24-hour formulas to provide extended relief. Theyre also less likely to cause drowsiness than diphenhydramine.

You may need to adjust the dosage to effectively treat hives, so talk with a doctor or pharmacist. They can advise you on how much to take and how often.

If youre experiencing severe or chronic hives, you may need prescription medication. Talk with a doctor about your symptoms and how you can best find relief.

Common prescription options include:

Prednisone (Deltasone)

This corticosteroid is taken orally. You should only use it for a short period of time as directed by a doctor. Corticosteroids can have side effects, especially if taken for extended periods of time. Side effects can include:

elevated blood pressure
elevated eye pressure (glaucoma)
swelling
weight gain
immunosuppression, which means you may get infections more easily

To reduce side effects, take oral corticosteroids at a lower dose and transition to corticosteroid creams with your doctors supervision.

Omalizumab (Xolair)

This medication must be injected under the skin. This option is only available if your hives are chronic and dont respond to antihistamines. Common side effects include:

headache
dizziness
inner ear pain
cold symptoms

Dapsone (Aczone)

This antibiotic is available topically and as an oral medication. This medication can treat inflammation due to hives or other skin conditions that are caused by bacterial infection. Its important to take all antibiotics as prescribed.

Antibiotics only help relieve symptoms caused by a bacterial infection.

Leukotriene-receptor antagonists

This nonsteroidal treatment option is taken orally. These drugs should be used only after steroid treatment and antihistamines have been unsuccessful. There is not a lot of quality research to support their use for hives. Common side effects include:

headache
nausea
cough
low fever

If your symptoms worsen or last longer than a couple of days, you may want to talk with a doctor. They can identify the cause and provide medication to help relieve your symptoms. Understanding your triggers may help prevent future outbreaks.

Hives Treatment CenterOver 150,000 patients helped since 2001

One of the most common questions I get asked by my patients is if there are any home remedies they can use to get rid of their hives without having to come in for an appointment.

I definitely sympathize with them as almost every dermatologist I know is booked out weeks to months in advance. And waiting that long to get treated is just not a viable option for most people. When you're experiencing an itchy hives rash, the last thing you want to hear is "We have an opening 2 weeks from now."

So, to help as many of my patients as possible, here are the 10 best home remedies that can help get rid of your hives fast.

How To Get Rid Of Hives Fast

#1. Use The Over The Counter Medication OxyHives

Because it can take weeks to get an appointment, I always recommend my patients have OxyHives on hand for when they have an outbreak. It's non-addictive, and unlike antihistamines, it won't make you drowsy. Simply put two sprays under your tongue and the hives go away naturally within 1-2 hours. While OxyHives is the only treatment that is scientifically formulated to make your hives go away fast, there are other home remedies that can help at least lessen the itchy, burning feeling that hives causes.

#2. Take a Cool Bath - NOT A HOT BATH

Because warm to hot water can make your hives rash worse, you should only take cool baths. A cool bath with some baking soda, uncooked oatmeal (rolled oats) or colloidal oatmeal, will help relieve the itching by blocking any further release of histamine. However, it won't make the red welts go away. Only a medication like OxyHives can do that.

#3. Apply a Cool, Wet Compress

If taking a cool bath is not an option, then you can get temporary relief from the itching by applying a cool, wet compress to the affected area. This will help soothe the skin and deter you from scratching.

#4. Avoid Scratchy ClothesAvoid wearing any clothes that are not loose fitting and made of smooth textured cotton. Highly textured scratchy clothes (like wool) should be avoided completely as they will further aggravate the skin (especially on your neck and body) where you are currently having your hives outbreak.

#5. Apply a Little Witch Hazel or Calamine Lotion Anti-stringents like witch hazel and calamine lotion will help shrink the blood vessels near your welts so that they don't leak as much histamine. They won't reverse the process, but they at least will help keep it from getting worse. Applications like this are ideal if you don't have OxyHives on hand and have hives on your face.

#6. Dab The Welts With Pepto Bismol or Milk of MagnesiaIf you don't have any witch hazel or calamine lotion on hand, you can also try Pepto Bismol or Milk of Magnesia. Either of these two should help relieve the itching a little as they are both alkaline.

#7. Apply a Thin Coat of Water & Baking SodaSimilar to #2 above, applying a small amount of baking soda and water mixed together into a paste, should help relieve it bit of the itching. If you don't have any baking soda, you can also use cream of tarter to make the paste.

#8. Apply a Thin Layer of Vinegar & Water If you lack any of the ingredients in the home remedies above, but you have vinegar, then you can mix 1 tablespoon of vinegar (any kind will do) to 2 tablespoons of cool water. Be sure to use something soft, like a cotton ball, when applying it to your hives. It won't make the welts go away, but it should help lessen the itchy feeling.

#9. Remove As Much Stress From Your Life As PossibleOver 83% of hives cases are due to too much stress. If you can remove whatever is currently stressing you out, then you significantly lower your chances of getting another hives outbreak on your face, neck, hands or body in the future.

#10. Avoid Any Potential Triggers17% of hives cases are caused by environmental factors, such as cold, heat, sun, water exposure, alcohol, caffeine, tight clothing, certain foods, insect bites, new laundry detergents, fabric softeners or soaps, etc. If any of these triggers correlate to your current hives outbreak, then you know what to avoid in the future in order to reduce your chances of getting another one in the future.

Getting Rid Of Hives Naturally At Home

While all of these will work to help reduce the itchy feeling your hives rash is causing, the only one that is scientifically formulated to make your hives go away is OxyHives. If you don't already have OxyHives on hand, you can order it at http://www.oxyhives.com

Take A Cool BathRemember to take a cool bath when you have a hives rash, not a HOT bath. The hot water will only aggrevate the rash and make it worse. Always use cool water, not hot water.

Remove As Much Stress As PossibleIt's scientifically proven that stress can cause a hives rash, so in order to lower your chances of getting a stress hvies outbreak, be sure to keep the level of stresss in your life as low as possible. While this is easier said than done, it is imperative to keep from getting a hives rash on a regular basis.