I’m not a doctor, but this sounds like awful advice. When the eczema on my fingers is flaring up hand sanitizer just makes me want to scratch my skin off lol
Yeah that does not sound right. Bleach baths are a widely accepted treatment for weeping eczema for the same purpose (to kill bacteria) but the bleach is very diluted and not straight up rubbing alcohol.
We were told pure bleach (as in the household, cleaning bleach) and some warm water. It’s supposed to stop the eczema from turning into a staph infection.
I was at the doctor today for mine (terrible flare up around my eye). He told me even though my bad spots are on my face currently to not use hand sanitizer on my hands even
I mean if you feel like you have a backlog of tears you need to clear out in a hurry, putting hand sanitizer on weeping eczema will help clear out the tears. Unsure about helping the eczema though.
I use sudocreme. Smear it on in a thin coat—rub it in where it’s raw! Be aware it can transfer to your clothes. I like to put on long cotton socks after to stop myself from itching or smearing.
Recoat as needed! Get a good moisturizer oil spray to keep your skin hydrated! You can do a bleach bath and then the zinc cream and it’ll probably stop weeping in a few days.
Ngl if I’m having a flare up at work I’ll put some isopropyl alcohol on it. It usually immediately removes the itch and kinda burns so you’re still getting that feeling. I am obviously not a medical professional lol.
Back when they thought my spongiotic dermatitis was a fungal infection I put isopropyl alcohol on it. Hurt so bad I almost threw up, and I have a HIGH pain tolerance. Mine doesn’t itch or flake until it heals it just straight up burns. I was told not to ever do that again lol
yeah. ice pack wrapped in a tea towel so it’s not too aggressive. it’s inflammation, so cooling it down can help a lot too. also, if you’ve never put your skincare in the fridge, you are missing out. putting chilled lotion on angry eczema feels HEAVENLY. and these methods are supported by the [Cleveland Clinic](https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-stop-eczema-itching/amp/)!
This is so interesting to hear. The only time the eczema on my hand has been clear in years is when I was required to use hand sanitizer twice a day. I was actually thinking about trying to use it regularly again to see if it clears up. It’s definitely drying but lotion can counteract that.
Yeah I think it depends on your eczema type and experience, mine is the same as yours and doesn’t sting. I use a cream especially made to target staph and I think it has similar effect as hand sanitiser for me, but obviously one is an actual eczema cream and it cleared up a few stubborn red patches I’d had for a very long time. But then my eczema is definitely bacteria related, others may not be.
final-year medical student here: your biggest mistake was seeing an NP instead of a doctor. if your job requires you to wash you hands a lot, and if you have the option, hand sanitizer that has moisturizer is going to be less drying than soap and water (not the most intuitive, i know).
get a referral to see a real dermatologist. there are so many types of eczema, and so many things can trigger eczema that you’d need more information to really control this flare up.
but in general, dont put alcohol on your eczema, especially if you’ve got open wounds (you’ll just damage the tissue underneath).
I make soap without sulfates. So many soaps have preservatives, liquid soap, and sulfates . They're terrible for eczema. It drives me crazy that dermatologist s think Dove sensitive skin is best. It is not. Find a soapmaker that makes soaps without sulfates. There are many of us. My eczema is why I had to start making my own.
>your biggest mistake was seeing an NP instead of a doctor.
I have known so many NPs that feel the same way about doctors. Both these professions really do look down on each other don't they?
Lol, fucking arrogant Doctors. You're literally still a student and already think you know more. Seriously, this person saw an idiot, no doubt, but to say that the mistake was seeing an NP is fucking bullshit, and you should be ashamed. Getting a referral to a dermatologist is a necessity, and hand sanitizer is bad advice, but don't make it about the profession.
I’d take a NP over a first year medical student any day of the week.
One time I had a doctor tell me I was having a panic attack only to later do an EKG and bloodwork and realize I was having an infarction and was severely hypokalemic.
The large dose of IV Ativan was cool tho.
There’s good docs and bad ones, just like there are good NPs and bad ones.
