Eczema Or Dyshidrotic Eczema Of The Hand

It’s ugly; it’s painful and it’s embarrassing, but on the upside it isn’t contagious. One doctor called it hand eczema, another called it dyshidrosis. One thing I know for certain is that it is miserable. For me, it began in the winter months, during the height of flu season when I washed my hands too often with antibacterial soap.

I first noticed patches on my hands that appeared to have the top layer of skin scrubbed off. Tiny splits appeared on my fingertips and the sides of my fingers. Never having been one to use hand lotion, I found myself buying every expensive hand lotion I could find. I spent months trying to get the moisture back in my hands with every lotion and over the counter cream that even looked like it might work. I scoured the internet, looking for any information that might help.

My morning ritual included time spent clipping band-aids to make the best fit over my fingertips so I wouldn’t feel it when I typed. I came to be known as the “band-aid lady” at my place of employment. At any given time, I would have 2 to 3 band-aids on each hand. The splits would almost heal and then they would break open again. Sometimes they bled. I even tried the super glue someone suggested. It burned like fire. Any help it provided was short lived.

The first doctor I visited gave a diagnosis of hand eczema and I went home with prescription cream and the suggestion to wear cotton gloves over the cream at night. The steroid shot he gave me worked, but the problem was back with a bang in 6 weeks. The second doctor I visited called it dyshidrosis. He gave me more prescription cream and told me to soak my hands in a coal tar solution for which he provided a prescription. The coal tar soaking provided the most relief of any product used to that point. My hands did begin to get better, but they did not heal completely. This was approximately one year after the problem first began. I despaired of ever healing my hands completely. Even the simplest tasks of housework or typing on the job caused pain. After the doctor visits, armed with new terms to search, I went back to the internet and googled hand eczema, dyshidrotic eczema and everything in between. I had no luck in finding a new remedy.

Then, one evening, my sister called. She had spoken with a clerk in a health food store she frequents about my difficulty in finding anything to help heal my hands. He suggested a product, Miracell, which she purchased and mailed to me. I was cautioned not to give up on it, just keep using it daily. When it arrived, I was a bit skeptical that the small bottle of thin oil would do much. However, it wasn’t as messy as some of the other products I’d used and I was willing to try anything at this point. Rather than slathering my hands in cream or lotion, I could place one drop of MiraCell on the skin break. Even when I lightly blotted with a tissue, enough oil soaked in that I got some relief. It was not an instant cure, but I did notice the skin was getting softer and less dry feeling with every use and therefore didn’t split quite as easily. I continued to put a drop of oil on the splits or rough spots on my hands several times daily. In addition, I made a conscious effort to keep my hands under the bedcovers at night. I noticed they didn’t seem quite so dry and tight when I did so. Within a couple of weeks my hands were improving noticeably.

Today, I rarely have problems with my hands becoming too dry and splitting or cracking. I am attuned to any sign of a breakout beginning. I wear gloves to wash dishes. I use Udder Cream hand lotion if my hands begin to feel dry, or I rub Miracell on and gently blot. If a split appears, I immediately put a drop of Miracell oil or triple antibiotic cream on it and cover with a band-aid for a couple of days. Miracell may not be the solution for everyone, but it certainly worked for me.