Hard peeling circles on fingertips

Did you every get any responses to this? I have the same crud on my thumbs and index fingers.

I have had this problem for over twenty years now, have been to a couple of dermatologists, both of whom really could not definitively diagnose the problem, both were just guessing as were numerous doctors.  I've been prescribed all sorts of creams, some anti-fungal, some steroid creams, and most recently, a cream which has a side effect of causing cancer (!!).  I did not use the last cream, I had some success initially with the steroid creams, but after a while it stoppped working.  When this first started happening, it would only happen a couoke times a year and it would only last a couple weeks or so, but as time has gone on, the flare ups have become more frequent and longer lasting, with the last one lasting for about a year non stop.  At the beginning of 2014, I decided to try cutting wheat/gluten out of my diet, as I had heard of some people with gluten sensitivity will have skin problems.  Within two weeks, my skin started to clear up for the first time in a year.  I thought maybe it was just coincidence, becasue not eating bread and drinking beer sucks, so I slowly reintroduced wheat/gluten back into my diet, and guess what?  It came back.  I did this a few times, to try to rule out other food allergies, but it has alwasy come back to the wheat/gluten.  One thing I should note is that I have hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), and a thyroid auto-immune condition runs in my family (hashimotos).  With a little research I found out that there is an enzyme or something in gluten that mimics the thyroid and the imune systme will start attacking both the gluten enzyme or whatever and the thyroid gland because it can't differentiate between the two.  I don;t know if this is what causes my skin problem, but there is a connection between auto-immuneproblem and wheat/gluten sensitivity.  I am convinced that not eating wheat is the answer to my skin issue, and will gladly give up the bread and beer for beautiful hands.  Try it, and let me know your results, I do believe this may be a medical breakthorugh for sufferers of this condition.

I have this problem as well but it is only on my index finger of my left hand. It happens about every three weeks on the tip of my finger. It doesn't hurt or anything just annoying.

I'm a 52 male and have had this going on for about 4 years now. Like everyone else I've been to many Dr's and have tried everything from rubbing fish oil on my hands to have gloves on in the shower. Still if it stopped it came back. 4 weeks ago I had to go to have my shoulder looked @ and the Doc gave me a Cortisone injection in the shoulder. About 3 weeks ago I noticed my hand were not cracked or peeling, most of the fingers still hard but no cracking. Going on 3 weeks now ( knock on wood ) and still the same. I have noticed they seen to be harder and I think as the Cortisone wears off it may come back. I asked my PCP about it and she now believes it is a autoimmune disease but still no idea what is causing it. I have been readind all of your post and felt I should add this. Hope it works for someone Thanks

I also have skin hardening on my fingertips and then the peeling. Feel like a snake. the first time it happened, all of my fingers and the palms peeled. then I Have baby soft skin and the cycle starts over. the last several peels were just my fingertip. My G P thought it might be related to my hypothyroidism and wanted to wait for new blood work results. I also have had other autoimmune disorders in the past year or so. Erythema Nodosum (biopsy confirmed), 10 day treatment with prednisone cleared it up. I have it again now after ankle surgery with pneumonia and a very acute onset of severe arthralgia in almost all joints after being discharged from hosp. Not a happy camper. Will see new blood work, CT scans, and x-rays Wed. Will write back....good luck!

I've had the same symptoms and it seems for me to coincide with being out shoveling snow- so I think it is temperature related. The best solution that I have found and works almost immediately, is to put straight bleach on the fingertip or thumb. It sounds awful, but relief is so immediate! especially if there is a crack.The skin usually peels off and I lasts for a few weeks. I have also used this method on my heels. 

Just joined the group with this issue on a couple of my finger tips. I had a bout of psoriasis last year out of the blue. Never had it before or sense. I went to a infrared sauna for six weeks, half hour a day three times a week and it cleared completely but initially got worse. Patience is key. I am going to try the frankincense essential oil and the infrared sauna again.

Sounds like Exfoliative Keratolysis , has no known cause , it may be stress related or a reaction to a systemic fungal infection. What l did ( because l suffer from the same condition for 3 years now) was to take lots of probiotics and blood purifiers ( indian herbal antibiotic ) and it seamed to highly improve my condition. Of course stay away from harsh detergents ...

