SORE AND PEELING FINGERTIPS

My sixteen year old daughter has this every year during swim season.  She's been swimming competitively since she was twelve, and every year, she deals with the cracking and burning on her fingertips.  She was told it was contact dermatitis and given a steroid ointment which helps some, but not enough.  We didn't know what it could be from, either the pool or the weight room.  We didn't know if she was having a reaction from the metal on the bar in the weight room, from the chemicals used to wipe the equipment down, or from the chlorine.  After being out of the pool for two months, the skin healed.  She recently started swimming again and not lifting, and the fingertips started peeling again.  We now think it is the chlorine but don't know what to do.  She can practice with tight gloves, but can't compete with anything like that.  She's thinking about quitting due to the discomfort.  She's also an artist, and can't tolerate any paints or thinners on her hands during swim season. She also plays the viola, and has to cover her fingertips in band-aids to be able to play.  I've watched her cry in pain.  She's young and healthy but has very sensitive skin.  She does have other sensitivities to food dyes.  She uses lotions throughout the day when she's not swimming to keep her fingertips from drying out, and sleeps with the steroid ointment on under gloves. 

Hi Everyone. I have been reading this topic, and this has been drivingus crazy all winter with my 9 year old daughter... And I think I have figured it out, but I just would like to validate it with some of you also suffering. I think it is from the "Puffs Plus Lotion Tissue". -Do any of you that have this problem use them? If so, I am interested to hear. She had a bad cold and used them for a week straight and that is when it started. We stopped using them a week or so ago, and they seem to be healing up. I think she may be allergic to whatever is in the lotion. I'm interested to hear if others use them as well. Thanks!!!

Hi I haven't got the end of the email chain yet, but your explanation of the symptoms is the first I've read which is the same as mine. My fingers dry out and mainly along the index fingers first and then the finger tips. its really painful at time. My doctor also looked at me and said "I don't know what it is".
One thing I have found is that it seems to be related to the dairy intake I have. I developed the disorder after starting to eat a lot of cheese and now if I drink milk or eat cheese it takes about a day to two days and the skin dry's out and becomes sore.

Hi it sounds like yours is a contact dermatitis with something your using in your kitchen.

Hi, this sounds a lot like my story. Its been going on since Summer 2010. Our son was born in March that year. First I thought of soaps or diapers or something. Doctors mentioned water allergies. Chlorine maybe? We changed all the soaps and shampoos and detergents with now improvement.

I am covering hands in cotton gloves during the day and at night and in plastic when showering. In short intervals the skin on the fingertips and on the thumb-side of the index finger is hardening, turning white, peeling off. Very dry, sometimes with deep cuts, or exposing almost rare skin. Very painful! Lots of sheer stripes!

I don't think its food related. I almost never eat dairy, except some cheese and chocolate. Stopped drinking Corona, did not make a difference.

It could be from keyboards. I type a lot. Maybe I need to replace them all. No I am wearing gloves on computers and while driving. Pretty much all the time.

I tried all kinds of stuff. Talking about trying to manger it :-) If anyone has any other "successful" ideas PLEASE let me know!    

Most recent first:

Neosporin Excema Essentials; bought that 12/5/2012  - applied several times. keeps hands moist. Not a cure.

Black Current Seed Oil (Omega 3 and 6 Fat)       - I do take that as well now since about a month, no change discovered.

Vitamin D       - I now do take D3 since the recent blood test came back with a low Vitamin D count.

Doctor said if its not eczema we should try treating it as psoriasis:

Taking now Vectical (calcitriol) ointment 3 mcg/g  (Rx) for psoriasis on the hands. Still taking Clobetasol as well.       - Little improvements   Also taking Meloxicam 15 mg (Rx) for Tennis Elbow, this is an NSAID.       - no impact. 

Before I tried with:

Clear Iodine       - thought it maybe a combination of things like exzema/psoriais and a fungus. Iodine should kill the fungus.       - does not really help a lot. burns like hell.

Vics VaboRub       - wrapping fingers in Vics and putting on cotton gloves at night helps the skin.       - does seam to help the skin over night, specially when it is broken open.       - I have done that sine October 2012 every night, it does help a bit but not a cure.

