Peeling skin off hands & feet

[jennie46]

My son has a very bad problem with skin on his hands & feet that cracks open & then peels off.It looks nasty & as he is a truck driver when his hands are at their worst he finds it hard to grip the steering wheel.He has tried all sorts of medication (pills & creams ) but nothing seems to make it better for any length of time.
His Doctor has told him it is not eczema.

Can you help please?

[allmymarbles]

I had excess peeling skin and was found to suffer from mercury toxicity. (I was tested and the results were positive.) Has he been eating a lot of fish or shellfish?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Various possibilities for peeling fingertip are trauma and allergic or irritant contact dermatitis like washing dishes without wearing gloves, 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). Also use good quality moisturizers to prevent moisture loss from the skin.

If still the symptoms do not improve then please get a clinical examination done by a dermatologist. Fungal infections have to be ruled out then.

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

[jennie46]

I checked with my son & he has no more fish than normal so maybe that's not the answer for him.
However thanks for the thought.