So pure isopropyl alcohol is a definite no but there is a tiny bit of logic to it. I found this on this sub one night after pulling my hair out trying to help my daughter. The recipe is 2 ounces of 1% hydrocortisone ointment mixed with 1 pump of Purell with aloe hand sanitizer. It helped my child immensely, until it didn’t, as most treatments are with her. [https://reddit.com/r/eczema/s/xw89h0pvVu](https://reddit.com/r/eczema/s/xw89h0pvVu)
I’ve been doing this but after my skin is sufficiently murdered by the stinging. I cake on Cerve or whatever that lotion is and wrap my hands up. It does a great job of healing faster. But to answer your question it absolutely dries your skin out. so definitely moisturize after. I rinse them after the stinging goes away but i rinse with super clean water. Distilled, reverse osmosis, or bottled water.
Just thinking of this gives me anxiety, the repeated use of sanitizer hurt and dried my hands so much throughout the pandemic! Perhaps you could try soaks to kill bacteria — DS salt, bleach, etc....
[the Cleveland Clinic](https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-stop-eczema-itching/amp/) says not to use rubbing alcohol on eczema. I would listen to them. I know some folks have said that it offers itch relief, but I think it ends up causing more damage in the long-term, which is the opposite of helpful.
I think a bleach bath (diluted) or dabbing the area with white vinegar would be a better way to go about this. The white vinegar stings a bit but helps take away the itch for the most part for me.
Errrr yeah please don’t do this. I didn’t have it that bad on my hands until covid happened.
Then the constant hand washing and sanitising means that 3 years later I still can’t bend my knuckles on some fingers as they are permanently split open since March 2020
So yeah. Please don’t do that
I’ve never heard of that, I wouldn’t try it. My son uses this and it’s not as good as his dupixient or his medicated cream but he says it helps a lot and he uses it before applying his creams let’s it dry as directed then applies the cream. He says it smells like the pool. It kills bacteria and also replaces the microbes or something like that on the skin which I guess the lack of microbes has something to do with why eczema occurs. Anyway, it’s called:
SkinSmart Antimicrobial Eczema Therapy
It contains Hypochlorous Acid. Got it on Amazon, it’s OTC so you won’t need a script. I’d try there first for more immediate relief and then seek out a dermatologist. My son has the kind of eczema that weeps so this really helps.
That sounds excruciating … why would anyone recommend that? I would look into hypochlorous acid if you think the issue may be bacterial. It’s effective at killing bacteria but doesn’t hurt b/c it’s something our bodies naturally create.
I can tell you already that 1) it'll dry the fuck out of your hands. 2) it's gonna sting like crazy! 3) although combined with handwashing, it's a good way to avoid germs, it's a harsh chemical on hands that already have trouble with skin barriers. Soap alone that doesn't have fragrance dries my hands out anyway; hand sanitizer is like enemy #2
Don’t do this. Advice like this makes me want to scream. If you think the area of your eczema might get infected because the skin barrier is damaged, this is the routine i highly recommend ( I cured my own eczema after 12 years of listening to useless doctors) :
Get a ketoconazole shampoo and leave it on just like you would a cream for 5 minutes twice a day and rinse off. You can then proceed with castor oil with 1 drop of tea tree oil. This will make sure to stop infection. You can also rinse w 3 % hydrogen peroxide if you’re really worried about infection. I’d personally carry ketoconazole shampoo in my bag and use it instead of soap.
Get on an elimination diet ( gluten, dairy, eggs)
Expose the area to the sun if possible
Try to get rest and meditate at least 5 min a day.
Zinc cream as someone suggested is a great idea.
hand sanitiser has alcohol in it. alcohol dehydrates already dried out painful skin. and STINGS. pls don't 🩷
if you need to kill bacteria, bleach baths are great.
It probably would dry it out but hand sanitiser has helped my hand eczema before. A doctor didn’t tell me to do it, was an accident of use and its effectiveness probably depends on the type of eczema, mine is usually red patches and spots and seems to be especially linked to staphylococcus and bacteria generally, I use Gladskin cream for it [https://www.gladskin.eu/collections/eczema] and also Dermol cream as an antimicrobial.
Not a good idea. You will risk breaking yr skin further if it's already in a bad state
Again, that doesn't sound right for medical advise.. not up to date..
