Q I'm in my 30s and run a hair salon in Dongincheon. Clusters of tiny, clear, millet-like blisters keep forming on the sides of my fingers and on my palms, and they itch like crazy. What on earth is this?
A A condition in which small, clear, deep-seated itchy blisters cluster on the sides of the fingers, palms, and soles is called dyshidrotic eczema (pompholyx). It is common in jobs with repeated exposure of the hands to water, detergents, and perm solutions, and it is a type of chronic eczema that flares and improves repeatedly in step with sweating, stress, and seasonal change.
Detailed Answer
Dyshidrotic eczema (pompholyx) is a form of eczema in which itchy, small blisters appear as if embedded deep in the skin, clustering on the sides of the fingers, palms, and soles. The blisters are clear and firm like pearls, and after a few days they dry, peel, and crack. It tends to appear when factors overlap such as hands frequently in contact with water, detergents, metal, or perm solutions, a constitution prone to sweaty hands, stress, and changing seasons, and it tends to alternate between improving and worsening.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
At Dongjedang, we view dyshidrotic eczema not as a problem of the hand and foot skin alone, but as a signal of the internal environment of the body. When the function of the Spleen-Stomach (the digestive system) that governs digestion declines, damp-heat (seup-yeol), in which waste products and heat are entangled, accumulates. When this damp-heat cannot find a way out and bursts through the skin at the tips of the hands and feet, it shows up as blisters and oozing. So we look for the reason why, under the same irritation, some people are fine while others have flare-ups, not on the surface of the skin but in the internal soil of the body.
Related FAQs
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Q
I've had dyshidrotic eczema for over 10 years that flares on both palms and soles. Can even this improve with Korean medicine treatment?
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I had atopic dermatitis as a child. Is that why I get dyshidrotic eczema easily? Do other skin allergies come along with it too?
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I usually have poor digestion and a bloated, heavy stomach. Is the state of my stomach related to the blisters on my hands?
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At night my hands and feet itch so much that when I scratch, the blisters burst and I can't sleep. What should I do when it itches?
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After the blisters dry, my hands crack badly, feel tight, and hurt. How should I moisturize and care for my hands?
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