Eczema on the hands: causes, symptoms and treatment
What is eczema on the hands? Why does it appear? How can you protect your hands from eczema? And above all, how can it be effectively treated? Find out more in this article.
Shaking hands or gesturing with your hands... Many expressions relate to the hands and reflect the importance they have in our daily lives when washing, dressing, eating, writing, driving, meeting people or touching them, etc. However, when you suffer from eczema on your hands, even the smallest gesture can often be very difficult. So what can you do to get rid of eczema on your hands?
How to recognise eczema on the hands?
Visually, the skin of the hands and/or fingers is reddened, with blisters, scabs, cracks, etc. The skin is irritated and wrinkled.
To the touch, eczema on the hands feels rough, very dry and rough.
It hurts and itches a lot!
What is eczema on the hands?
Eczema on the hands is an inflammatory skin disease on the upper parts of the hands, palms, fingers or between the fingers, which manifests itself primarily as intense dryness of the skin and red patches accompanied by severe itching. It can affect adults as well as children.
In general, eczema on the hands occurs either in the context of eczema that already occurs on other parts of the body, in which case it is called atopic dermatitis of the hands, or on its own, in which case it is called contact eczema or hand allergy.
Symptoms of eczema on the hands
Eczema on the hands hurts! Because:
As a result of a much less effective protective hydrolipid film, the skin is very dry and rough like paper.
As the skin becomes inflamed, red spots, sometimes blisters or scabs appear: the skin on the hands itches and eventually burns!
And when the skin is very damaged, microscopic scratches, cracks and even fissures appear. Eventually, you have trouble bending your fingers, washing or getting dressed.
What causes eczema on the hands?
In addition to aggravating factors such as pollution, water, cold, etc., the main causes of eczema on the hands are:
•Contact allergies
•Repeated irritation
•Atopic dermatitis
•Excessive sweating
Contact allergies on the hands or repeated irritation
The first possible cause of eczema on the hands is repeated contact with an irritant (due to friction, washing or excessive drying of the skin) and/or an allergen (the skin has been exposed to an allergenic substance). Skin tests are recommended to verify this possibility and determine which substances may be responsible. Once the allergenic substances have been identified, it is important to consider how to avoid them and thus prevent further contact and flare-ups of eczema.
Examples of substances that often cause allergies on the hands:
•Household products: detergents, washing-up liquids, cleaning products
•Cosmetics and hygiene products: shower gel, wet wipes, nail polish, hair dye
•Jewellery and metal objects: keys, coins, rings, hairdressing scissors, etc.
•Accessories: mobile phone
•Textiles: latex gloves, rubber gloves
•Other: ink, paint, shoe polish, dyes, etc.
Prevention of eczema on the hands
It is essential to take care of your hands and protect them daily to restore the skin barrier, protect against drying and inflammation, and prevent new flare-ups of eczema.
Dermatologists recommend using barrier creams such as Dermaguard. Dermaguard cream creates an invisible protective shield on the skin against most allergens found in the environment. Because the allergen cannot penetrate the skin, it remains unirritated. The protection lasts for around 4-6 hours. The cream also effectively moisturises the skin without leaving it feeling greasy. It can be used on any part of the body except the mucous membranes. The cream contains dimethicone, which gradually evaporates from the skin under the influence of sweat acidity. The cream is unscented.
