Skin peeling following blister like bubbles

I'm 23 year old white male, no existing health problems, currently traveling in Thailand.

About 3 weeks ago i got these mini clear blisters on the sides of my feet and between my fingers. On my palms they were extremely itchy, but the itchiness passed after a day or two. The blisters have now all gone but the skin has started to peel off my hands/feet.

I'm a rock climber on a climbing tour and this is a disaster. It means i cant climb. HELP!

Having rock climbed and worked in physical jobs for a few years i have quite thick skin on my hands. This is now peeling off leaving baby pink skin underneath which is very sensitive. The peeling seems to be getting worse rather than better.

Treatments i've used so far are hydrocortisone, and a similar cream with anti fungal in. Noting is making a difference. I went to see a doctor here in thailand, who looked at my hands for 5 secs and diagnosed it as herpes simplex. But i've googled it and i dont really match the symptoms or any photos of similar suffers.

Any advice would be hugely appreciated.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Apart from contact dermatitis, pompholyx also needs to be ruled out. Pompholyx primarily involves the hands and fingers and then may involve the feet. The first stage is acute and presents as itchy blisters on the hands, fingers and toes. Then the chronic stage shows more peeling, cracking, or crusting. Then the skin heals up, or the blistering may start again. The exact cause is not known and excessive sweating can be one of the reasons.
Please get it examined from a dermatologist to confirm the diagnosis.

I hope it helps. Take care and regards.