Hand Peeling

My hands started peeling about 4 years ago, however the episodes were infrequent and went away in about a week.  Now, the episodes are more frequent and last longer. Both of my hands are involved and include both the inside and outside of my fingers and palms.  By using hand cream I can usually cover up what looks like an awful condition, but not for long.  I deal a lot with the public as a tour director and this is becoming a real issue.  Does anyone know what causes this or do we learn to deal with it.  Thanks for any help.  

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Various possibilities for peeling hands are trauma and allergic or irritant contact dermatitis,contact with harsh detergents,soaps and lotions that contain perfume can cause hands and fingertips to become irritated and peel.Sometimes cold, dry air can cause  peeling and dermatitis or fungal infections can also cause peeling.

Wash the areas several times with fresh water. Do not use any cosmetic products at the sites.You can apply some calamine lotion at the rash as it will help in soothing the skin. For mild-moderate symptoms a weak steroid may be used (e.g. hydrocortisone as dermacort), whilst more severe cases require a higher-potency steroid (e.g. clobetasol propionate, fluocinonide).

Symptoms can be exacerbated by dryness of the skin. Use good quality moisturizers to prevent moisture loss from the skin. During the day, hydrate and protect hands with a protective and moisturizing cream. At night, repair them with creams formulated from glycolic acid—a must for improving skin texture and tone. If still the symptoms do not improve then pls get a clinical examination done by a dermatologist. Fungal infections have to be ruled out then.

Hope it helps. Take care and pls do keep me posted on how you are doing or if you have any additional queries.Kind regards