If you’re reading this, then I can almost guarantee that you’re suffering from a common skin problem called dyshidrotic eczema. Dyshidrotic eczema is a form of eczema that results in itchy blisters on your fingers, toes, palms and soles of your feet.
And if you’re like me, you probably already know how frustrating it can be to try and get rid of it.
It’s not uncommon to try dozens of different treatments before finding one that works – and even when you do find something that works, it usually only provides temporary relief.
The good news is that there are a handful of things that almost everyone with dyshidrotic eczema does wrong…and when these mistakes are corrected, the condition usually clears up within days or weeks!
Here are the 5 most common mistakes people make when treating their hand eczema:
I was diagnosed with dyshidrotic eczema in college. It was a miserable experience, especially since I’m a musician and play the piano for a living. It wasn’t until a few years later that I learned how to treat my hand eczema.
I’ve suffered from dyshidrotic eczema before and know how much it can affect your life. To help you minimize your suffering, I want to share with you my experience with the five most common mistakes people make when treating their hand eczema.
1) Using topical steroids too frequently. Topical steroids are used to reduce inflammation of the skin. Steroids are very effective at reducing inflammation but they can thin the skin over time and cause permanent damage if not used properly.
2) Using topical steroids too long. Topical steroids are designed to be used for short periods of time (usually two weeks or less). If you use them for too long, they can thin your skin and cause permanent damage.
3) Using topical steroids on broken skin. If you have open sores or blisters on your hands, you should NOT use topical steroids! They can cause infection and make things worse! You should cover them with a bandage instead and see your doctor as soon as
Chances are, you’re reading this page because you’ve been diagnosed with dyshidrotic eczema and you want to know the most effective way to treat it.
Or maybe you’re like I was – frustrated that your doctor hasn’t been able to help you get rid of your hand eczema. After all, this is supposed to be their area of expertise!
But if you keep doing the same things, how can you expect different results?
If you’ve tried any of these solutions, I’m sure they didn’t work.
Unfortunately, I made the same mistakes before finally finding a solution that actually worked for me. You see, over a decade ago I developed a case of dyshidrotic eczema on my hands – my skin became dry and cracked, itchy and painful. In addition to being very uncomfortable, it was also embarrassing and sometimes even disabled me from pursuing certain activities and hobbies.
From my own research and from talking with many other people who have had success treating their dyshidrotic eczema, I have found there are 5 common mistakes that people make when treating their hand eczema – whether using creams prescribed by their doctor or home remedies for dyshidrotic eczema.
If
You may think you’re doing everything right, but in reality there are many common mistakes people make when treating their hand eczema.
There’s a few things that really irritate me about the treatment of hand eczema. One of them is when people just “try everything” without any real understanding or knowledge about what they are doing. It’s like trying to run before you can walk – it just leads to failure and discouragement.
If someone came to me and said “I have a skin rash on my hands, what should I do?” I would start by asking a number of questions:
What does it look like? (i.e. does it look like small blisters or does it look red and scaly?) What makes it worse? (i.e. if you touch something irritant like washing up liquid or soap, does your skin flare up?) Is there anything that makes it better? (i.e. do your symptoms get better after applying moisturiser?) What else is going on in your life? (i.e. are you feeling stressed? Are you pregnant?)
The more I know, the more accurate the diagnosis will be…and the more accurate the diagnosis, the more likely you are to get the right
Hand eczema is an extremely frustrating condition to live with. It is also a very common problem, and I see many patients in my clinic who struggle to clear their condition, despite trying what seems like everything.
I have compiled a list of the five most common mistakes I see my patients make when they are treating their hand eczema. I hope you find this useful!
Mistake
Hand eczema is the most common form of eczema, the most common type of dermatitis and one of the most common skin diseases. Hand eczema can range from mild, moderate to severe and even life-threatening. It can be a source of constant itching, pain, frustration and embarrassment for many people. The emotional impact on sufferers can be great.
Hand eczema is not just dry skin and it is not caused by “weak immune system” or “stress”. When you have hand eczema, your skin becomes more vulnerable to irritants, allergens and microorganisms. This makes it more impossible for your skin to heal itself without treatment.
If you are suffering from hand eczema and have been trying different treatments without much success, chances are you have made some of these common mistakes:
1) Using soaps that contain strong detergents or perfumes
2) Using antibacterial soaps to cleanse your hands during hand washing
3) Using alcohol or acetone-based products such as nail polish remover or paint thinner
4) Using bleach or other harsh cleaning products without wearing protective gloves
5) Touching food with hands that are chapped from hand eczema
Dyshidrotic eczema, or dyshidrosis, is a skin condition in which blisters develop on the soles of your feet and/or the palms of your hands. The blisters are usually itchy and can become painful. In many cases, dyshidrotic eczema goes away on its own after a few weeks. Although there’s no cure for dyshidrotic eczema, it can be treated successfully.
Dyshidrosis affects men and women equally and usually develops in adults under age 40. If you have dyshidrotic eczema, you may have one or more outbreaks a year that last for about three weeks each time. You may have just one outbreak in your life or many over the course of several years.