Sorry graphic photo...what type of eczema is this?

[username6895]

I have been to the doctors a few months ago who has prescribed me some cream which I was told to use only on occasions I have a flare up. Was advised to moisturise after washing my hands with a fragrance free hand cream. However, with having two young children and having to sanitize my hands so often when out it is just getting worse and worse and spreading even more.
Any advice? Tips? I read about different types of eczema can anyone tell from the photo what it is. I seem to have these awful little clear circles as well. It is often very itchy at night. It regularly flares up I sometimes wonder if I could be allergic to something.

Looks like contact determtitus to me. I get it on my fingers when i have false nails put in. Reccomendation lots of regular mositurising and sudocreme. If you have some steroid creams all the better.

For the hand sanitizer stick to things like carex moisture - don't use the ones in the shops which are industry grade and make my hands go mad

Looks like the same as I get on my hands - contact dermatitis

Thanks to time on my hands in lockdown 1.0 I worked out that it's the ingredient linalool that causes it - it was probably in 90% of what I was using including washing powder - have a look if it's in your shampoo/conditioner/soap etc -

Are you using the steroid until it goes down? You should be as you're having a flare up.

Does it come up in little bumps / blisters first? Dyshidrotic eczema?

Do you hold your phone in that hand? DS gets that pattern from his.
Re Carex, I find all their hand washes and sanitizers strip the moisture from my hands and lead to eczema like that. I haven’t found one that doesn’t make it worse tbh, but the best moisturiser I’ve found is Aveeno. Diprobase, E45 etc all make it itchy and worse.

@Bert2e

Does it come up in little bumps / blisters first? Dyshidrotic eczema?

Yes, this.

I have only recently realised this is what I have. Looks identical to that. Apparently related to hay-fever type allergies.

Looks like pompholyx excema. I get it too but that looks quite bad. It must be so sore ☹️

Wear gloves (cotton/silk) with lots of cream when you go to sleep. addition to lots of moisturizer and steroid cream. My ds gets bad eczema on his hand, that's what he does.

"pompholyx" is the same as dishydrotic eczema
I found it was related to hormones and got it the same time every month. It is also genetic. My DM and niece also get it

I agree with it likely being dyshidrotic eczema. My palms go in a pattern of this then extremely dry itchy hands that crack without the blisters. I’ve never found anything that has got rid of it for me, I’ve tried steroid creams including very strong ones but as soon as I stop it just comes back. I think cleaning chemicals make it worse unsurprisingly so I always wear disposable gloves when using any sort of household cleaner. It’s an absolute nightmare and quite painful

Gloves and good quality cream - MooGoo is good for me or Diprobase. Forget E45 it’s too ‘wet’
Suggest you wear cotton gloves and keep a box of non-latex disposable gloves to pop on top ( so buy a size up) for quick tasks , so you can cut down on the sanitising, or to wear if pretty food that might nip - in my case - tomatoes, pepper etc, just find every little sore patch.

• prepping, not pretty food 🤷🏻‍♀️

Op has the little blisters you get with dishydrotic eczema, you can see them in the photo

I can't see any blisters- all I can see is flaky skin.

You need to use the steroid cream and in between use a good barrier cream all the time - a rich handcream with no perfume.

It’s definitely dishydrotic eczema I get it too. The sanitiser stings so much! You have my sympathy!

I get this too, OP. Mine got really bad recently, after I'd unwittingly bought new washing-up gloves with a scented lining. Like you, I have to wash my hands frequently during the day, which meant hand cream was washed off within minutes of being applied. I now use a bar of baby soap, in a soap dish, in the kitchen, instead of liquid handwash, and that's helped too.

Ah you poor thing. Betnovate helps. Quite easy to get privately if GP access a problem.

I agree with some other posters, it looks very like the dishydrotic eczema that I get.

Ive blown up op pivture, you can see the tiny blisters in this

Yeah I’m sure it’s hormonal. It started for me after I had my first baby. And now my kids are older it’s much better so fingers crossed it gets better for you too OP.

DS had this and eumovate helped quite a bit

Oh god its dishydrotic eczema. It is notoriously hard to get rid off.

This worked for me:

Steroid cream from doctors, do not over use it as it thins the skin, which makes it more prone...viscious cycle

Then, lots of Hydromol Intensive applied every 15 mins. Bit greasy and the dry skin flakes off but helps.

A low histamine diet.

Nettle soap from Carnurie in Edinburgh.

The combination of these got it under control for me, no big flareups.

Then, I started an immunosuppressant for another condition and voila, totally gone.

At the same time as the immunosuppressant I discovered Cerave moisturising cream, comes in big tub or small handcream, contains ceramides. I feel this has really healed the skin. I have also started taking an antihistamine at night when I know I have had high histamine foods like seafood e.g. prawns that I noticed were a trigger. Not sure if psychosomatic but think it helps.

Rereading your post, the key to getting it under control is moisturising every 15 mins during a flareup. That is what the doctor told me when I went back and said I had been using the steroid cream constantly (I did not read or forgot the instructions and did not realise how strong it is)

Just coming back to this as my feet have a few sore patches and it made me think of your poor sore hands. Hope they've improved.

I don't know if it's something common or not, but after 25+ years of it I rarely get it on my hands anymore - just a couple of blisters on the side of a finger every now and then. My feet get the brunt of it these days.

And for me, it's also cyclical in the sense that it doesn't return to the same part of my hands or feet during the next flare up. And it's not always itchy/painful depending on where the patches are and how widespread - and probably the level of irritant I've been exposed to. Again, don't know if it's the same for everyone.

For sore, cracked skin I've never found anything better than pure lanolin. It's the stuff you get for sore nipples when you're breastfeeding. Lansinoh is the big brand, but Boots do an own-brand too which is very good value. It won't do anything for the itching, but will help enormously as a barrier and with repair. (but apparently some people react badly to it, so not a cure-all)

Hi I also have had this for last 20 years. I avoid washing up liquid, and I use shampoo and shower gel without SLS. For the shower gel I use Dove. It's made it so much more bearable.