Puffy Skin on Palms of Hands.

[JoeK]

Hi,

About a week or two ago I noticed that after a shower the skin on the palms of my hands got a lot more 'pruny' than usual.  The prune wrinkles, if you will, were also not like usual, instead of the typical lines and wrinkles, it was just sort of more of a bumpy mess.

Upon closer inspection, there are also a multitude of very small holes/pores, about a quarter to a half a millimeter in diameter, on the affected area.  These don't appear on non-affected areas.  They also don't cover the entire area, but appear in clusters throughout most of it, and seem to favor wrinkles in the skin.

After being out of the shower long enough the skin returns to normal, but the holes are still present although less noticeable.  If my palms start to sweat, though, the skin turns white and puffy around the affected areas, and the holes are noticeable again.

Anyway it seems to have spread since I first noticed it, but it doesnt seem to be spreading anymore, so I'm not sure if its an infection of some sort or what.

What do you think it is, and what can I do about it?

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

It certainly is not an infection.  It may be nothing more than that you're looking at your hands more closely than you used to.  I can't think of any actual diseases that look and act the way you describe.  I guess for a definite diagnosis and reassurance, you'll need to see a doctor in person.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff

[curiousinla]

Any word on this? Did you get it checked out further?

Just curious because the same thing started happening to my palms a few showers ago. I have never had my hands get wrinkly or puffy after only 5 minutes in the shower! Same puffiness in patches and "holes" (larger pores) that you describe. I thought it might be my new shampoo/conditioner because I have not changed anything else recently??

But I agree in the sense that this is very new and weird and more than just me looking more closely at my hands.  :(

[davis1116]

I have the EXACT same skin problem on my hands, and I have been debating whether I should go to the doctor.  It does not itch or burn, but my hands hurt after a shower because they are so wrinkled.  I also have the tiny holes covering my palms (not my fingers), which are definitely not pores.  It gets more noticeable in the heat.  I have raised white patches of skin on my palms now from the heat this summer in LA.  My hands have never looked like this before or actually hurt after a shower.  This is not normal.  Please let me know if you hear anything from the doctor.  

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