Peeling fingertips and toes

[Twinsmommy]

Help please. Has anyone any experience of the following:

One of my twin boys has broken out in peeling fingertips. It started a week ago. Every single finger and thumb on both hands suddenly started looking like they were blistered. There was no fluid whatsoever. Fingertips started peeling, all around the nail and up over the tops of the fingers. He isn't in any pain with it but the problem is on both hands and spreading. It is now moving down his fingers, onto his palms and is very uniform - the exact same places on both hands.

His toes started doing exactly the same 3 days later. Every toe. Starts on the tips of the toes and now moving down the toes. The skin is peeling off in chunks from both hands and feet. No pain and no other symptoms. Skin underneath is neither sore nor raw.

Help? I kind of ruled out hand foot and mouth as he has no sores in his mouth.

He is 3 years old and his twin is fine.

Any ideas?
Thanks.

Hi, the only experince of this i have is my husband. He has this happen on his hands occasionally when he gets stressed. He also gets stress related eczema. There never seems to be any other side effect.

I also have peely skin on my hands but on the sides of my thumbs, then my index fingers... and along it goes. It tends to happen when i am run down.

I'm not sure how this helps you exactly, but thought i'd chip in!!

Thanks KSal. Can I ask - with your husband, does it start on the fingertips - say, the entire fingertip, and then move down the fingers onto the hands?

I had thought it might be stress-related, as I have a new discipline in play of sitting him on the top step of the stairs when naughty instead of the bottom as his twin brother likes to interrupt discipline all the time. My son with the problem gets very worked up about being on the top step - so I have stopped since this finger problem - but the hands just get worse. And his feet are a couple of days behind the hands! I have a doctor's appt on Thursday with him. Wanted to give it a chance to clear up, but it is just getting worse.

sorry for the delay in getting back... it does start at the finger tips with DH, and he does get patches on his feet, but it doesn't sound like the clear progression that your son has. It is a good idea to get it checked out, but here's hoping it is something you can deal with relatively simply.

Could be something that happens after you have had a virus. Would just get the gp to check it out. Is he well in himself?

I had Scarlet Fever a few months back and after it was gone my palms and soles peeled all over. I think this was due to the red rash.

Hand, Foot and Mouth doesn't have to be on all bits as per the name.

DS had it almost all over - up his arms, on his bottom and up his legs just not on trunk. DD had it only in her mouth and throat. DH (LOL) had it hands, feet and in his nose!

Thank you to everyone who has answered.

Shoppingmad: Yes, we visited the doctor today and she seemed to think it was a result of an earlier virus. She seemed to think there was no treatment and that we should just leave well alone and hope it clears up all on its own. She did say though that if layers underneath start peeling before it heals, or if it recurs, we should seek further advice. Thankfully, she did check him over re: Kawasaki disease, but ruled this out, along with Hand, Foot & Mouth which I myself had ruled out.

So, many thanks everyone. I will relax for a while and hope it settles.

I had this every year between about 4 and 15. My folks used to joke I was part snake, shedding my skin. I still get it occasionally now and know exactly what you're describing.

Iklboo - thanks for your message. Sorry I have only just managed to log in again today - September 4. If you are still watching this thread, can I ask, did you have it once a year, twice a year, or how frequently? Did it clear up completely between episodes? My son still has it. He's had it for 3 weeks now. Granted, his hands look like they are much better, but his feet are still peeling quite dramatically. Would love to get some more info from you. Many thanks in advance.

Twinsmommy, when you say there was no fluid, do you mean the blisters didn't burst? If the blisters are fluid filled but just dry and peel,this could perhaps be Pompholyx (I've had it most of my life). If it is this, it's stress related so recurs with any periods of anxiety. Check out www.pompholyx.co.uk/ if only to rule it out.

My son has peeling fingers and has done for weeks - am now following link...

Will get ds checked by doc. looks the same!

Thanks for very useful info

bookbird - thanks for the link but my son's condition looks nothing like this. It's almost like you can't even see a blister there except that when the skin starts peeling, it peels as if it were a blister, in big round patches.

Doctor said that she thought, as shoppingmad had suggested, the remnants of a virus. My son's hands look considerably better today, although his feet are still peeling, so am hoping the "just leave it well alone and let it clear itself" advice from the doctor is working.

I had considered it might be down to stress, but what a 3 year old could be so stressed about, I have no idea. It's not like he's at school or anything, or even nursery, yet.

twinsmommy - how did you went with your son? my son he's going through the same thing, peeled on his fingers and toes. it is now 2019, my son is 3.

This thread is nearly 10 years old now. You may have to @ the OP for her to notice you've added to the thread (if she's set up for messages).

Hi wtran

My little boy is 2 years old and is having the same problem. It's been going on for nearly a month now. He did have Scarlet Fever but that was a couple of weeks before the skin started peeling. Just wondering if your little boys has cleared up and how long it took?