Painful contact dermatitis on fingers

[Crunchymum]

I have recurrent and painful dermatitis on my fingers. It seems every week I'm flaring... starts with the itching, then I have open cracked skin [painful enough to waken me!] Then gets a bit better only to start again.

I've seen GP who have given me a mild steroid for when its really bad. I am under a dermatologist as I also have Psoriatic Arthritis (see her for the Psoriasis) and she was very dismissive. Told me its "all about handcare" and to moisturise as much as possible. No actual help or support.

I'm dreading winter as it's been bad over the summer and winter is worse.

Any tips? Any home remedies? Any ideas?

I use a little steroid when it's open, I use Eurax for the itching and I use nipple cream as a barrier cream. I also use a hand moisturiser before bed.

I have 3 little ones, hand washing is paramount (baby was tube fed for her first year so I really was always washing my hands).

I moisturise before bed, use a Body Shop cream

I have this, had a breakout which has lasted probably three years, on and off. I take an antihistamine every day when it's bad, use child's farm baby moisturiser, wipe my hands with an unscented baby wipe rather than wash them too often. I have rheumatoid arthritis but I'd say the skin problem causes more discomfort.

I'm allergic to SLS, which is in liquid hand wash as well as toothpaste, shower gel, anything that foams - google it. If I use hand wash for a day or more my hands start cracking and bleeding. Switch to a bar of soap in the bathroom/kitchen and you'll notice a massive difference

If you get mouth ulcers or dry/itchy scalp/skin generally then that's another indicator you could be sensitive to SLS, in which case switching toothpaste, body wash & shampoo can help there too. Finding out about this made a big difference to me!

I actually find that anything with Lanolin in makes mine worse (E45, Lanisoh). Mine was horrendous at one point when my workplace changed the soap (I’m a nurse), cracked and bleeding, it was so sore I couldn’t sleep. I was seen by a dermatologist who prescribed Dermol. It’s an emollient that can be used as a hand wash. Now I only wash my hands with that. I can tell if I deviate. I get it prescribed but you can buy it over the counter too.

Massively appreciate all the replies (and sorry so many of us suffer!)

I think the overriding thing is that there is no treatment that suits everyone lol.

I use bar soap at home and Dermol at work. I do have medical gloves so I may start using them for nappy changes (to reduce amount of times I wash my hands)

Plenty of suggestions and things to try so I'm off for a trip to the chemist

Thanks again.

I have the same problem and put flexitol foot cream on the cuts and cracks when I go to bed each night.

I have dishydrotic eczema. Things that help are nettle soap, Epsom salt baths, and honey. Also hydromol intensive (must be intensive) and aveeno applied every 15 minutes. Diprobase and epaderm are good. Avoiding dairy and wheat helps. And eating a low histamine diet