Regardless of the cause of hand eczema, the same skincare advice applies, and you should always try to avoid factors that worsen your hand eczema.
Up to every 10th patient will experience hand eczema to varying degrees throughout their lives. Hand eczema can come and go initially. Without proper treatment, it can become chronic and affect both quality of life and work.
You should minimize hand washing to an absolute minimum. Water and soap dry out the skin and contribute to damaging the skin barrier. Instead of soap, use a shower oil or shower cream that moisturizes the skin during washing. For the skin on your hands, it's better to use hand disinfection instead of washing your hands.
When engaging in household chores (such as cooking, dishwashing, diaper changing, gardening, etc.), it's good to use disposable gloves or work gloves. This way, you avoid washing your hands after the work. You should also avoid being cold and wet on your hands for extended periods.
You should regularly and frequently moisturize your hands with a rich fragrance-free hand cream. Apply the cream after hand washing and if you have exposed your hands to stressors that can trigger the eczema. We recommend having a rich hand cream on your nightstand that you apply generously to your hands every night before 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 less greasy cream that suits your daily activities. It's important to find creams that you like - if not, you'll likely hesitate to use them. It's better to moisturize often with a less greasy cream than not moisturize at all. A helpful tip is to buy moisturizers in pump bottles. This way, you can easily apply the cream as needed. Often, the simple act of unscrewing a cap on a tube of cream can be enough to discourage regular use in a busy daily life.
When the eczema is red, it should be treated with a medium to strong cortisone cream obtained by prescription. Apply it to your hands as you would with a moisturizer every night for a period agreed upon with your doctor. It's also beneficial to apply moisturizer 10 minutes after applying the cortisone cream. It's also important to continue with preventive and maintenance treatment if your hand eczema is prone to recurrence. Therefore, continue regular moisturizing with a rich hand cream even during good periods.
Please note that if the eczema is not red or inflamed, cortisone cream will only provide itch relief. In such cases, it's better to moisturize regularly with a rich hand cream.
In some countries medical treatment creams are available without a prescription, for example Hydrocortisone 1%. This cream is often too mild for hand eczema. For hand eczema, you should contact your doctor to obtain a stronger cortisone cream by prescription or schedule a consultation with us.