Hydro Peroxide Solution       - dunking fingers in Hydro Peroxide for 2 min a day to kill any fungus or bacteria.       - did not help a lot.

Tetrix Cream by Coria (Rx) , for atopic dermatitis, moists skin       - does not do much.

Protopic (tacrolimus ointment) 0.1% (Rx)       - made it worse. stopped using it, dried out the skin.

Clobetasol Propionate USP 0.05% (Rx) Cream and Ointment       - helped a bit more, no longer so effective, but still using it.

Desoximetasone Cream USP 0.25% (Rx) Cream and Ointment       - helped a little bit.

Locoid Lipocream (Hydrocortisone Butyrate 1%) (Rx)       - for some rashes and irritants behind ear and on foot, did not do anything on the fingers.       - I like this one, eases on itching.

Vita-Merfen (Chlorhexidini Gluconas, Benzoconil Chloridium, Vit A.)       - Helps heal splits and wounds on fingers.      - still using it.

Rite Aid Antifungal Cream (Terbinafine Hydrochloride 1%)       - moisturizes, but does not do much else.

Other treatment recommendations?

Apply Ozonol (from Canada, includes Phenol and Zinc Oxid) Apply Cortisone creams (Locoid) Apply Steroid creams (Clobetasol) Remove Palmolive Dish Soap       - we changed all the soaps in the house Poke seed Oil Flax Oil Krill Omega 3 Oil Probiotics Fish Oil Frankincense oil Test Thyroid Levels Test Zink Levels Vitamin A (yellow, read fruits and vegetables) ANA test (anti-nuclear antibody test) ? Prednisone Nickel alergy ? avoid it

MAybe ist Exfoliative Keratolysis (EK)/ focal palmer peeling - looks like many people describe what I have under this name. - will need to ask the doctor about it. 

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Raynauds, poor circulation, dryness due to frequent need to wash hands, chemicals used for work, et al.
Try "Workers Hands" non-greasy salve (costs about $5); keep hands warm and dry and clean whenever possible.

I've had it for 7 years. I think it is stress related. I do have low vitamin D, but don't know if related. I get it on my thumb, forefinger, middle finger and elbows. They get hot, swell, and peel. It tends to be worse in the winter or a change of season. It I'm exercising regularly it doesn't happen.

I've been going crazy with fingertips that would dry out with thicker dead skin, and peel, and then be continually sore - only to kind of heal up, and start the whole darn process over again.

I've heard it all.   Fungal.  Contact dermatitis.  Exema.   Tried months of anti fungals.  Months of steroid cream.  Hardly touched it.   It spread from thumb, to index finger - they it started on the middle finger of the other hand.   Gahhh.

Since I've never had a skin condition, and am in very good health, I figured it must be some kind of infection.

I've tried soaking my affected fingers in hydrogen peroxide, rubbing it in really good, lightly abrading the surface to get it in as far as possible.

At night I would glop up my fingers in vaseline, and put finger cots on (fingers out of rubber gloves, I guess you could wear the whole glove).  

It took a few weeks of soaking a few times a day and the vaseline at night, but finally it healed up great.   It took a month or so, but started to come back!!   So, back on the peroxide and vaseline, and I think I finally have it licked.

I'm going to keep treating it for a few months with the peroxide, I don't want it back, it's such a pain when you work with your hands!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

oh god, I thought I was the only one in the world, my finger skin started to peel some 8 years ago, firstly I blamed the job I was on, it involved a lot of paper and also stickers, but it was not, quit my job since then, but nothing had been improved, I tried many hospitals in the United Kindom and also China, seen at least 10 doctors, tried almost 20 different creams, nothing helped. many of the doctors thought it was Eczema, but I do not agree, because they are not itchy nor do they have other Eczema symptons, on one occation, I traveled to China, stayed there fore over 3 week (home country), and my fingers magically improved, I did not use any cream what so ever, friends and family said it must be the water or food that I have making the difference, and I began to the compare the food I eat in the UK and China, one big difference is that in China, I did not have any milk, cheese or butter. very little dairy. from then on, I cut down the dairy, my fingers improved, however, it is almost impossible to completely avoid all dairy in the UK, I tried not to drink milk, not to have butter or cheese, but I couldnt have avoided all dairy, because most of the food here have dairy, such as pizzas, biscuit, even tea...

