Hand Eczema: How To Relieve Your Symptoms & Prevent Flare-Ups 

So if you get bouts of eczema in the area, here's what to do. 

"Hand eczema, or hand dermatitis, is characterized by redness, blistering, cracking, flaking and itching of the palms and fingers," says board-certified dermatologist Hadley King, M.D. Essentially, it's the same flare-ups you may get on your face or elsewhere on your body, just localized to the fingers and palms of your hands. You may just notice it more because of how often you use your digits: Typing away at a laptop with cracked fingers or doing handiwork with raw palms is, uh, not ideal. 

But you may be wondering, why do my hands crack and dry when others don't after doing the same thing? "Eczema found on the hands is triggered by genetics and environmental factors. Then contact allergens and irritants can further exacerbate eczema on the hands," says Josie Holes, an esthetician at SKINNEY Medspa in NYC. Essentially, some of us are simply genetically predisposed to have flare-ups. 

So, there is no "cure" for eczema at the moment—but there are ways to manage symptoms and help prevent it from getting too unbearable: 

So, for personal hygiene reasons, we know we need to wash regularly and use hand sanitizer. This is nonnegotiable. However, this can be extremely harsh on already sensitive skin. "Minimize contact with other potentially drying and irritating ingredients as well, such as alcohol in hand sanitizers and detergents and hand soap," says King. Instead, find sanitizers buffered with hydrating ingredients like glycerin or aloe vera. As for hand soaps, find options that don't contain too harsh of surfactants and are blended with soothing, creamy ingredients like colloidal oat or butters. 

"It's essential to moisturize as often as possible to restore those lipids and encourage the regrowth of healthy bacteria," board-certified dermatologist Whitney Bowe, M.D., previously told us about caring for your hands post-wash. "I carry a hand moisturizer with me at all times and apply it within moments of washing or sanitizing my hands throughout the day. If you wait too long, you miss that narrow window of opportunity to really trap and seal those nourishing ingredients in the skin before all the water evaporates off the surface, further compromising your skin."

If you're growing weary of applying creams all day, you can also do much of the heavy lifting while you sleep: "Sleeping with a thick moisturizer under white cotton gloves is a great way to moisturize," says King. 

You should especially wear gloves if your job is one where you experience irritants frequently: "Hand eczema is commonly found in workers who constantly use their hands such as hairdressers and cleaning, catering, and mechanical workers," says Holes. 

"I think most people think that if they work really hard at it—skin moisturization, diet change, allergen avoidance—they can control eczema and eliminate flare-ups," double-board-certified dermatologist Latanya Benjamin, M.D., previously explained to us about eczema. "Initially, I teach my families to expect occasional flare-ups, despite their best care. Even when the skin is under better control, eczema can still flare for many reasons, including catching a common cold or battling a skin infection."