Irritant Contact Eczema Affects the Hands

Frequent washing of hands with soap can cause an outbreak of Irritant Contact Eczema (dermatitis). Contact with common household cleaners, bleach and chemicals will cause irritation, too. Sometimes certain substances can cause an immediate reaction.

Strong irritants can cause stinging and burning at first contact. Soaps and detergents dry hands out and leave them red, inflamed and itchy. You may recognize this as chapped hands.

Other culprits that cause Irritant Contact Eczema can include antiperspirants, shampoos, permanent solutions for hair, toilet bowl cleaners, oven cleaners, rubbing alcohol and the list goes on and on.

Irritant Contact Eczema is very common and the 2nd leading cause of job-related problems.

If your job involves working with your hands such as handling cleaners or paints, laying cement, handling cardboard boxes or hair salon products then you may suffer from this type of eczema.

The rash occurs because releases of chemicals such as histamine, from the immunity cells, are within the many layers of skin. This is what is called “immediate hypersensitivity”.

The nickel in jewelry is one of the leading causes of Irritant Contact Eczema. If you buy rings, watches, pierced earrings, necklaces and bracelets that is any less than 24-karat gold then they have some nickel in them. The lower the karat, the more nickel there is in it! If you are allergy prone to eczema then your jewelry may be the culprit.

Other culprits may include rubber gloves or boots, leathers, wool clothing, perfumes, or perfumed lotions, creams or body washes. Items such as woodworking or craft glues, glass fiber and cement products used in construction areas.

In addition, certain foods like chocolate (oh, no!), apricots, coffee, beer (don’t need that anyway), tea, and nuts are allergy related irritants. They all contain a high amount of nickel in them, too. I was surprised about that!

Home Remedies That Help Irritant Contact Eczema:

• Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize…especially right after bathing. I like using creamy petroleum jelly; it really softens the skin.

• Use cotton-lined gloves (latex or rubber can worsen the symptoms).

• Try avoiding the known culprits, if possible.

• Always wash hands and bathe in lukewarm water, not too hot or not too cold! Hot water can dry the skin out.

• When washing, always gently dab the skin with a fragrance-free mild soap. Don’t rub with a washcloth, which will only break open lesions, use hand to lather up.

• If the air is dry then humidity is low which causes more moisture loss. To combat this, use moisturizers that contain mineral oil, petrolatum or glycerin. Lotions are not as good as creams and ointments.

• Remember to not use anything with a fragrance, which causes more irritation.

• Break open a leaf then dab the juice from an Aloe Vera plant on the affected area several times daily.

• Add a half cup of cider vinegar and a third cup of cold compressed sunflower or safflower oil to bath water; soak.

One of the most important things is to find the culprit or allergen and try to avoid using or wearing it. All of the home remedies may not work for everybody, but be patient and find what works best for you.

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A Remedy To Remember:”And we know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into his plans” Romans 8:28