Very small areas on hand dried and cracked

I've got a weird thing that's been going on with my right hand for almost a year now. On two spots (right in the center of the palm, and right on the heel of the palm), there are two pencil eraser-sized areas that remain extremely dry, despite my use of moisturizers. Especially the spot in the center of the palm, I find that the skin starts to crack every few weeks, and I can peel it away. Then the new skin becomes dried out a few days later and the process repeats.

Like I said, I have tried various moisturizers, and the rest of my hand (and my entire left one) is not dried out whatsoever. The problematic areas are visibly white and dried. Is this indicative of any sort of deeper problem, and what would you recommend to treat it?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Your symptoms are suggestive of pompholyx and eczema. 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. You can take some OTC oral antihistamine medications like Benadryl or Claritin and see if it helps.

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).But they are available under prescription and should be taken only after consulting a dermatologist. Symptoms  can be exacerbated by dryness of the skin. Use good quality moisturizers to prevent moisture loss from the skin.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.