On this is starting to drive me nuts. For the last few weeks the palms of my hands have been dry to the point of peeling. I’m regularly using lotion, haven’t changed anything about my routines with body wash or anything like that and so on. I’m prone to skin issues so didn’t think a lot of it at first but it’s really getting old. Any thoughts on what may cause it and what I can do?
I tend to get eczema and very, very dry skin in the winter and early spring.
Here’s what I’ve worked out:
[ul]
[li]Reduce the length of showers;[/li][li]Switch to a non-soap cleanser; [/li][li]Change to a thicker lotion (such as Eucerin or one of the heavier Aveeno lotions); [/li][li]Put humidifiers in your bedroom and main room (you can also let a pot of water steam on the stove for more humidity); [/li][li]Put a bottle of lotion by EVERY sink and use it **every **time you wash your hands at all (also at your desk at work, and in your car, and anywhere else you can think of);[/li][li]After showering, rub in oil or Vaseline to anywhere really dry, wait a moment, then put on lotion.[/li][/ul]
I personally use Curel’s super-duper lotion (it has red on the bottle), but other people’s skin responds to other lotions. You can pick up trial sizes at CVS.
If this doesn’t help in a few days, do see a dermatologist. You could have any number of relatively minor but annoying skin conditions that are helped fairly easily by steroid creams/ointments.
Good luck!
Is just the palms of your hands? Are you coming into contact with / handling something that is irritating your skin?
I have chronic hand eczema–have had it for five years now. I’ve tried just about everything you can think of (well, okay, short of visiting a specialist, I suppose I could do that). Here’s what I’ve learned:
-Regular lotion is counterproductive. It soothes the eczema temporarily, but as it dries out, it makes things worse.
-Ointments are better.
-Steroidal creams are the best: there’s a Hydrocortisone 1% cream called “Cortisone 10 Intensive Healing Lotion: Eczema” that does the trick for me. I apply it 1-2 times a day, and it keeps things under control.
-If it’s really bad and you need to nuke it from orbit, buy a box of medical gloves. Before bed, slather your hand up with the hydrocortisone lotion and put the glove on. It’s uncomfortable and makes your hand sweat and is gross, sure, but by morning the results are dramatic. Do that for several days in a row to get things under control, and then dispense with the glove.
Obviously this is just works for me; what works for you may be different.
Yes, it’s just the palms and my fingertips. Which is why it’s strange.
Thought of a few other questions –
Think about any products you use at work or during hobbies that could be causing a reaction. Random stuff can do it. (I had an allergic reaction to some old, varnished desks in my elementary school in Florida. I couldn’t wear shorts that year. It was pre-school-air-conditioning and darn hot.)
Do you have any hobbies where your palms come into contact with something you could be allergic to (for example, woodworking or removing varnish)?
Do you do dishes by hand?
What hair products do you use?
Do you use any face lotion products? I’m thinking that something like alpha hydroxy acids could cause peeling, though I’d think your face would be more affected than hands. However, bodies can be really friggin’ stupid.
I second Left Hand of Dorkness – occlusive therapy for hand eczema does help. I have a recurring spot on my right thumb that I sometimes have to slather in steroid ointment, wrap in saran wrap, and tape shut overnight. Then it’s all attractively pruny the next morning. 
But it really does help.
If it’s just your palms and fingers it’s probably dyshidrotic eczema. I used to get it a lot.
Your doctor can give you an Rx steroid cream that will take care of it.
Thanks guys. I’ll try a steroid cream and then it’s back to my dermatologist if that doesn’t help. I can’t think of anything about my routine or things I contact that has changed recently, but my skin does strange things so who knows.
Are you using a new (or any) antibacterial soap? Personally I find antibacterial soap shreds my hands. But for me it’s the skin around my fingernails. No reason why it couldn’t affect your palms and fingertips though.
No. Only recent change is a different laundry detergent but this started before that.
I just had a thought. I wonder if they changed the soap used in our office restrooms. I think I’ll try bringing my own for a while and see if that helps.
Anything else new? New gloves? New car? New steering wheel cover? New keys? New mouse or keyboard? New bicycle? New weightlifting routine?
Not really, my life has been dead boring lately. 
Might be overkill for you, but I’ve had some weird unidentified eczema-like skin condition for a few years, especially on my hands/arms and just this week got a lot of relief from this. It’s a “kills-everything” ointment. You may have dry skin, eczema, psoriasis, athlete’s-hands, who knows. I’m telling you, this cream works miracles, and I could tell from the first day that it was working. However, I did have to track down a source, since I don’t think they carry it in the U.S.