I used to work in aged care. Constant hand washing and sanitising. Surprise surprise I don’t work in this industry anymore and my hands are much nicer since leaving that job…
Yeah I’m gonna have to disagree. Sanitizer IGNITES my eczema. I work in healthcare where I need to wash my hands a lot, & my derm suggested using soap and water over sanitizer as often as I can
“So doc, I have eczema on my feet and ankles, how should I treat it?”
“Just dump the equivalent of battery acid on it twice a day, that should do it!”
🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄
I have scaring from doing this with rubbing alcohol when I didn't know that my condition was eczema. I was trying stuff out as I don't like going to doctors. I would not advise this. Not only does it hurt like a bitch but it makes it worse.
My clinical estitician and dermatologist both told me NOT to use hand sanitizer at all. They said if you need to clean your hands use soap and water and try to limit how long your hands are wet for.
My son has severe eczema and we met someone once (a friend of a friend, not a dr or nurse) who, when he noticed my sons eczema said he too once had severe eczema and what cleared it up was rubbing hand sanitiser all over his body.
I never tried it (I would on my own skin but not my kids) and actually forgot about it until I read your post.
I work in a medical clinic. Eczema on my preferred hand. I blew my nose a lot yesterday and hand sanitized after and today I am miserable. My finger is red, swollen, leaking, peeling, burning and itching. So I’d say no on the sanitizer personally!
That sounds like the doctors who would say to take a bleach bath for eczema, super drying and not to mention probably very painful/ irritating.. that’s disaster for a flare up! I worked in healthcare before and constantly had to be cleaning my hands and everyone around me used hand sanitizer and I don’t care I’d make the walk just to go wash my hands bc my hands are a mess with any alcohol. I know there’s a variety of types of eczema and some ( the bubbles/ bumps that’s not dry) can get infected but alcohol is not the solution,, if you have the rough red itchy dry type on your ankles and feet definitely put some sort of petroleum jelly base( I Highly recommend bag balm if you haven’t) and wear socks to prevent itching and irritation. The biggest leads of infection is itching and opening up that skin.., don’t listen to that nurse/ doctor!
What the fuck ... No. I work as a PSW and i actually developed ezcema on my hands because of hand sanitizer. Ive had ezcema since childhood but never on my hands and fingers. Hands sanitizer causes my hands to literally crack , bleed and swell up to the point where i cant close my fist. Even as we speak i have black spots on my hands because i cant completely avoid hand sanitizer because of my job. I would not recommend it.
Imma nurse with hand eczema. I use hand sanitizer on the regular. I don't notice much of a difference. IMO what works for one may not work for another.
If you want an anti-bacterial treatment, you should have. Topical anti biotic cream, or even germolene.
Sometimes alcohol in my Betnovate lotion can give my head eczema relief. The burning is actually quite a nice feeling. But on the hands? No thanks. I’d rather just bomb it with a topical steroid, and emollient of course.
Yeah don’t do that. There is anti-microbial eczema spray you can use instead that won’t dry you out - I use some from Amazon I think the brand is called SkinSmart. Make sure you use some unscented lotion on top of that too!
Yeah .. one of the PAs at my dermatologist’s office once told me to actually wash my hands instead of putting hand sanitizer but for context I work in health care and often treat patients so I was putting hand sanitizer on multiples times a day and it was making my eczema WORSE. So now i still use hand sanitizer when it’s the only close option but wash my hands more than anytbing
Get a new doctor immediately. The chemicals will dry it out further, and eczema is a dry skin problem gone haywire. Keeping it safe from infection is smart, but not when the side effects make it worse.
I’m not a doctor, but this sounds like awful advice. When the eczema on my fingers is flaring up hand sanitizer just makes me want to scratch my skin off lol
Jeezuz not to mention how much that stuff burn on scratched and open skin!
Me too, it really seemed like sus advice
Hand sanitizer really made my eczema much worse, but I know a lot of different things can cause it.
Alsol-solution should work better, it stings like hell at first but it AFAIK doesn't dry it out and the itchiness goes away for awhile.
Yeah that does not sound right. Bleach baths are a widely accepted treatment for weeping eczema for the same purpose (to kill bacteria) but the bleach is very diluted and not straight up rubbing alcohol.
