Caring For Your Eczema Hands

Caring For Your Hands
By Patricia Smith

If you have on your hands, you know the annoyance, and
the pain.  The best advice for those who have on their
hands is to keep hands well moisturized and do your best to
avoid any skin irritants. This is not always a easy task, but
avoiding irritants to the best of your ability will keep keep
itchy, red, swollen, and cracked skin at bay. 

Many things in your home and workplace could serve to irritate
the sensitive skin on your hands. Some of these include, but are
not limited to, soap, detergents, cosmetic products, household
cleaners, air fresheners or sprays, aftershave lotion, gasoline,
turpentine, pain stripper, other solvents, and a variety of
other chemicals. Skin is likely to break whenever you find
yourself in close proximity to any of these substances. Having
your hands in water too often and washing them excessively with
soap is also discouraged as it can serve to dry your skin out
much faster. However, when you do wash your hands, always
thoroughly dry them to include between the fingers. Make be
certain that all soap residue has been rinsed out properly
before drying your hands.

Wearing a pair of vinyl or plastic gloves that fit properly at
work or at home whenever it is absolutely necessary for you to
have your hands in and out of water is recommended. If you
suspect but don’t know for sure that a substance will irritate
your skin then wear gloves to prevent any adverse results. The
more you safeguard your hands the better. It is recommended that
you wear a pair of thin cotton gloves under a pair of plastic
gloves in order for the cotton gloves to soak up any sweating
your hands do as a result of wearing gloves that don't breathe.
Always take breaks to take off both pairs

of gloves and give
your hands a chance to breathe. This prevents a sweat buildup in
the gloves which can trigger an flare-up. It is helpful
to wear a pair of regular gloves whenever you step outside
during the winter months. The blustery wind, cold air and low
humidity during the winter season can dry the hands out
immensely, even on days when the temperature is moderate and the
wind is absent.

Moisturize your skin every day without fail, morning and before
bed, regardless of what time of day you bathe. This includes
your hands. Moisturizers keep the skin supple, hydrated, and
crack-free, as well as keeping flare-ups at bay.
Well-moisturized skin does not show signs of age as quickly. A
very basic, no frills type of moisturizer is ideal. Avoid
lotions and creams with alcohol or fragrance and choose one that
is more greasy than creamy. Petroleum jelly is actually an
excellent choice for hands, though very greasy, whether it is a
brand name like Vaseline or a generic form. Another excellent
eczema hand cream is Eucerin 5% Urea Hand Cream which has a
light texture and is both fragrance and dye-free. This is a
suitable every day moisturizer that decreases the tightness of
skin that afflicts some sufferers.  Take care, and may
your hands always be moist!

About the Author: Patricia Smith writes articles for several
Internet magazines, including http://foxow.com,
http://www.shop4body.com, and http://lutad.com

Source: http://www.isnare.com

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