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Peeling Hands

My 16 yr son hands peel severely and the nails come away from the bed. It is very painful. Is there a cream or cure for this? It seems to get worse with the change of seasons.
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Avatar universal
i have been experiencing the same peeling of the fingers and hands that i saw you post about and wanted to add my voice and symptoms to the forum. The skin of my hands and fingers have peeled since i was a very young child and am a 21 years old male and it has gotten to the point were when i am actively using my hands i sometimes leave blood splotches when i touch things after the peeling cycle has completed or is near complete. i sometimes will shed as many as 3 or 4 layers simultaneously but most commonly it is only 1 or 2. it starts with bone dry blister like puffs of what starts as soft skin but if i leave these they become much broader but never extends outward due to its empty nature and very much callous like in its thickness and stiffness. I have lost nearly all sensation in most  my finger tips and only ever really feel the painful side effects of the raw and cracking skin. i have been prescribed different antibiotics, steroids, medicated lotions and anti fungals none of which have improved this condition one bit in fact the lotion made it worse than ever causing my hands to almost weep blood due to how many layers were shed due to the added moisture. i like many others do not experience any pain from the actual shedding of skin and normally if i were to make an attempt to (such as simply rubbing my hands together) i can shed a full layer of skin once the blister like patches appear but doing this only expedites the cycle. Washing my hands or showering has also become a very dreaded part of my day as any water will cause my hands to nearly completely peel almost every time. I have no such symptom on any other part of my body but also never notice a "spreading" of this it has always encompassed the entirety of both my palms and all my fingers. This is all i can think to include but I'm no doctor so if you need anymore information on this from me please do not hesitate to ask.  I'm sure you can imagine how difficult it can make  everyday activities and would like to thank you in advance for searching for a solution to this.
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Avatar universal
Hi,

Cold, dry air can cause dry skin, peeling, and even cracking and bleeding of the fingertips. Washing dishes without wearing gloves can put hands and fingers in contact with harsh detergents that can cause fingers to peel. Soaps and lotions that contain perfume can cause hands and fingertips to become irritated and peel.

Any type of trauma to the fingers, such as playing the guitar, can cause fingertips to peel. Peeling fingertips can also be associated with certain infections, reactions to medications and, rarely, potentially serious medical conditions.

A few simple measures can often stop the peeling, or at least slow it down:
Wash your hands with an unscented soap. Use an unscented moisturizer after drying your hands. Avoid trauma to your fingertips. Wear gloves when washing dishes.

Peeling skin is therefore a temporary problem and is known to heal in a few days as the new skin surfaces. Though there are few exceptions such as: 1)in case of infections or medications that cause the skin to peel or, 2) a hereditary disorder known as Peeling Skin Syndrome, all of which may require medical consultation to cure peeling skin. Some of the known causes leading to this skin disorder are: excessive perspiration, staph or viral infections, or excessive sun exposure resulting in sunburn.

Peeling skin syndrome is an extremely rare inherited disorder characterized by continual, spontaneous skin peeling or exfoliation. Other findings may include reddening of the skin  and itching.  Type B is associated with congenital erythroderma, a condition in which the skin has an intense red color.

If peeling continues, contact your doctor or see a dermatologist to rule out exfoliative keratolysis or dyshidrotic eczema.

Let us know if you need any other information.

Regards.

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