Dry, scaly, Itchy, Painfull skin on back of hands, I've tried everything....

[GoodGollyMissMolly]

On the day that I went into labour with DD, I have had really dry, itchy, painful and scaly skin on the back of my hands. Its started on the knuckles, but it has now spread all over the back of my hands, wrists and fingers.

I have tired loads of different hand creams, E45, nipple cream , olive oil, fullers earth cream and breast milk . But nothing helps it. I've been to the doc and he just said to try E45. I explained to him that I have but to no avail and he couldn't suggest anything else.

The only thing that makes a little difference with the itching is the breast milk!!!!

It's so painful now I can't bear anything touching my hands, It hurts to wash them. I dont know what to do. Anyone got any advice or know what this is??

I got something similar, it was a reaction to lots of handwashing when dealing with an infant. Ordinary over the counter moisturisers and dry skin treatments didn't work. The GP at first said E45 but in the end I went back and insisted I needed something else. I was prescribed a steroid cream - Betnovate - and an emolliant - Epaderm. The latter is really greasy like vaseline but together they really worked and now I can keep it at bay with ordinary hand cream.

Fluffy, Do you still get it then, even after you have used the creams? it's horrible my hands are all patchy red and manky. I best get back to the GP.
Did your GP tell you what it was called?

I'm not being funny but could it be your soap?

I noticed that my hands were doing the same after ds2 was born. The culprit - washing my hands with soap after changing his nappy and not rinsing them properly afterwards because I was in such a hurry - in fact my knuckles are all dry and cracked atm and I know that's because I changed lots of nappies yesterday and didn't take my time rinsing my hands after soaping them. (Idiot )

oops, x-post with fluffyanimal - but I found it clears up when I pay attention to what I am doing

Ask gp for a diprobase script, it works well and you can put it on your skin before you bath or wash your hands as it prevents your skin from drying out too much from the water.

Else the bodyshop sells a cream for cracked skin I think it is mainly almond oils.

I found that changing my soap helped too. I now only use a really mild one without any Sodium Laurel Sulphate in it. Again, I agree that drying them properly and carefully really makes a difference too.

I try and avoid steroid creams and such like and I eventually found two great things; coconut oil and supersalve cream. You could try putting the coconut oil on and then putting some gloves on to let it all soak in.

I hope it gets better soon, whatever you decide to do, as it sounds awful and its never a good time to have sore hands, but now is probably the worst.

GGMM, I now have to take care of my hands. That means moisturising regularly, use very mild perfume free soap, pat dry rather than rub. If I'm lazy then I can get a flair up, say, around one knuckle (at the worst it was all over the fingers and backs of both hands). Then I just reapply the Betnovate and put some Epaderm on overnight and it's usually gone again in a day or two. The GP just said it was dermatitis.

Diprobase is good too - my ds has it for eczema and I nick it all the time. But when it was really severe even that didn't do the job. It is however good for preventing reoccurence.

Possibly contact dermatitis. All sorts of things can cause it. I get it on my ring finger if I wear my wedding ring all the time, with certain shampoos and with rubber gloves.

I think 'contact dermatitis' is more of a catch all name for a variety of problems rather than a specific illness. You need to figure out your triggers, and in the meantime try putting lots of cream on your hands and then cotton gloves (boots sell them) over the top when you know you can leave them on for an hour or two.

Miaou, I have changes my soap from Dove to Honey I washed the kids from Lush, but still found no difference.

I think I need to find a basic non perfumed soap. I will get back to my GP's but to see a different doctor and ask them for some cream for them.

Thank you all.

You can get very mild steroid cream over the counter - I've used HC45 (which is E45 with a small dose of steroid added) on mild eczema and it worked very well.

Has anyone tried Wool Fat Soap? it's really good. Will give details if anyone interested, it's available by post.

The Body Shop do a hemp hand cream that really does work!! (Although DH says it smells like old rope, but who cares if it gives you nice soft, non-itchy hands!!)

Ive got this wierd dry thing lately too. It started off on my hand. Dry, scaly patch and itching so much it drives me mad. Then it cracks or when im scratching it it gets bigger and bigger. I scratch it so much its raw (TMI sorry) but instead of scabbing up and healing, it just dries and then off we go again. Ive had two more start to come up on my hands, you can see little holes underneath the skin if that makes any sense?

I have absolutely no idea what it is.

I get big hacks on my knuckles- horrible! I'm sure it's to do with constantly washing hands after changing nappies/ toileting toddlers, and pushing pram in the cold! You can get cotton gloves that you wear at night, having covered your hands in cream, and that's meant to help (never actually tried it, but it was next on my list! )

I have those gloves, came with some huge grapefruit lotions and potions set someone bought me over a year ago, I tried them once but they felt cold and a little strange!

yeah, they have a kind of weirdness about them, somehow, those gloves! Maybe I watch too many forensic shows...

lol!

"These fibres show that the victim was strangled...by someone wearing white cotton gloves!!! And there is a faint scent of grapefruit, interesting!"

Cut to still of woman with chapped hands...

I need to get a life!

Yes please solo, I will give anything a try, I dont care about soft hands anymore just want the itching to go away.

Lol at CSI esque post

Can I use the HC45 (Steroid cream) while BF?

Yes, the HC45 is a very mild steroid, and won't get into your system. I think there are also stronger prescription ones which are fine, if the HC45 doesn't work.

I know a lot of people are negative about steroids, because they think of the steroid pills that some bodybuilders use, but a small amount of the creams for only a few days can make all the difference. Once it's cleared up all the other advice about moisturisers, drying hands thoroughly, etc, will hopefully stop it from returning.

Thank you all, I'm gonna go and get some of the HC45 and see if it works.

Hi GGMM, you can e mail a lady called
Celia M.L. Reed on [email protected]
or call her on 01277 356008, she will sell you as many or as few bars of soap as you'd like and charges postage as appropriate. Don't know if she does PP, I think mum paid by card over the phone. She used it and it took away all the rough, dry and scaly skin from her hands and it was very fast too! My son uses it also.
I really hope it helps you, there is nothing worse than itchy or dry skin.