Peeling skin

[neel123]

I am a 22 year old male and i am facing the problem of peeling skin since the past 3-4 years. This phenomenon takes place at the center of the right thumb. It starts with an itching(feels like something is there beneath the skin), then the area becomes numb and later dead skin forms and peels off. The whole cycle is of about 5-6 months. A few days back it has started in the same place of my left thumb. I visited a doctor but at that time the skin had peeled off and it looked perfectly normal. Hence doctor could not suggest anything. What should i do ? If it is infection, how did i get infected ?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
The peeling of thumb in your case can be due to contact dermatitis like washing dishes without wearing gloves, contact with harsh detergents, soaps and lotions that contain perfume , cold, dry air and dermatitis or fungal infections. 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. 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). Also use good quality moisturizers to prevent moisture loss from the skin.

If still the symptoms do not improve then please get a clinical examination done by a dermatologist. Fungal infections have to be ruled out then. 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.

[neel123]

Thanks for the reply. I'll certainly take pictures the next time it happens. I have not tried any lotion though.

Thanks again.

[cmb_yea_13]

Next time it happens take pictures, so that when you see your doctor again he/she can actually see what you are talking about. In the meantime, have you tried using lotion formulated for dry skin? With the cold weather some people generally have dryer skin, but the itching and numbness I have no idea. Try to keep a log of when the numbness begins, like what you were doing and how long it lasted, etc.... Show your doctor the log and pics next time you go! That should definitely help!