How common is eczema on hands?

Studies show that about 1 in 9 people will be diagnosed with some form of eczema in their lives. However, in many regions the vast majority of these cases are cases of “contact eczema”, ie eczema brought about by coming in contact with poison ivy or some such.

When people think of eczema, they are usually thinking of Xerotic eczema (the type that comes from excessively dry skin), also known as “Winter Itch”. This condition is extremely prevalent in cold climates and tends to disproportionately effect the elderly.

As for the appearance of eczema on the hands, while it is not the most common place, it is not at all uncommon since the hands are most often exposed to the air.

I grew up with eczema—and it was primarily on my hands. It’s mostly gone, but it comes back every few years (especially this year and I think being pregnant has something to do with it.)

I used to put hydro-cortisone in the refrigerator and slather it on liberally and cover it with thin white cotton gloves to keep it in place. A benadryl tablet now and then helps too, when you get really desperate. I try to take just one because two always knocks me on the floor.

I never had it in the winter, btw. Always the summer. And most of the people I know who have had it in the summer started having it as babies and gradually grew out of it—except for a few flare ups every few years.

Not uncommon but just because your hands itch does not in itself mean you have eczema. Try an anti-itch cream and if your skin is dry, try a moisturizer.

When I was in high school I would get eczema on my fingers during the winter. My baby brother had eczema almost 24/7 on his hands at the time, so we had a tube of this super-thick baby eczema cream, and that worked for me. I forget the name, but I remember it was a green-colored tube and it smelled like chamomile and possibly lavender. I’m sure my mom got it at WalMart or a similar store, in the baby care section. At night I would apply it heavily and then wear gloves, which helped a lot, and during the day I would reapply a light coat whenever I washed my hands.

I had eczema on my hands during a very stressfull time of my life, it just apeared and it was awful and itched a lot.. I applied a cortisone cream, a very small amount for about 4 days and it dissapeared. For me eczemas tend to appear during stressfull periods and when I eat too much junk food and drink too much alcohol (new years, x-mas, whatever celebration periods)and during summer too!

I knew at least three people at school who had eczema on their hands. I never had it as a child but I’ve developed it in adulthood; annoyingly, it’s mostly on my face. None on my hands though.

It is very uncommon on my hands.

I’ve had it on my hands ever since I became pregnant with my first child. While it’s worst in the winter, it’s always there. Nothing much works for it, except warm, humid weather coming back. When it get so bad that my hands crack and bleed, I use a prescription steroid cream for about a week at a time.