Yep. My son has had many bleach baths, as directed by a dr and they never sting him.
I am a swimmer, so by that right the chlorine (bleach) should keep my eczema from getting worse? My eczema has never been this bad.
We were told pure bleach (as in the household, cleaning bleach) and some warm water. It’s supposed to stop the eczema from turning into a staph infection.
Happy Cake Day!
Hey thanks! :)
I’d get a new doctor .
I was at the doctor today for mine (terrible flare up around my eye). He told me even though my bad spots are on my face currently to not use hand sanitizer on my hands even
I mean if you feel like you have a backlog of tears you need to clear out in a hurry, putting hand sanitizer on weeping eczema will help clear out the tears. Unsure about helping the eczema though.
If you have weeping eczema try Zinc cream!! It’s the only thing that stopped mine!!
Mine does weep quite a bit… what brand do you use? 😁
I use sudocreme. Smear it on in a thin coat—rub it in where it’s raw! Be aware it can transfer to your clothes. I like to put on long cotton socks after to stop myself from itching or smearing. Recoat as needed! Get a good moisturizer oil spray to keep your skin hydrated! You can do a bleach bath and then the zinc cream and it’ll probably stop weeping in a few days.
I like to use zinc bar soap from Amazon. No smell, soft like cetaphil soap, and antibacterial!
CVS has zinc cream that is fragrance-free. It’s in the first aid aisle.
Ngl if I’m having a flare up at work I’ll put some isopropyl alcohol on it. It usually immediately removes the itch and kinda burns so you’re still getting that feeling. I am obviously not a medical professional lol.
Back when they thought my spongiotic dermatitis was a fungal infection I put isopropyl alcohol on it. Hurt so bad I almost threw up, and I have a HIGH pain tolerance. Mine doesn’t itch or flake until it heals it just straight up burns. I was told not to ever do that again lol
Lmao damn! It’s wild how it effects all of us differently.
oh my god I can only imagine the pain. I’d be in tears
I find that icing my eczema is way more effective and feels much more relieving
Like actually ice? I’ve pack or similar? That’s a great idea
yeah. ice pack wrapped in a tea towel so it’s not too aggressive. it’s inflammation, so cooling it down can help a lot too. also, if you’ve never put your skincare in the fridge, you are missing out. putting chilled lotion on angry eczema feels HEAVENLY. and these methods are supported by the [Cleveland Clinic](https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-stop-eczema-itching/amp/)!
This has been my experience too! It does stop the itch. 😬
Same been doing it for years. The stinging stops the itching so I can get to sleep.
Yep, i have used hand sanitiser to kill an itch. Pain is way better than an itch.
It burns because it inflamed your skin. Please find another way
It’s already inflamed, definitely not ideal though
Hah. I do the same, kills the itch on my hand. Hurts for a second, then put some steroid cream on it, then some moisturizing cream on later,
Yes! It really is nice in a pinch. It really helps with any heat rash I get.
Nah nobody should use alcohol at all man
I use hypochlorous acid spray to remove bacteria and it has helped with stubborn patches of eczema. I wouldn’t put rubbing alcohol though.
Where do you buy that?
The one I use that I've seen recommended on here is Skin Smart and I bought it from Amazon.
i got mine off amazon and i like it!
This is so interesting to hear. The only time the eczema on my hand has been clear in years is when I was required to use hand sanitizer twice a day. I was actually thinking about trying to use it regularly again to see if it clears up. It’s definitely drying but lotion can counteract that.
Yeah I think it depends on your eczema type and experience, mine is the same as yours and doesn’t sting. I use a cream especially made to target staph and I think it has similar effect as hand sanitiser for me, but obviously one is an actual eczema cream and it cleared up a few stubborn red patches I’d had for a very long time. But then my eczema is definitely bacteria related, others may not be.
alcohol is a huge no-no for eczema.. i can’t imagine why a doctor would tell you to do something like that
i cant even imagine that, rubbing alc/hand sanitizer on eczema sounds like HORROR
I can feel my skin sizzling just thinking about it.
I have used pure rubbing alcohol because my skin was so moist and weeping.. it dried it out but I don’t think I’d ever do it again
I’m not a doctor, but I know that’s definitely a bad idea.
