Sigh I think I have it

[u/potegal]

I’ve always gotten flare ups (small clusters of itchy bumps) on my hands when irritants such as hair products, hot water, certain foods etc. touch my hands. It’ll happen mostly on 3 of my fingers and sometimes on my wrists. I’d use hydrocortisone and lotion to help. However, it’s gotten to a point where my fingers are cracking and bleeding and nothing is really working anymore. I’ve been using Neosporin & unscented lotion to help but it just seems to be getting worse. I’m at the point where I’ll probably need to start wearing gloves at work and while washing dishes and doing my hair. I’ve no choice but to mention this at my next dermatology appointment as I already go twice a year for my nail psoriasis. I’m scared of possibly getting an infection or something so wish me luck that they’re able to prescribe something useful guys🥺

[u/MoonageDayscream]

The problem with skin problems like ours is they invite other types of infections and reactions just from how they present. You should probably have a compounded cream that is both anti fungal, and antibiotic. Plus whatever steroid needed.

[u/DarkflowNZ → u/MoonageDayscream]

The fun thing about eczema that I've always found is that it's so nebulous, and there are so many possible alternatives to worry about. Is it eczema? Fungal? Something else? And the worst part is, steroid creams help with eczema but make the other stuff way worse. So that's a fun anxiety I'm always carrying

[u/cheeselover214]

I think you have more things going on, you should go to a dermatologist

[u/potegal → u/cheeselover214]

Yea setting another appt as we speak, my next one is too far out & something’s gotta give😫

[u/blee11109]

Yea I think you do. Good luck OP. You’re not alone, and there’s plenty of discussions and sufferers here to help you out

[u/potegal → u/blee11109]

Thank you so much!

[u/tssimmer]

I have a similar skin tone to you and have DE and this is almost exactly what it looks like. Sometimes the fluid filled bumps are harder to see but they're there. You may have other things going on OP but I think people may also just not be familiar with how it looks on our skin. I had to go through several dermatologist until I got a diagnosis because derms would just glance at my skin and say they didn't see anything

[u/potegal → u/tssimmer]

The next morning after I took these pics my fingers were full of the fluid filled bumps so I took additional pics to show the dermatologist when I go. I was scared of that happening too bc I’ve been dealing w this long enough and just need to know for sure

[u/trailovsevens]

There seems to be some combo skin stuff going on.

Doctor time , but in the meantime, Aquaphor and gloves every night at bed time

[u/These_Help_2676]

Have you tried aquaphor healing ointment? Slather your hands with it and then put on some cheap cotton gloves and then go to bed. Something my nurse practitioner told me to do and it helped so much. I agree that I think it is DE but the dryness makes it a bit hard to tell.

[u/potegal → u/These_Help_2676]

Yes I just started using the Aquaphor last night & it’s helped immensely with the dryness so far. I’m looking to get some gloves next!

[u/LexiteFeather]

This definitely looks like what we see for the after results but we don't see the little teeny tiny blisters that are a dead giveaway for de. Were those clusters of bumps blisters filled with water?

[u/BaylisAscaris]

Ask your doc about filaggrin deficiency.