Q I do a lot of dishwashing at a restaurant, so my hands are in water and detergent all day. What things especially make dyshidrotic eczema worse?
A Irritants that repeatedly contact the hands, such as water, detergent, rubber gloves, metal (nickel), and perm solutions, directly worsen dyshidrotic eczema. A sweaty environment and frequent hand-washing also have an effect. Simply wearing cotton gloves under rubber gloves, or drying and moisturizing your hands right after work, can reduce the frequency.
Detailed Answer
The hand-area irritants that worsen dyshidrotic eczema are clear. Representative ones include prolonged soaking in water, the surfactants in detergents and soaps, the latex of rubber gloves, the nickel in coins, keys, and accessories, and perm solutions and hair dyes. Washing the hands too often or having sweaty hands also aggravates it. Realistic defenses are to wear cotton gloves underneath and rubber gloves over them, and right after work to dry the hands thoroughly and then apply moisturizer.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
The more frequently the skin is exposed to an irritating environment, the more important its resilience to endure becomes. Along with lifestyle tips to reduce irritation, Dongjedang focuses on using herbal medicine and acupuncture to regenerate the damaged skin barrier and lower the damp-heat within the body, building skin that holds up better under the same irritation.
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