COVID-19 Update: How To Avoid Dry Skin, Eczema And Dermatitis After Washing Hands More Frequently – International Business Times

Health experts have been reiterating social distancing and hygiene practices such as frequent hand washing in order to prevent the COVID-19 outbreak. But, washing hands so frequently can cause dry skin and irritations and might even worsen existing dermatological conditions.

Frequent hand washing with repetitive exposure to soap and cleansers could disrupt the outermost layer of the skin called corneum, which is the protective layer. Individuals performing a lot of wet work, or those who wash and dry their hands several times daily, are prone to irritant contact dermatitis. This includes healthcare workers such as doctors, surgeons, nurses, and other professionals like hairdressers, food handlers, cleaners and kitchen staff. All of them might be exposed to several kinds of detergent and cleaning products that might cause skin irritation.

There are two major types of skin reactions associated with hand hygiene. The first and most common type includes symptoms that can vary from quite mild to debilitating, including dryness, irritation, itching, and even cracking and bleeding. This array of symptoms is referred to as irritant contact dermatitis. The second type of skin reaction, allergic contact dermatitis, is rare and represents an allergy to some ingredient in a hand hygiene product, said the WHO guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health Care.

The coronavirus has, indeed, changed some of the world's hygiene habits. However, mostindividuals frequently washing their hands are facing this issue. But ,heres how one can overcome skin problems due to frequent handwashing:

frequent handwashing Photo: ivabalk, Pixabay

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COVID-19 Update: How To Avoid Dry Skin, Eczema And Dermatitis After Washing Hands More Frequently - International Business Times