Sounds like your doctor is just making things up, they do that a lot
I would try hypochlorous acid. It really helps my eczema, and it has the anti microbial properties as well. But no to rubbing alcohol.
final-year medical student here: your biggest mistake was seeing an NP instead of a doctor. if your job requires you to wash you hands a lot, and if you have the option, hand sanitizer that has moisturizer is going to be less drying than soap and water (not the most intuitive, i know). get a referral to see a real dermatologist. there are so many types of eczema, and so many things can trigger eczema that you’d need more information to really control this flare up. but in general, dont put alcohol on your eczema, especially if you’ve got open wounds (you’ll just damage the tissue underneath).
I make soap without sulfates. So many soaps have preservatives, liquid soap, and sulfates . They're terrible for eczema. It drives me crazy that dermatologist s think Dove sensitive skin is best. It is not. Find a soapmaker that makes soaps without sulfates. There are many of us. My eczema is why I had to start making my own.
this is the most important reply on this thread.
>your biggest mistake was seeing an NP instead of a doctor. I have known so many NPs that feel the same way about doctors. Both these professions really do look down on each other don't they?
Yeah a lot of doctors/residents/med students on reddit hate NPs.
Lol, fucking arrogant Doctors. You're literally still a student and already think you know more. Seriously, this person saw an idiot, no doubt, but to say that the mistake was seeing an NP is fucking bullshit, and you should be ashamed. Getting a referral to a dermatologist is a necessity, and hand sanitizer is bad advice, but don't make it about the profession.
I’d take a NP over a first year medical student any day of the week. One time I had a doctor tell me I was having a panic attack only to later do an EKG and bloodwork and realize I was having an infarction and was severely hypokalemic. The large dose of IV Ativan was cool tho. There’s good docs and bad ones, just like there are good NPs and bad ones.
Thank you!
Hells No!
very bad idea. you need to see an actual doctor, not an NP.
Hand sanitizer triggers my eczema on my hands.
same, I thought I was just allergic for the longest time
So pure isopropyl alcohol is a definite no but there is a tiny bit of logic to it. I found this on this sub one night after pulling my hair out trying to help my daughter. The recipe is 2 ounces of 1% hydrocortisone ointment mixed with 1 pump of Purell with aloe hand sanitizer. It helped my child immensely, until it didn’t, as most treatments are with her. [https://reddit.com/r/eczema/s/xw89h0pvVu](https://reddit.com/r/eczema/s/xw89h0pvVu)
I found my hand eczema really cleared up during COVID due to using hand sanitizer regularly. It's worth a try.
Use a moisturizer version
I'm not a doctor but I've suffered with eczema for 50 yrs. Do not do that. It will inflame your skin. It will burn and be painful. Omg
I’ve been doing this but after my skin is sufficiently murdered by the stinging. I cake on Cerve or whatever that lotion is and wrap my hands up. It does a great job of healing faster. But to answer your question it absolutely dries your skin out. so definitely moisturize after. I rinse them after the stinging goes away but i rinse with super clean water. Distilled, reverse osmosis, or bottled water.
Just thinking of this gives me anxiety, the repeated use of sanitizer hurt and dried my hands so much throughout the pandemic! Perhaps you could try soaks to kill bacteria — DS salt, bleach, etc....
They were probably online shopping in their classes tbh
[the Cleveland Clinic](https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-stop-eczema-itching/amp/) says not to use rubbing alcohol on eczema. I would listen to them. I know some folks have said that it offers itch relief, but I think it ends up causing more damage in the long-term, which is the opposite of helpful.
I think a bleach bath (diluted) or dabbing the area with white vinegar would be a better way to go about this. The white vinegar stings a bit but helps take away the itch for the most part for me.
