Associated symptoms
Dry hands often feel tense and can tear open. These cracks are very painful, especially when moving, when traction is applied to the skin. Overall, dry skin is more sensitive and is more easily injured.
The loss of fluid also makes the skin look less firm and consequently wrinklier. If the dry skin is based on neurodermatitis, it can cause severe itching. Often the dry and scaly skin of neurodermatitis is also found in the elbows and knee bends.
If the itchy skin areas are scratched, inflammations can develop, which lead to increased redness and painfulness of the skin. Dry skin in acute allergic contact eczema is usually severely reddened, swollen and may also itch. Blisters or nodules may also appear.
Typically, the rash occurs only on the areas of skin that have come into contact with the allergen. If there is chronic contact eczema, the skin becomes coarser. The skin is thickened and raised, and the line pattern is greatly increased.
Dry, chapped skin occurs particularly often in winter, as the dry heating air dries the skin out considerably. Cold wind also dries the skin easily. In some cases, dry, chapped skin can also be a sign of neurodermatitis.
Cracks in the skin are not only painful and disturbing, but also represent an entry point for infections. Bacteria can penetrate the skin and cause purulent inflammation. This is called a bacterial superinfection and leads to poorer healing of dry skin.
Neurodermatitis in particular is made considerably worse by the bacterial infection. One can recognize an existing bacterial superinfection by yellowish crusts that are found on dry skin. If an infection is already present, antibiotics can help locally.
If a superinfection is present, a dermatologist should always be consulted. Furthermore, cracks also make it easier for allergens to penetrate the skin. This can lead to sensitization, which can lead to allergic contact eczema.
Regular application of cream or bepanthene to the cracked skin can contribute to healing. Eczema is a skin rash that is an inflammatory disease of the skin. Mostly hand eczema causes severe itching and can show nodules, blisters, crusts and redness.
It can also lead to water retention and wetting of the skin. Dandruff occurs particularly in chronic eczema. In this stage, the skin also becomes clearly leathery, with a thickened skin and coarse texture.
Eczema of dry skin is caused by a variety of factors. It can be triggered by allergens as well as irritating substances. Even water can have an irritating effect on the hands if the hands come into excessive contact with it.
But also factors such asB. A genetic predisposition to hypersensitivity reactions or increased sweating or reduced sebum formation on the hands can lead to eczema, as can reduced blood circulation. The treatment varies depending on the trigger and the appearance of the eczema.
In general, the skin should be treated with creams. It should be noted that dry skin requires a greasy cream, while weeping eczema should not be treated with greasy products. In this case aqueous solutions are recommended.
In addition, care should be taken to avoid irritating substances and allergens and to wash hands less frequently or use pH-neutral soap. It is important that the skin, even if it appears to have healed externally, remains less resilient for about four to six weeks. During this time, special attention should be paid to good skin care and contact with irritating substances should be avoided.
