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Although it has been mentioned in other articles, it bears repeating—again and again and again. The best way to handle and prevent eczema is with moist skin. Moisturize constantly. Obviously, moist skin will not cure eczema, eliminate it entirely, or even give total relief. But it helps…a lot. Here’s some advice.

Stay away from the strong stuff.

If you’re in the habit of using harsh soaps, alcohol cleansers, astringents, or even strong-scented soaps, it’s time to stop. The harsher the soap, the more it dries out your skin. The drier your skin, the worse your eczema will be. Be gentle. Using hydrating cleansers and even the occasional oatmeal bath (it’s ok for guys, too) will really do a favor to your eczema and the rest of your skin. You should also avoid powders, perfume, deodorants, or body spray that may also dry out the skin.

Put on the good stuff.

The best way to moisturize is by using intensive emollients—a softening agent which slows water loss from the skin, enhances the moisture level of the skin, and increases the softness and pliability of the skin. Not just any lotion will do. Choose a high-quality emollient that is specifically designed for use with eczema. It is important to regularly apply the moisturizer to your skin. Once when you wake up and wash in the morning, once in the middle of the day, and once before you go to bed at night should do the trick. Additionally, you should put a small amount of moisturizer on every time you wash the affected area or take a shower or bath.

Do the Right Stuff

Common, daily practices can help your skin stay moist. Here are some practical daily suggestions that you can do to improve the moisture quality of your skin.

• Using a humidifier. Heaters and air conditioners serve to dry out the air in your home. Combating this effect with a humidifier is a great way to keep your skin moist.
• Drinking water. The amount of water that you drink has a direct effect on the moisture level of your skin. Stay hydrated throughout the day; drink at least eight cups of water (not fruit juice, soft drinks, or coffee) every day.
• Warm showers, not hot ones. A warm shower can get you wet and keep the skin moist for a while. However, hot showers or long hot baths do just the opposite. Be sure to apply an emollient after taking a shower.
• Avoid the sun. While you may love the look of a great tan, your skin may not feel the same way about it. Sun can cause long-term damage to your skin, responding with wrinkles, unsightly spots, and even cancer. Besides, it severely dries out the skin.
• Better diet. A good diet means healthy, moister skin. Getting nutrients like Vitamin A, C, and E, plus antioxidants means improved skin quality.

It goes by other names like Dyshidrosis, Pompholyx, Acute vesiculobullous, and Dyshidrotic Dermatitis. You’ll probably be able to identify it if I say “hand eczema.” Besides, that’s easier to spell.

Symptoms

Like the name suggests (the easy name, that is—“hand eczema”) this type of eczema affects only the hands or feet. It is characterized by an outbreak of small blisters, which can develop into lesions, and may harden, ooze, and become crusty or scaly. Often, hand eczema is a recurring condition that comes and goes at random times. It is easy to identify due to the unsightly proliferation of the eczema all over the fingers—usually on the tips or the sides. The blisters are usually accompanied by itching, pain, with increasing irritation if they are washed with soap or come in contact with water.

Causes

It’s hard to tell what causes hand eczema. Many times, there is a direct link between high stress levels and hand eczema. Others conjecture that excessive sun exposure, chlorinated water sources, nickel-containing substances, latex gloves, or the ingestion or contact with allergens may cause the condition. Those who experience hand eczema often experience other forms of eczema, including atopic eczema or seborrheic dermatitis.

Treatment

Besides avoiding the eczema-causing conditions (which could be just about anything), the most common form of treatment is the application of topical steroid medications. Unfortunately, these can result in weakening of the skin over extended use. Other topical cleansing treatments may attempt to dry out the area in order to eliminate the damaged vesicles. Other forms of treatment attempt to do the opposite—moisturize and protect the affected areas.

Complications

With the onset of hand eczema sometimes comes the occurrence of fungal infections, especially tinea pedis (or athlete’s foot). Exercising careful hygiene and protection of the infected area will prevent the onset of fungal complications.

Discoid Eczema

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