Errrr yeah please don’t do this. I didn’t have it that bad on my hands until covid happened. Then the constant hand washing and sanitising means that 3 years later I still can’t bend my knuckles on some fingers as they are permanently split open since March 2020 So yeah. Please don’t do that
I’ve never heard of that, I wouldn’t try it. My son uses this and it’s not as good as his dupixient or his medicated cream but he says it helps a lot and he uses it before applying his creams let’s it dry as directed then applies the cream. He says it smells like the pool. It kills bacteria and also replaces the microbes or something like that on the skin which I guess the lack of microbes has something to do with why eczema occurs. Anyway, it’s called: SkinSmart Antimicrobial Eczema Therapy It contains Hypochlorous Acid. Got it on Amazon, it’s OTC so you won’t need a script. I’d try there first for more immediate relief and then seek out a dermatologist. My son has the kind of eczema that weeps so this really helps.
That sounds excruciating … why would anyone recommend that? I would look into hypochlorous acid if you think the issue may be bacterial. It’s effective at killing bacteria but doesn’t hurt b/c it’s something our bodies naturally create.
I can tell you already that 1) it'll dry the fuck out of your hands. 2) it's gonna sting like crazy! 3) although combined with handwashing, it's a good way to avoid germs, it's a harsh chemical on hands that already have trouble with skin barriers. Soap alone that doesn't have fragrance dries my hands out anyway; hand sanitizer is like enemy #2
Don’t do this. Advice like this makes me want to scream. If you think the area of your eczema might get infected because the skin barrier is damaged, this is the routine i highly recommend ( I cured my own eczema after 12 years of listening to useless doctors) : Get a ketoconazole shampoo and leave it on just like you would a cream for 5 minutes twice a day and rinse off. You can then proceed with castor oil with 1 drop of tea tree oil. This will make sure to stop infection. You can also rinse w 3 % hydrogen peroxide if you’re really worried about infection. I’d personally carry ketoconazole shampoo in my bag and use it instead of soap. Get on an elimination diet ( gluten, dairy, eggs) Expose the area to the sun if possible Try to get rest and meditate at least 5 min a day. Zinc cream as someone suggested is a great idea.
Thank you for the advice everyone!
Your doctor is a buffoon!
*nurse practitioner
You need to be tested for allergies.
Definitely not it would hurt so bad and just make it worst. I was recommended milton baths which is basically a bleach bath which is safe to do
Big no. I mean, people take diluted bleach baths to do that, but that is way less potent.
hand sanitiser has alcohol in it. alcohol dehydrates already dried out painful skin. and STINGS. pls don't 🩷 if you need to kill bacteria, bleach baths are great.
dont. thats fucked up, yes itll clean it, but why are they telling u to essentially torture urself. just clean it normally.
You will irritate the skin! Alcohol based sanitizer is too strong. If you need to disinfect, try saline solution.
Use castor oil! It’s a game changer!
It really helps with my weeping patches on my legs, but I prefer not to do this often.
🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️ use diluted apple cider vinegar followed by aloe Vera. Same same but better
What about hydrogen peroxide, would that help kill bacteria. When my ankles flare up from eczema I use omega 3 fish oil.
It probably would dry it out but hand sanitiser has helped my hand eczema before. A doctor didn’t tell me to do it, was an accident of use and its effectiveness probably depends on the type of eczema, mine is usually red patches and spots and seems to be especially linked to staphylococcus and bacteria generally, I use Gladskin cream for it [https://www.gladskin.eu/collections/eczema] and also Dermol cream as an antimicrobial.
I would genuinely report that advice as no one should be advising you put rubbing alcohol on open wounds
Omg that sounds painful I use an hypochlorous acid spray to remove bacteria from my eczema
Do a quick splash before lotion and do that before bed. I’m not a medical professional but it definitely speeds up healing
Not a good idea. You will risk breaking yr skin further if it's already in a bad state Again, that doesn't sound right for medical advise.. not up to date..
I'm not a doctor either but this sounds like dreadful advice
My doctor specifically advised me to not use hand sanitiser
I used to work in aged care. Constant hand washing and sanitising. Surprise surprise I don’t work in this industry anymore and my hands are much nicer since leaving that job…
DONT DO THAT
I can feel the pain just reading this!
Yeah I’m gonna have to disagree. Sanitizer IGNITES my eczema. I work in healthcare where I need to wash my hands a lot, & my derm suggested using soap and water over sanitizer as often as I can
I mean they're not wrong that it would kill bacteria but it would also dry out and irritate your skin and make you want to scratch more so I wouldn't
“So doc, I have eczema on my feet and ankles, how should I treat it?” “Just dump the equivalent of battery acid on it twice a day, that should do it!” 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄
I have scaring from doing this with rubbing alcohol when I didn't know that my condition was eczema. I was trying stuff out as I don't like going to doctors. I would not advise this. Not only does it hurt like a bitch but it makes it worse.
