Tips on How to Get Rid of Peeling Skin on Hands

LAST UPDATED: DEC 21, 2022 / By Nura / DrySkin

Hands are the most used part of your body hence it is more exposed towards environmental effect throughout the day during activities such as sun, water, dirt and also chemical aggressor that can leads to irritation and allergic. During covid-19 pandemic, people were forced to use hand sanitizer to kill off the bacteria. These hand sanitizers contain alcohol-based formula that can lead the skin to become dry.

Peeling skin or desquamation happened when outer layer of your skin is shed due to certain reasons such as weather, sunburn, allergic reaction or internal causes. Peeling skin on hands can be seen when those little white or red patches, or flaky patches formed throughout the fingers, knuckles, and other parts of your hands. Sometimes, it accompanied by dryness, rash or itching.

Causes Of Skin Peeling on Hands

You might feel discomfort and pain when the skin on your hands got peeled. And this might interfere with your daily activities. Peeling skin on hand can be caused by various reasons:

1. Change in Climate or Seasonal Weather

The climate may affect your skin; your hands are exposed a lot, so it is normal if they will be affected. This means you must keep your hands hydrated if there are severe changes in temperature and humidity. Whereas change in seasonal weather such as cold and dry winter, your hand will tend to dry, crack and peel. Use warm water when you need to wash your skin. Apply moisturizer after it and do turn on the humidifier when heater is operating in your home. You may want to try applying some honey to the peeling part as honey can act as a good humectant. This will hydrate and nourish the part and treat peeling skin around the area.

2. Exposure to UV

Excessive exposure towards UV from sun rays can also affect your skin, especially the exposed parts of your body like your hand. It will cause redness to the skin and thus result in peeling of the top layer. You can treat sunburn with moisturizer with soy or alovera ingredients in it and for precaution purpose, wear an SPF sunscreen with at least 30 SPF. Aloevera can help moisturize and soothe the sunburn area. Avoid petroleum jelly to the sunburn part as it can make it worse. Lastly, cover the burned areas with cloth to prevent further exposure.

3. Medical Conditions

Some illnesses like allergic reaction, psoriasis, dermatitis and eczema may cause your skin to peeling. You will notice some symptoms such as rough patches of skin or dry and sensitive skin build up around your hand if you have a hand eczema. Normally this happened due to impaired skin barrier function, and exposure towards irritating agent such as harsh soap or detergent will only make it become more worse. There are certain objects that can trigger eczema too such as poison ivy, nickel and rubber gloves. This what we call allergic contact dermatitis where the immune system produces inflammation due to allergen from all these 3 objects.

4. Excessive Hand Wash

If you wash your hands too much with warm water or harsh soaps, it will strip out the natural moisture on the hand skin. This will result in cracks on your hands, thus peeling off the skin. To avoid cracks or irritation, use a specific and gentle handwash that formulated with moisturizing agent, mineral oil or petroleum jelly. Use a fragrance-free and dye-free handwash to avoid irritating agent. Best practice when washing hands includes:

• Wash it using warm water and handwash for 30 seconds
• Dry it with soft tissue paper and leave some dampness on the skin
• Apply moisturizer so it can lock in the left-over dampness on the skin and hydrate your hand skin.

How To Get Rid of Peeling Skin on Hands? 

With the help of this information, one will be able to know how to stop hands from peeling. 

1. Hydration

One can do it by applying a good moisturizer to keep the skin moist and fresh. This will hydrate and nourish your skin giving your hands a nice look. Focus on skin barrier treatment by using supportive ingredients such as colloidal oat, shea butter and ceramides. A healthy skin barrier can provide better protection to the skin. Drink enough water as it will help improve blood circulation and remove the toxin faster from the body. And please turn on the humidifier.

2. Use Fragrance-Free and Gentle Skin Products

When you got peeling skin on the hand area, you might want to focus on your skin routine for the damaged part. Choose a sensitive skin care routine for the part, and avoid fragrance and acid-base skin products so it won’t strip the natural moisture of the skin.

3. Try Glysomed Hand Cream

Glysomed Hand Cream contains glycerine and chamomile that can help restores moisture on the skin. Chamomile can provide soothing and calming effect to the irritated and dry part. It moisturizing capability can last long and suitable to be use for underage kids too. The negative side of this cream is it will leave your hand greasy after you apply it to the skin. Suitable to be use by medical practician as they need to wash hand a lot for every shift and suitable to be use during winter season.

Takeaway

If you have tried the tips above and it still happened, you might think how do I stop my hands from peeling? And if you have signs such as fever, redness, worsening pain and pus, it is best to get a consultation with a dermatologist. These factors showed that you have an underlying medical condition and it need intervention by medical doctors. Staying well hydrated and moisturizing the skin can help strengthened skin barrier thus will prevent hand peeling from occurring. Wear gloves when you need to working with chemicals and avoid fragrance-based products that can trigger any allergic reactions or eczema flare-ups.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]