I’m allergic to water — it’s a struggle, especially showering every day

February 14, 2024

Medical experts preach about how water is good for your skin — but for one woman, it has the complete opposite effect.

Kimberlee Mills, who goes by @everydaywithkym on social media, revealed she’s allergic to water and how difficult it is to even take a shower.

“It’s just one of the most uncomfortable experiences,” Mills confessed online.

In a one-minute TikTok clip posted on Feb.2, she explained her daily hygiene routine can be filled with agony due to her body’s aversion to water.

“I was diagnosed with aquagenic urticaria, and basically what that means, whenever my skin gets in contact with any form water of water, including my own sweat … I get hives, it itches and burns, and there’s no cure,” the Houston, Texas, resident revealed.

At age 12, she was diagnosed with aquagenic urticaria, a rare condition in which urticaria (hives) develop rapidly after the skin comes in contact with water, regardless of its temperature, according to the National Institutes of Health.

“However after years [of] just dealing with it, I went into anaphylaxis shock last November which prompted me to go to the doctor. Surprisingly when I did , the Doctor was familiar with it,” Mills told The Post.

“I do have to limit myself when it comes to water contact. I cannot be in contact with water for more than five minutes because anything longer than that can put me [at risk].”

“Before I even hop in the shower, there’s a process,” she added. “I have to take allergy pills and that will just help basically slow the process down.”

However, the medication doesn’t stop Mills from experiencing the itching, burning or hives.

“At about the three- to four-minute mark in the shower, girl, my skin starts getting tingling, and that just [means] it’s time to go.”

The content creator explained the hardest part, aside from showering, is her wet body reacting to the water once she’s out.

“This is where the real fun begins because at this point my body is itching, is burning [and] covered in hives.”

To combat her skin flaring up, she waits about two hours for the skin to calm down; Mills then applies itching sprays and lotions to help cool her body down from the burning sensation.

“This whole process can last anywhere from an hour to two,” she admitted. “It gives me migraines [and] sometimes I get fevers.”

The Texas mother revealed a caddy full of more than 20 products she uses every day to keep her skin intact post-shower.

Mills added that she used to take two showers weekly, but “as a grown woman with active kids, I just can’t do that [anymore].”

Many TikToker followers were shocked to hear about the rare skin condition.

“Omg. I couldn’t imagine being allergic to water,” wrote one person.

“The way I would be having a phone call with God because why would you do this,” added another.

“I can’t believe you gotta go through this!! Sending you so much love and healing, Queen!” applauded a watcher.

“In all seriousness … Does it affect you drinking water?” wrote a curious woman.

Mills replied to the question, saying, “No. Thankfully I haven’t experienced that yet. The most I have experienced is nausea. But I do know two other ppl with the same allergy, and they been reacting to drinking water and their body fluids.”

Mills started a series online about her journey with aquagenic urticaria, explaining to viewers how she uses water in her daily routine.

In a video posted on Feb.12, she listed all the supplies required to wash her hair, including heavy-duty gloves, shampoo, conditioner, Dermoplast for scalp burns, Advil for headaches and anxiety medication Sertraline.

Mills mentioned she was bald for years and wore wigs to avoid washing her hair but “wanted a change” in her look.

“I [wore wigs] for years lol,” she said. “But wigs make my head sweat, which causes me to have a breakout. Hives, itching and the whole 9. I wear glueless wigs but as soon as I get in the car I snatch it off.”

In another clip, Mills clarified she doesn’t avoid water entirely because she has to perform daily tasks to stay clean, such as washing her hands, brushing her teeth and washing dishes.

“I’ve spent years of my life trying to convince everyone around me that I’m suffering from this and that it’s a real thing,” she declared. “I started showing more of what I go through, and realized that people were actually interested in learning more about my diagnosis.”

There are only about 100 cases of the disease on record, according to WebMD.

Others afflicted with the rare condition include an Arizona teen who said it even hurts when she cries.

“It runs my life, but I don’t want it to. I throw up if I drink water, my chest hurts really bad and my heart starts beating really fast,” Abigail Beck said of her experience in spring 2022.

Another teen, Sadie Tessmer, likened the affliction to being doused “in gasoline and set on fire.”

One sufferer, 25-year-old Tessa Hansen-Smith, revealed last fall that she was hospitalized during the COVID-19 pandemic after she became so dehydrated that part of her large intestine temporarily had decreased blood flow, causing a condition called ischemic colitis.

“I’m always dehydrated and prone to fainting,” she vented about the horrific condition.