Did you know that topical corticosteroids’ common side effects include things like itching, easy bruising, thinning of the skin, a burning or stinging sensation, and more? However, for people with eczema on their hands, it can often feel like the only solution for their symptoms is using a solution that can end up causing more problems.
But that’s not true. There are natural and holistic remedies that can help address your eczema.
If you’re interested in finding new ways for treating eczema that does not involve harmful drugs, keep reading.
What Causes Eczema?
Before we can discuss how to treat eczema on your hands, we must first look at the causes and triggers.
Eczema (aka atopic dermatitis) can occur anywhere on your skin; however, it generally shows up on your hands, neck, ankles, feet, knees, inner elbows, and around your eyes. In my experience, adults tend to suffer more hand eczema, whereas kids get it all over the body.
There are a couple of factors that can make you more likely to develop eczema. These include:
- Immune System Dysfunction
- Genetics
Immune System Dysfunction
Gut health plays a major role in the functioning of our immune system. When gut health has been compromised from poor diet, nutrient deficiencies, stress, or medications, the immune system suffers and eczema occurs.
Eczema on the hands is often caused by irritants or allergens in gloves, soaps, and lotions. When your body gets exposed to those irritants or allergens, your immune system overreacts, causing the rash you then see on your skin.
Genetics
Do others in your family have a history of atopic dermatitis? If the answer is yes, you’re more likely to have eczema as well. In addition, there are a few other factors that can predispose you.
This includes a family history of the following:
- Asthma
- Hay Fever
- Allergies
What Triggers Eczema on Hands?
As a surgeon, I experienced eczema on my hands associated with scrubbing before surgery. Dry, cracked skin that would sometimes bleed from being so raw – it was miserable.
Why do the hands seem to be prone to eczema? What triggers eczema outbreaks on your hands?
The answer to this question isn’t as simple as one thing. Like eczema on the rest of your body, a few things can trigger eczema on your hands. A few of these triggers include:
- Exposure to water
- Exposure to irritants or allergens
- Stress
- Sweating
- Physical tear and wear
As you’re able to identify your triggers, you can also identify ways to avoid those triggers. We’ll discuss these triggers and potential ways to naturally dodge these triggers and reduce eczema on your hands.
Exposure to Water
If your skin is sensitive, constantly wetting and drying your hands can trigger an eczema outbreak. This is because each time you wet and dry your hands, the natural oils on your hands get reduced.
This breaks down your skin’s natural protective barrier, especially if the skin on your hands is already more prone to being dry. To protect your hands, you can try using vinyl gloves with a cotton barrier when washing dishes or cleaning.
Also, use lukewarm water and a soap that doesn’t have any preservatives, dyes, and is free of fragrances. Make sure to use moisturizer as well. Ointments are better, but for some people, ointments can feel too greasy.
If this is the case, use a cream moisturizer during the day. At night you can treat your hands with an ointment and wear a pair of cotton gloves.
Exposure to Irritants or Allergens
Your environment can also irritate your skin. Exposure to certain fabrics, soaps, skin products, air pollutants, and more can be a cause.
Weather plays a role as well. If you’re in an environment that is low humidity with dry air, your skin can become itchy and dry. In an environment with high humidity and heat, sweating can make that itching worse.
If you’ve been exposed to an irritant or allergen, it can cause a flare-up of eczema on your hands. Sometimes it can be challenging to know what is causing your flare-up.
Pay attention to cleaners, solvents, and other chemicals you come in contact with. For example, hand sanitizers are 60-70% alcohol. It’s one of the worst things you can put on your skin and it comes with a very high risk of irritation. Furthermore, health care workers use plastic gloves made from latex. Latex is a known skin irritant.
Pay attention to any potential fabrics or allergens you’re encountering. This can help you figure out what’s causing your eczema flare. Once you do figure out what’s causing your eczema to flare, do your best to limit contact.
If you do need to come in contact with it, make sure to wear vinyl or neoprene gloves.
Stress
When you’re stressed, your body creates a hormone called cortisol. High levels of cortisol can then cause your skin to become oily and trigger an eczema outbreak. For parents, your stress level can affect your children’s eczema outbreaks.
Unfortunately, it can feel like a never ending cycle because stress also makes it more difficult for your skin to heal. If you’re more stressed because of your eczema outbreak, the outbreak can last longer.
The best way to address this is to learn ways to your manage your stress. Practice self-care and use stress-relieving techniques like yoga and deep breathing to reduce your stress.
Sweating
Everyone sweats to some degree, but for individuals with eczema, it can be a trigger. That doesn’t mean you need to avoid sweating altogether; however, you should pay attention to whether sweat could be triggering or making your eczema worse.
Studies have shown to some degree that individuals with eczema are more likely to struggle with excessive sweating. When your sweat dries, it leaves behind a salty residue.
