Many patients will experience varying degrees of eczema on their hands throughout their lives. The eczema may come and go initially. Without proper treatment, it can become chronic and affect both quality of life and work.
There can be several causes of acute and chronic hand eczema. The most common ones are atopic eczema, allergic contact dermatitis, or irritant contact dermatitis. We are surrounded by many skin-irritating substances in our daily lives, such as soaps, perfumes, detergents, preservatives, and other chemicals. These substances can elicit an allergic reaction, but most commonly, they act as irritants to the skin and damage the skin barrier. Regardless of the cause of hand eczema, there is a disruption of the skin barrier, allowing these irritating substances to penetrate the skin more easily, leading to inflammation, itch, sores, and painful cracks.
Regardless of the cause of your hand eczema, the same preventive measures apply.
You should minimize hand washing to an absolute minimum. Water dries out the skin and contributes to damaging the skin barrier. It is better to use hand sanitizer than repeated contact with water. Also, use a skin-friendly and fragrance-free soap when washing your hands.
You should moisturize your hands with a rich hand cream without fragrance several times a day. Always moisturize after hand washing. It is recommended to have a rich handcream by your bedside that you apply generously to your hands every evening before going to bed. You can also use cotton or plastic gloves overnight for an occlusive effect. The cream will penetrate deeper into the skin and provide even better results. During the day, use a lighter cream that suits your everyday activities. It is important to find creams that you like; otherwise, you will probably hesitate to use them.
When engaging in household chores that often involve hand washing, such as cooking, dishwashing, changing diapers, gardening, and similar activities, it is better to use disposable gloves or work gloves to avoid having your hands in water for longer than necessary. It is also important to avoid being cold and wet on the hands for extended periods.
When the eczema is red, it should be treated with a medium to strong corticosteroid cream. Apply it to your hands as you would with a moisturizer every evening for a period determined by your doctor. It is also important to continue with maintenance treatment if you are prone to recurrent hand eczema. If the skin changes are not red, i.e., inflamed, corticosteroid cream will not help except for relieving itch. In that case, it is better to moisturize frequently with a rich hand cream. In some cases, it may be appropriate to treat hand eczema with oral tablets.
