Eczema?

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I have mild to moderate eczema on my right hand (dominate hand) and when it flares up, it looks nasty! That's the only place I have it and I'm so nervous about starting school in August with this crap on my hand. I find it very embarrassing. Does anyone else have this? What do you do to treat it besides rx meds? How do you tell people that its only eczema and not some kind of terrible, contagious disease?

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Specializes in Thoracics, Medicine.

Nurses are the most understanding people when it comes to medical conditions, I bet you hear way more support than "what in the heck is on your hand"... Eczema is not a rare or abnormal condition at all. I wouldn't worry about it. When you're doing clinicals, you wear gloves for most hands on patient care so there shouldn't be concerns! Don't worry! Stressing about it could actually make you break out worse!! Good luck with school!!!

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I had a nasty flare up in the first semester of nursing school. I am usually good with it just being on my legs. What I found out is that I cannot use powdered vinyl gloves (lab used) or possibly even vinyl gloves (clinical site). Within a month of finsihing my clinicals and lab, my skin was normal and I was still using hand sanitizer like mad because I two months of paramedic school left (mine overlapped). Even now, I have yet to have a flare up but I have a strong fear of the vinyl gloves.

I also at one point would carry a personal hand cream lotion that the infection control department said was okay.

Avoid alcohol hand sanitizers. It will dry out your hand. I was thinking that was the cause but I use it all the time in the ER and my eczema hasn't come back.

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I have it too! I have on both hands, & parts of my legs.

I started using clinique deep comfort body butter. (1 year ago) And in a week it cleared up. As long as I use it 2/3 times a week, it doesn't come back.

I plan on using it more often once i start school..

If you read the reviews on clinique site, there are a bunch of people with the same problem.

Deep Comfort Body Butter | Hand & Body Care | Skin Care | Clinique

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I have it on my hands too. I feel like its impossible to completely clear it up for me. I'm concerned about getting into clinicals and having to wash my hands all the time because I think that will make it worse. I use ultravate, a prescription ointment I got from my dermatologist. It works, but I feel like everytime one spot clears up, more pops up. Ugh. Hate eczema. ):

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Specializes in Med/Surg & Hospice & Dialysis.

Aveno makes an eczema cream that I use at work. My daughter and I both use prescription ointment at home.

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I have psoriasis on my hands that of course only pops up when it is inconvenient. I told my instructors and I just wear gloves. It looks like I'm a germ-a-phobe, but it is better than me risking getting something in a cut, or worrying a patient.

I spoke to my dermatologist about it and they put me on a stronger medicine to control it. I just try to moisturize often, and baby my hands when I'm home/

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

As per the Terms of Service we cannot ask for or give medical advice...you need to follow up with your PCP or dermatologist.

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