How will you know if you have hand eczema?
The hands are one of the most common parts of the body to be affected by eczema and it has been reported that up to 10% of the population (1 in every 10 people) may suffer from hand eczema, so if you do too, you’re not alone. Several different types of eczema can affect the hands, and more than one type can occur in the same person at the same time. For example, someone with atopic eczema may also have irritant contact eczema of the hands from using too much soap, or an allergic contact allergy from fragrance in a moisturiser.
If you’ve suffered from hand eczema before, you may recognise the telltale signs. If you work in a job that is associated with a high risk of hand eczema, you should keep an eye on the condition of your hands and take precautions to try to avoid potential hand eczema ‘flares’.
For further information about possible triggers within particular professions and tips on managing hand eczema at work, please see the ‘About Hand Eczema’ section of this website.
If you haven’t already completed the questionnaire on this website, please do so. Let us know the type of work you do - we’ll update the website to show how many people in different professions suffer from hand eczema. You could help other people in your profession find out whether their job is commonly linked to hand eczema and reassure them that they are not alone.
Regardless of what type of hand eczema you have, the symptoms have similarities, although they may vary in severity. If you have mild hand eczema, the skin on your hands may simply be a little dry, with some chapped skin. If you experience a severe attack, your skin may be red, itchy and blistered. Cracked skin can be painful and even a small amount of eczema on your fingertips can be surprisingly troublesome. Because of the itching, sufferers repeatedly scratch and rub their skin to get relief. Unfortunately, this damages the protective surface layer of the skin, leaving it open to infection. During an eczema attack, the skin can get extremely red, dry, itchy and blistered.
If you think that you have hand eczema, please speak to your healthcare professional for a proper diagnosis.
