15yo with eczema on hands

[JennyWithers]

DS1 has eczema on his hands. He's had it for years. I rather hoped he'd grow out of it but it's getting worse. Is there anything we can do beyond the basic hydrocortisone/moisturiser? I'd love to work out what triggers it and tackle that, but no luck so far.

its more likely to be a combination of factors.

common ones,

cold/heat going from centrol heating to cold windy weather outside.

handling raw meat, peeling potatos handling tomatos etc

soap, esp anti bacterial, and perfumes hand soap.
shampoo can also be an irritant. ( plastic gloves in the shower can reduce contact.)

other chemical stuff, engine oil etc household cleaning products.

skin once sensitized can take about 6 months to get control of and needs avoidance of irritants and constant treatment to gain control and improve skin.

also if suddenly very bad/ red sore, could be infected and needs sorting with gp and antibiotics.

stronger steroid may be needed and cotton gloves worn at night with moisturiser help.

Thanks! he recently had a stronger steroid prescribed, and we can sure as heck rule out cooking ingredients and household cleaning products! I wonder whether he's grasped how important moisturising is, as opposed to the steroid cream

I did think that when I typed it as I have teen son!

non compliance with medication is common with teens, my son should be taking his combo of antihistamine, nasal spray and moisturising his skin. But no, he doesn't but still moans about the tree pollen and skin itching!