Peeling Fingertips

[Ted]

The skin on the tips of my fingers on both hands has been continually peeling. This started about 2 months ago after I returned from a trip overseas. A layer of skin will peel off revealing a new layer which then begins to peel. The peeling is confined to the tips of my fingers, never going past the first knuckle. It's a bit like the results of a bad sunburn but the skin keeps coming off over and over again. I've been keeping my hands moisturized but this doesn't seem to help. It's not painful but the tips of my fingers are a little sensitive when the new skin appears.

[09111957]

A related discussion, dealing with schlederma was started.

[marta]

I don't mean to scare you or anything, but my sister had this same thing happen.  It was the early signs of something much worse (at least for her).  A rare skin disease call Schlederma --check it out at least, as the disease took her life.
Good luck.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Ted:

This sort of peeling usually follows a strep throat or virus, but sometimes the fingers and/or palms peel spontaneously.  In my experience it always subsides over a period of weeks to months.  Moisturizing it, as you are doing, is the best approach.  It isn't contagious, by the way.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff