What to Do If Your Hands Are a Mess From Washing Them so Much!

By: Fayne Frey, MD

Proper handwashing is an essential step to protect yourself from infectious agents, such as coronavirus, however, it can lead to dry skin and hand eczema.

Proper handwashing is an essential step to protect yourself from infectious agents, such as coronavirus, however, it can lead to dry skin and hand eczema. Photo Source: iStock Photos

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread, health officials, including those at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), emphasize the need to wash one’s hands regularly. They state that proper handwashing is the most effective way of preventing the spread of COVID-19.

Their advice is to scrub the hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. They also say to use alcohol-based sanitizers that contain a minimum of 60% alcohol when soap and running water are not available.

Here is a link to a CDC video showing proper hand-washing technique: https://youtu.be/d914EnpU4Fo

Handwashing is likely one of the most cost-effective ways to prevent the spread of many germs and viruses, including the coronavirus. But how does all of that scrubbing affect the skin on your hands?

Unfortunately, it can cause extremely dry skin. It can even exacerbate certain skin conditions, like hand eczema.

Hand eczema is more than dry skin