During this corona-pandemic the focus on hand hygiene has given rise to an increasing issue in keeping the skin on our hands healthy.
It’s a simple imbalance between the amount of handwash and the body’s ability to keep the skin healthy. This may well be the root cause of the problems we are now seeing.
The excessive hand washing removes fats that hold the individual skin cells together. The result is that the skin barrier becoming leaky and allergens can enter the body.
When you get an eczema flare-up it is the immune system reaction to allergens that create redness and itching wounds on your skin. This phenomenon is called inflammation and is the body’s protective mechanism when allergens enter the body.
Skincare and treatment
To avoid a worsening of the eczema on your hands, it is essential to rebuild the skin barrier and at the same time treat inflammation.
After each hand-wash all soap should be rinsed well off and while hands are still moist, plenty of skin cream should be applied. You need a skin cream that is made for eczema skin and can replenish the skin with the compounds that are a natural part of our skin. It should be a cream that contains the same fats the skin now lacks and has lost due to the frequent washing. These are ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids. They are binding agents between the individual skin cells and create a skin that does not allow allergens to enter, but keeps in the body’s moisture.
I have sensitive skin and have for more than ten years been investigating what works in my personal skincare. Countless products have been tested, but so far the most effective skincare cream is the one from CeraVe. It contains the right combination of ceramides, lipids and fatty acids naturally used by the body in production and maintenance of healthy skin.
By using CeraVe cream or creams with similar ingredients you can help your skin to cope with the hardships it is now beeing exposed to.
Use cream in the morning after your morning-bath, after each wash and before bed. Since the cream absorbs quickly into the skin you can use it frequently, especially during the first “reconstruction phase”.
To reduce inflammation, the eczema you may have should be treated with a topical steroid cream. I would choose Locoid, which you need a prescribtion for. It is a class 2 cream and is quite effective, but the risk of side effects is very small.
It is important not to be nervous about using topical steroids. It should be remembered that skin with eczema and inflammation itself is a dangerous condition that poses a risk of worse things in the future. Therefore, it is important to treat your eczema and follow up with effective skincare.
It is only when using class 3/4 creams for a very long time in the same area that you can experience side effects in the long run.