Heve your daughter tested for gluten allergy. My wife suffered for many years with the same symptoms. After going gluten free, her hands have cleared up completelhy.

Test for gluten allergy

I think I have a breakthrough, everyone.

All my life I have had fever blisters around my mouth - herpes virus.  In the last couple of years, I have been having many breakouts on my lips, etc. - more frequent and "more miserable/ worse" outbreaks.

During this SAME TIME I was experiencing the finger peeling / etc.  Same symptoms and many others on this board - dying skin on the same places on the same fingers, new/painful skin growing underneath, etc.  I did all the same remedies here - anti-fungals, etc.

A physician told me DURING the fever blister outbreaks I should be taking acyclovir every 4 hours.  When I don't have an outbreak - I should take 400mg in the morning, and 400mg at night.  This preventative regimen did WONDERS.

My outbreaks STOPPED.  Before. I was having an outbreak every 4 weeks or so.  I was having fever blisters, AND skin issues - they weren't always together, but seemed to follow a 30-40 day pattern.  Now, with the medicine, my fingers repaired (not totally, but I never had another painful outbreak).

Being a nerd, I wanted to test this theory out.  So, for the last 2 months, I decreased my dosage by half.

BAM!  Fingers started peeling.  Then, I missed a day of the medicine (I went out of town and forgot it).  BAM!  My fingers went nuts and I developed a fever blister.

So.... I personally have seen a direct correlation between the acyclovir and relief from the skin issues and fever blisters.  I am convinced there is a viral connection between the 2.  During the MONTHS I was on the preventative regimen, I had NO major skin problems.

Anyone else have any experience with this?

DETAILS:  Acyclovir tablets can be purchased in generic form.  I take 2 tablets of 200mg (ea) in the morning, and the night, with no adverse side effects.

If anyone else tries this, PLEASE post your results here.

Thanks and good health!

David

Ugh. I have been in the same boat for year with this "type" of condition. I had always had beautiful hands and I used them a lot to build things and they were constantly wet because I used to be a big cleaner around the house. That never bothered them. I started working with fine aluminum oxide powder making hand ground glass lenses for fun. Eventually, I believe, the fine powder 1500 ot literally tore through the cell matrix of my skin and both hands got started getting the "cracked, peeling, painful hands" syndrome on the thumb, forefinger and pointer fingers. It actually appeared as a mirror on both my hands in the same locations, the right being worse than the left. It was horrible, taking showers with plastic bags over my hands, gloves, I will admit I did shed a tear or two over my situation and there were times I did not wash my hands for week on end.

Anywayz, fast forward to my improved recovery, I tried all and everything, hand balms, vasoline, every kind of ointment I could find. That only knocked out about 30% of it. After about 7 years I found an excellent treatment that knocked about about 60% more of it. The first was exercise and a good sweat sure seemed to help push out much of what ever the irritant was. The other was Palmer's Coco Butter Cream with vitamin E. It was pretty amazing, the direct application of vitamin E was a godsend and almost instantly my condition quickly improved. I also slather it on my hands before a shower which seem to protect it decently. I still have a slight flare up but I wanted to pass along a possible bridge that may help my cracked, broken, sore fingered brothers and sisters out there. 

Hope this helps.

-D.R.

I've read a lot of people's thoughts about the reasons for our peeling fingers.. and only one person has mentioned that it's much better since they've been diagnosed as being celiac.  I suspected that it could be gluten related,now avoid gluten in my diet, and my skin heals.... so this is what I do.  When i do eat gluten again it comes back.  My doctor didn't entertain the idea, but I'd recommend giving it a go.  At least for a week... to give your fingers a chance to heal. 

Epsom salt is the solution is the problem. 

To treat an infection on the hands or feet with Epsom salt, add a half cup of Epsom salt to a pan of warm water, and soak the hands or feet in the water for at least 10 minutes. If you have a skin infection in a hard-to-reach part of your body, dissolve 2 cups of Epsom salt into warm water in a full bath tub and soak your body for at least 10 minutes. Use twice a day, for 2 weeks.

Good Luck