Dermatitis on hands

[Tommy J]

Hi all,

My daughter had impetigo earlier in the year and gave me a tiny dose of it.
Since then I have had a patch at the base of my right index finger and the palm where I grip things.

I saw the doctor and he said it was dermatitis/eczma and prescribed me some creams.
One didn't work at all and the other (HC45) worked by made my skin very thin and subsiquently caused it to worsen when it came back.

Does anyone know of a good cream which I can use which isn't steroid based please.

I've had this now for about 6 months and it's starting to get me down as I find it difficult to grip things, it's extreamly itchy at times andI'm a very keen golfer andI'm fearing theworst (that I won't be able to play again) :o(

Many thanks,

[ZX7R]

Try using some cream called 'Allergenics' non-steroidal cream. Good stuff.

[Tommy J]

cheers zx7r,
ah, just read a bit about it, it's an emolient. I have something like this and it's really good to stop the itching, but doesn't seem to get rid of it. I might give it a go though to see if it works, can't be much worse.

[ZX7R]

Sometimes I can get a light Rosea rash on my cheeks around the nose area. I use that Allergenics cream every night and morning until it goes away completely.

It's definitely worth a try.

[scoobypatch]

i use dermovate cream, but it is steroid based. but it keeps it away for a few months if u use it for an whole week. i tend to apply it before bed and then wear some cotton gloves to stop it rubbing off, while i sleep.

[Tommy J]

cheers scoobypatch, I did the cotton gloves bit, and they're great for stopping the stuff getting everywhere.

[beansontoast]

It's steroid based but my doc prescribed a tube of betnovate cream in march 2009 when I had a small patch of irritated skin after some reaction to a naphthenic oil used in some products at work. A tiny smear between the two affected areas (between two fingers, at the base) clears the problem for over a month. I've barely used 10% of the contents of the tube.

[losttoy]

Have you tried using a little athletes foot cream with ketaconazole sp in it? Also try not to use any soap etc for a couple of weeks. Ketaconazole is a anti fungal

[Tommy J]

cheers Losttoy and beansontoast.

I have stopped using soap to wash my hands (unless after a no. 2 ;o) )
I find showering the hardest part, I don't know how to shower without getting it wet/soaked in showergel.
I switched to a different shower gell and it seamed to help but not clear it up.

I'll try some of the above suggestions though, thanks!

[littlebilly1]

I had it on my hands Bout 10-12 years back, it was that bad at night I eventually had a ring around the base of my middle fingers where all the skin had pretty much gone through scratching and rubbing it, it's a fucking horrible condition

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[losttoy]

Just had a thought... You don't smoke do you?

[scoobypatch]

Stop using shower gel! My mrs has bought some specialised soaps. They have helped a lot. I'll ask what ones she got when I go home after work. But shower gel eats the crap out of my hands.

[Cracker]

I have used 'Dead Sea' Salt creams previously and cant speak of them highly enough. You can get them from most chemists/health shops. Completely natural and no steroids - just sea salt from the dead sea

You can also get Dead Sea salt soap etc.

for showering have you considered surgical gloves etc just to keep it dry?

[scoobypatch]

The soaps I have been using are as follows: tea tree. Dead sea magic, camomile and lavender. They are all natural soaps. Don't use hand wash either! Stick to these soaps and u should b sorted.

[Tommy J]

for showering have you considered surgical gloves etc just to keep it dry?

I thought about them, but they tend to get sweaty and in turn more aggrovated. I use cotton and then rubber gloves for washing up though.

Just had a thought... You don't smoke do you?

Thanks Losttoy, but no, I don't.


It cleared up for about 2 days a week or so ago but returned when I went out with a mate and I think it started again when I washed my hands in the toilets, possibly caused by the hand dryer.

I like the sound of the sea salt, might try that and some of the others. I had to use the HC45 cream over the weekend but it's done nothing