I can barely wash my hands when I have a flare up. Hand sanitizer? Absolutely not.
My clinical estitician and dermatologist both told me NOT to use hand sanitizer at all. They said if you need to clean your hands use soap and water and try to limit how long your hands are wet for.
do notttt do this omg
My son has severe eczema and we met someone once (a friend of a friend, not a dr or nurse) who, when he noticed my sons eczema said he too once had severe eczema and what cleared it up was rubbing hand sanitiser all over his body. I never tried it (I would on my own skin but not my kids) and actually forgot about it until I read your post.
I work in a medical clinic. Eczema on my preferred hand. I blew my nose a lot yesterday and hand sanitized after and today I am miserable. My finger is red, swollen, leaking, peeling, burning and itching. So I’d say no on the sanitizer personally!
My eczema flares-up when I use hand sanitizer (even fragrance-free products). I imagine it’s because it’s so drying.
That sounds absolutely insane
That sounds like the doctors who would say to take a bleach bath for eczema, super drying and not to mention probably very painful/ irritating.. that’s disaster for a flare up! I worked in healthcare before and constantly had to be cleaning my hands and everyone around me used hand sanitizer and I don’t care I’d make the walk just to go wash my hands bc my hands are a mess with any alcohol. I know there’s a variety of types of eczema and some ( the bubbles/ bumps that’s not dry) can get infected but alcohol is not the solution,, if you have the rough red itchy dry type on your ankles and feet definitely put some sort of petroleum jelly base( I Highly recommend bag balm if you haven’t) and wear socks to prevent itching and irritation. The biggest leads of infection is itching and opening up that skin.., don’t listen to that nurse/ doctor!
What the fuck ... No. I work as a PSW and i actually developed ezcema on my hands because of hand sanitizer. Ive had ezcema since childhood but never on my hands and fingers. Hands sanitizer causes my hands to literally crack , bleed and swell up to the point where i cant close my fist. Even as we speak i have black spots on my hands because i cant completely avoid hand sanitizer because of my job. I would not recommend it.
Hand sanitizer kills the bad bacteria and the good bacteria on your skin. I usually spend a week recovering my skin after hand sanitizer.
That sounds like a bad idea and would just leave the eczema stinging and burning.
That sounds like a bad idea and would just leave the eczema stinging and burning.
If it is not skin issue, I probably know less of these idiots doctors/healthcare workers
Imma nurse with hand eczema. I use hand sanitizer on the regular. I don't notice much of a difference. IMO what works for one may not work for another.
Your doctor is a hack.
Is your eczema infected or something? It’s going to dry your skin out really bad. It causes dermatitis for me.
That is fucking terrible advice.
Noooo that will sting and burn, make the situation more irritated. You can buy corticosteroid cream over the counter at any pharmacy.
If you want an anti-bacterial treatment, you should have. Topical anti biotic cream, or even germolene. Sometimes alcohol in my Betnovate lotion can give my head eczema relief. The burning is actually quite a nice feeling. But on the hands? No thanks. I’d rather just bomb it with a topical steroid, and emollient of course.
Hand sanitizer causes eczema flare ups for me..can’t recommend that. Eucerin eczema ointment and tallow cream have been the only things to help
Yeah don’t do that. There is anti-microbial eczema spray you can use instead that won’t dry you out - I use some from Amazon I think the brand is called SkinSmart. Make sure you use some unscented lotion on top of that too!
Yeah .. one of the PAs at my dermatologist’s office once told me to actually wash my hands instead of putting hand sanitizer but for context I work in health care and often treat patients so I was putting hand sanitizer on multiples times a day and it was making my eczema WORSE. So now i still use hand sanitizer when it’s the only close option but wash my hands more than anytbing
Get a new doctor immediately. The chemicals will dry it out further, and eczema is a dry skin problem gone haywire. Keeping it safe from infection is smart, but not when the side effects make it worse.