What should you know about O'Keeffe's Working Hands for eczema?

Frequent washing, sanitiser, detergents, dust, gloves and wet work can strip the hand barrier. Eczema may then cause tightness, itching, redness, scaling and painful fissures across the knuckles, fingertips or palms. A barrier cream helps replace some lost surface protection, but it does not identify whether irritation, allergy or another condition is driving the flare.

Hand eczema can be confused with contact dermatitis or fungal infection, so a stubborn rash should not be judged by appearance alone. Crusting, increasing pain or swelling changes the urgency and should prompt assessment.

Rinse with lukewarm water, use a mild fragrance-free cleanser and pat dry without rubbing. Apply moisturiser immediately, including around the nails and between the fingers. Reapply after each wash when possible. For wet or chemical work, use suitable protective gloves with clean cotton liners if advised, and change damp gloves promptly.

Do not apply a new product to every cracked area at once. Test a small patch when the skin is intact, and stop if burning, rash or swelling follows. A clinician may recommend a prescription anti-inflammatory, protective dressing or allergy evaluation when moisturiser alone is insufficient.

Book an appointment if hand eczema limits work, keeps splitting, bleeds, affects sleep or returns despite reducing irritants. Seek prompt care for pus, spreading redness, warmth, marked swelling, severe pain or fever. These features can indicate infection or a more urgent reaction.

Ask which workplace exposures may be contributing, whether patch testing is appropriate, and which moisturiser texture suits your tasks. Ask how to use any prescribed medicine safely on thin skin, fissures or areas covered by gloves.