Hello! I have had this same problem for years!!! Gosh it's good to hear others with it but sad there doesn't seem to be a cure. I'm 30 years old and this started when I was 8 or 9. At the time I found a stray cat and it became my pet. Thats around the time I got this issue, parents thought the cat gave me ring worms or something. I was treated for many things, nothing worked. It wasn't until I went to college and the annoying little finger circular numb dots spread to all overy torso. It was a complete nightmare. Doctors dismissed it as ringworms and the medicine they gave me for it didn't work. I finally meet a doctor who looked into it further and told me it was a mild form of psoarsis and it would go away on its own. It did. The outbreak on my torso lasted about a month. The dry patches on my torso didn't not follow the exact same painful sore as the ones on my fingers in that when the dry skin peels off, it didn't leave that little annoying sore that needs to be protected by Vaseline and a band-aid. Other than that I struggle with using one hand to do the dishes and wash hair when one of those little dry hard skin circles pops off prematurely. What a pain! But at least I have an excuse for my hubby to do the dishes, lol.

Hi,
I have exactly what you describe. I've had it for at last 12 years . Bizarrely I only get it 3 times a year. I have seen lots of dermatologists who didn't really know what it was or what caused it. One said it was pustular psorisis but I don't think it was . Another said it was due to high levels of Streptococcus shown in my blood test. I was on antibiotics for 6 months but didn't cure it. I had all sorts of allergy tests that showed nothing. As traditional medicine was not helping, I visited a homeopath and also an alternative healer they both said it was emotional and I should think about the things that have happened in my life in at those time. I get it in April, July and August. Sure enough during those 3 months I have lived through my most stressful events, deaths, divorce, marriage, moving house... I was told by the Homeopath that once I identify the emotional side of things It would lessen and this was true. A healer recently told me I would have one more cycle which would be particularly bad, which I am currently living through , I haven't had it as bad as now for at least 6 years. Once the cycle clears, It will be interesting to see if I get it in July ! If you do find out a remedy or more information please let me know.

I have the exact same problem that everyone here has described, except mine is only on my right index finder. It peels basically from the first knuckle to the very tip in front of the fingernail. Before it starts peeling, I can see what look like blisters beneath the skin. There is no fluid in them and as others have stated, there is a thickening of the skin in those two areas. It's almost like a callus - it's harder and skin is thicker in those two spots.

I went to see a dermatologist and she had no idea what it is. She told me to try to think of things that I only do with that finger. The only thing I could think that I only use that finger for is using the the pad that's on my laptop. I cleaned the pad off with alcohol in case is was infected by my germ-infested kids, but my finger is still peeling. The dermatologist also prescribed an ointment for me, which does seem to help a little.

If anyone has any suggestions as to how to make this problem go away, I'd love to hear it.

Here's a direct link to a photo of my index finger as it looks just before it begins to peel. You can see two spots that look almost like blisters. One is on the very tip of the finger and the other is on the side of my finger, even with the middle of my fingernail.

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd175/Ebmmshred/FullSizeRender_zpsaji1xzeg.jpg

I'm going to try the frankincense oil and hopefully it will help. I have tried every lotion imaginable, prescription medication,etc and nothing helps. Wish me luck!

Same issue but happens in every finger pad. Happens all year long. The way I know it's happening is a slight tightening of the skin and then a circle appears which eventually perls. It really hurts too!

This has been happening to me for years but more recently the frequency has increased. The descriptions I have read here are exactly the same as I am experiencing - hard skin that peels in sheets with very red sensitive (bleeding at the seam) skin underneath. Once this heals, the skin feels like you have dipped your finger in hot wax which has dried. Mine is so "damaged" that when I press on the skin of my right thumb the indent stays until I smooth it out. I have no idea what this is or how to treat it. From what I have read here, no one has come with a diagnosis or a definitive treatment. I am starting to think it really is autoimmune as I do have a strange type of eczema that started as a young adult which nothing seems to help. I have had biopsies for eczema and tons of blood work which all have confirmed "eczema" but none of the treatments (heavy duty oral steroids to expensive non-steroidal meds) ever work. Truly, the only medication that helps is neurotin for taming the insane itching but it does not address the cause. The eczema happens in flares but the finger peeling and resulting hard skin is on-going. When I flare with the eczema, I soak in a bathtub with Aveeno oatmeal, lavender oil, coconut oil, and cedar wood oil. After getting out to the tub I slather Sarna lotion with OTC hydrocortisone cream added to it. Recently, I have found CeraVe eczema light oil and have started using it on a daily basis. I have not had a break out yet to see if this truly helps. I really don't hold out much hope. I am beginning to think the two conditions are related although not simultaneous. I also do not hold much hope for research in eczema. If any one reading this has new input, please post! I am willing to try anything ...