The most common signs (what you see) of hives are:
- Slightly raised, pink or red swellings on the skin.
- Welts that occur alone or in a group, or connect over a large area.
- Skin swelling that subsides or goes away within 24 hours at one spot but may appear at another spot
 Hives. This patient has widespread, raised welts.
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 Hives. This 4-year-old child developed hives after getting bit by mosquitoes.
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As for symptoms (what you feel), hives usually itch. They sometimes sting or hurt.
Some people always get hives in the same spot or spots on their body. These people often have a trigger (what causes the hives). Every time they are exposed to that trigger, they get hives.
Your dermatologist may call this type of hives fixed, which means not moving. Fixed hives may happen when a person takes a certain medicine (fixed drug eruption) or gets too much sunlight (fixed solar urticaria).
Learn more about hives:
Images used with permission of the American Academy of Dermatology National Library of Dermatologic Teaching Slides.