What should you know about cracked skin on hands eczema?

Hand eczema may cause itch, dryness, redness, scaling, soreness or tiny blisters before fissures appear. Water, soaps, cleaning products, hair products, metals, gloves and occupational contact can aggravate it. Atopic dermatitis may affect other areas too, while contact dermatitis follows exposure to a particular substance. Psoriasis can also split hand skin and may look different at the nails or elbows. Because several conditions overlap, repeated hand cracks deserve an examination rather than repeated trial of irritating products.

Keep washing brief and use lukewarm water with a fragrance-free cleanser only where needed. Pat dry and apply a thick, bland emollient straight away; repeat after each wash and before sleep. Use gloves for cleaning and rinse any product residue from the skin, taking breaks if sweating builds up. Avoid fragranced creams, harsh scrubbing and picking. If a clinician has prescribed a flare treatment, use it exactly as directed and continue barrier care between flares.

Arrange review when eczema is stopping sleep, work or ordinary hand use, or when cracks return despite avoiding triggers. Prompt care is needed for pus, honey-coloured crust, rapidly worsening pain, warmth, swelling, red streaks or fever. Seek urgent help for facial swelling, widespread hives or breathing difficulty after contact with a product or glove.

Does the pattern fit atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis or psoriasis? Which irritants should I test at home by avoiding? What treatment should I use during a flare, and how can I protect my hands at work?