It is approaching the 28th of the year, the day of sloppy washing, everyone remembers that when cleaning, you should take adequate measures to protect your hands to prevent your skin from being infected with "housewife's hands" due to excessive contact with detergents or chemicals. Contact irritant dermatitis, which causes Itching, cracking, and even bacterial infections from broken skin.
Treating a housewife's hand is actually not difficult at all, as long as you follow the instructions to use steroid ointment, you can effectively eliminate inflammation. The most important thing is to avoid using home remedies to avoid delaying the disease.
Written by: Director of Hong Kong Skin Health Foundation, Dr. Lin Jiawen, Dermatology Specialist
The hands of housewives are mainly caused by exposure to chemical substances, which are common in the palms, but are not contagious. The main reason is that the hands are often wet with water and long-term contact with detergents or chemicals such as soap and washing powder. Itching, dryness and redness affect daily life and work and should not be ignored.
Skin damage increases the risk of infection
Don't think that this kind of skin disease is a "patent" for women. Many cases are related to their own occupations that require exposure to water or chemicals, such as cooks, hair stylists, nurses, cleaners, beauticians, and people who often come into contact with metals or chemicals. If you wear gloves properly, you may also suffer from housewife's hands in the long run. Coupled with the recent epidemic, citizens have developed the habit of washing their hands frequently. If they don't take proper care of their skin afterward, they may also experience "washing to rot" over time.
In the early stages of the disease, the protective oils on the skin's surface are shed, resulting in water loss and dry skin.
As the skin's resistance to external stimuli weakens, cracks appear on the fingertips and pulp of the fingers, fingerprints disappear and waxy luster spreads to the palm of the hand.
In severe cases, the skin on the hands may crack and cause pain. There is even a chance that the skin will be damaged by bacteria and cause infection and other complications.
Citizens should guard their hands carefully when cleaning their homes during the New Year's Eve.
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TCM has always been the key to treatment. Unfortunately, some patients have misunderstood this disease, thinking that the hands of housewives are contagious, and they will try to use home remedies, such as disinfecting hands with vinegar, but soaking hands with vinegar may further irritate the skin .
In fact, when the condition is mild, as long as you avoid contact with irritants and apply skin care frequently, it is recommended to use skin care products with no pigments, no fragrance, and pH below 7 to reduce skin irritation.
Do not believe in remedies to avoid worsening of the condition
When the condition becomes more serious, such as cracked skin on the hands, persistent redness, swelling, or ulceration, seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Prescription topical steroid ointments or oral antibiotics can help reduce inflammation and stop scarring. However, patients must pay attention to using related drugs according to the doctor's instructions, in order to suppress inflammation as soon as possible, delay the disease or stop the drug on their own, which may prolong the course of treatment and increase the side effects.
In addition, patients should avoid purchasing drugs to treat wounds by themselves, so as to avoid side effects such as skin atrophy and microvascular proliferation due to wrong dosage or long-term use.
To prevent housewife hands, just simple preparation and care can prevent problems before they happen.
First of all, minimize exposure to chemicals such as water, soap and detergents, and wear gloves to protect the skin if necessary, especially in the high-risk occupations mentioned above; dry your hands and apply moisturizing products as soon as possible after getting wet.
Regardless of gender, age, and age, you should also apply moisturizer regularly every day, and avoid scratching the skin to avoid skin damage and increase the risk of bacterial infection.
Tips for preventing housewife hands:
- When washing dishes, cars or doing housework, wear cotton gloves first, then waterproof rubber gloves
-Avoid contact with skin irritants or allergens such as detergents and hair dyes
-Apply body balm hand guards as soon as possible after washing your hands
-Choose toiletries with pH lower than 7, fragrance-free and pigment-free
- The body cream should be applied in a thin layer and reapplied when necessary, so as not to be too thick and the skin cannot absorb it
"01 Clinic" cooperates with the Hong Kong Skin Health Foundation to publish medical articles written by doctors and nurses every other Saturday.
Established in 2016, the Hong Kong Skin Health Foundation is a local non-profit charitable organization composed of a number of professional medical staff. It regularly organizes health talks and promotional activities, and provides free clinic services and drug subsidy programs.
The Hong Kong Skin Health Foundation is committed to raising public awareness of skin health and correcting social misconceptions about skin diseases.
Through the online and offline information platforms, we hope to deepen the general public's understanding of dermatological diseases, become a bridge for medical staff, and strengthen professional communication and exchanges.
The Hong Kong Skin Health Foundation seeks to provide various support to patients and their families regardless of the patient's age, gender and race, and to alleviate their concerns about the patient.
