Vanessa Lachey Discusses Her History of Hives

Vanessa Lachey — actor, television host, and former Miss Teen USA — remembers her first experience with hives.

“I was eight years old, almost nine. I woke my dad up, and we didn’t know what was going on. He put me in an ice bath. I think back in the day, they thought, ‘Oh, this will help relieve her skin.’ But let me tell you, I was screaming,” Lachey tells Healthline.

As soon as Lachey was out of the ice and back in bed, the itching was back.

When most of us think of hives (also called urticaria), we think about occasional allergic reactions — itchy bumps that vanish shortly after popping up.

For some, they arrive after exposure to known triggers or as a reaction to an allergen.

But for others, like Lachey, hives can come without reason.

“The thing is, I don’t know when they’re gonna come,” Lachey says. “I’ve been allergy tested, and I have an intolerance to things that I try to avoid, but it can be anything from stress, to elements in the weather, to fabrics, to something in the air; anything.”

In addition to being unpredictable, Lachey’s hives also tend to linger.

“It can be a hive on my face, like a welt that lasts a few hours or a few days. Or it can be a rash on my body that lasts a week or two. I’ve had some before on my arms, and I’ll see traces of it for over a week,” she explains.

After dealing with hives for essentially her entire life, Lachey has finally found some relief through a new medication. She spoke with Healthline about tips for hives, how to navigate a flare-up, and her excitement over a new treatment that works with her daily life.