HAND DERMATITIS AND THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
April 23, 2020
Written by Jamie Abbott, MD
With increasing rates of hand washing and hand sanitizer use, rates of hand dermatitis are also rising. Dermatitis is a term that simply means: inflamed skin. Many conditions can cause the problem, like atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and/or allergies. Frequent hand washing can worsen any of these conditions, but it can also cause hand dermatitis all on its own! Basically, the stuff we use to clean our hands also tends to strip the skin of its natural oils and protective top layers. This can lead to dryness, cracking, pain, and itching. So, if you have ever said to yourself while standing in front of your sink, “Man, it’s irritating to have to wash my hands this often”, it’s true!
I know what you are thinking – we need to wash our hands frequently – there is a novel virus out there! And you are absolutely right. In light of our current pandemic frequent hand washing is encouraged for at least 20 seconds by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
With this in mind, I’d like to share two tips to keep hand dermatitis at bay:
Use gentle cleansers Look for soaps and non-soap cleansers without fragrance or other harsh ingredients. Dove, Cetaphil, and Cerave offer excellent products.
Apply a gentle, fragrance-free moisturizer immediately after washing to seal in moistureTwo of my favorites are Cerave Moisturizing Cream or La Roche Posay Lipikar Balm. If you really want to pamper your hands, before bed apply Vaseline or Aquaphor followed by cotton gloves (cotton tube socks work in a pinch!). You’ll wake up with soft, moisturized hands!
For most, the above steps will help considerably. If you are still struggling with hand dermatitis, give our office a call at 479-443-5100. You may need a prescription medicine and we are here to help!
Stay safe out there!