This can make itching worse. One thing you can do is keep a towel with you when working out. Use it to wipe away sweat, and after take the time to rinse off your hands with lukewarm water.
If your hands are sweating because of the gloves you’re wearing, take them off around every 20 minutes to let your skin cool down.
Physical Wear and Tear
As you use your hands throughout the day, there’s physical wear and tear on them. If you’re doing tasks that are harder on your hands, like, dealing with a lot of paper or digging in the garden, it can trigger an eczema outbreak on your hands.
If you’re going to be working with your hands, wear gloves that are appropriate for the task at hand.
What Deficiency Causes Hand Eczema?
Extensive research has looked at vitamins and other micronutrient roles in eczema development. Two micronutrients that have shown the closest association with eczema development are vitamin D and zinc deficiencies.
Replenishing these factors through diet or supplementation has been shown to reduce eczema symptoms.
Does Hand Eczema Go Away?
Hand eczema typically does not go away if left untreated. There’s also no known cure for eczema, however, our bodies are able to heal from eczema if we optimize our immune system and reduce inflammation.
How Do I Get Rid of Eczema on My Hands?
Are you tired of eczema solutions that don’t work and inevitably cause more problems? Getting eczema relief shouldn’t be so challenging, and it shouldn’t cause more problems than it solves. Powerful immune-suppressing medications may temporarily improve eczema symptoms, but long term these medications have serious side effects.
There are various home remedies you can use for eczema to begin your healing. If you follow my blog, you will know there are a number of holistic topical remedies that can provide temporary relief without side effects. However, getting down to the root cause and figuring out how to prevent future outbreaks will ultimately be the best way to deal with eczema on your hands.
To effectively deal with and get rid of your eczema, you need to do the following:
- Educate yourself
- Find the root cause of the problem
- Create an action plan
- Manage symptoms
- Get support
Educate Yourself
If you Google natural ways to address eczema, you’re going to find a ton of information available on the internet. You’ll then have to sift through that information and decide what to try and what not to try.
Some of these treatments might help, and some could cause issues. If you genuinely want to educate yourself on treating eczema naturally, use a source that you can trust.
Our online eczema program will take you through several steps to create an action plan for you. In addition, you’ll get an extensive guide on supplements for eczema.
This will help you save money because you’re not buying medications or other solutions that are ultimately ineffective.
Find the Root Cause of the Problem
What’s causing your eczema? Finding out the origins of your eczema can help you to address the real problem. Part of our online program on eczema focuses on helping you find that cause.
Remember, the most common underlying cause is a problem in the immune system.
Did you know that 70 to 80 percent of the body’s immune system resides in your gut?
This means that what you put in your body matters to your skin too. Learning to address eczema caused by irritants or allergens that send your immune system into overdrive involves learning what foods to eat and how to heal your gut.
Poor quality foods and drinks we use to fuel our body interacts with our gut to wreak havoc and cause inflammation overload. In addition, if you have a history of using antibiotics and reflux medications, your risk of eczema increases because of how these medications damage your gut.
Create an Action Plan
When you understand the root cause of your eczema and how various medications and foods damage your gut, it’s time to create an action plan to begin healing your gut. With the eczema course, you will receive extensive video training.
You’ll also get schedules and precise food plans with charts and recipes. This will help to create a path towards wellness for your gut and skin.
Manage Symptoms
Finding ways to prevent eczema outbreaks on your hands is excellent; however, what do you do when you have a flare-up while taking the steps to begin healing your gut?
Part of our course will also teach you how to manage burning and itching. You’ll get a guide to topicals so that you can learn what natural topical options are the best and avoid steroids and the side effects that come with them.
Stress and anxiety also play a role in eczema. We talked about that some earlier in this article. Learning to control that stress and anxiety can help you heal. We’ll teach you measures that help you calm the emotional aspect of your eczema.
Get Support
Starting on a journey to heal your gut and eczema is your first step. However, through your journey, you’ll need support.
We want to make sure you get the support you need, and we want to see you improve. Part of our eczema course includes weekly support from Dr. Temple and our health coach.
You’ll have the ability to meet with them twice a week via Facebook Lives. This will give you the opportunity to solve any problems you’re encountering and address any specific concerns you might have.
Why Should You Enroll in Our Eczema Course?
With all the free information on the internet, why enroll in this course? The first and most important reason is that you can trust the information you get in this course.
It’s not just information compiled by some random person on the internet.
The eczema course and the system were created by a doctor who actively treats patients in her private holistic pediatric practice. Dr. Temple has treated over 1000 patients with eczema, including her own children (and dog!). She crafted this system combining the best of holistic and traditional medicine.
Start Healing From the Inside Out
Eczema on your hands is painful. Learning how to treat it and address the root problem is essential to healing and preventing eczema flare-ups.
Are you ready to begin healing from the inside out? Enroll in our eczema program today for the support and answers that you need and start living your best life again.
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