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Black and white photograph of a hand with moderate to severe hand eczema making an 'okay' gesture while holding a mushroom head screw between forefinger and thumb.

Black and white photograph of a hand with moderate to severe hand eczema making an 'okay' gesture while holding a mushroom head screw between forefinger and thumb.

This is a fictional patient. For illustrative purposes only.

WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE?
THE SYMPTOMS

SYMPTOMS ARE SIGNS OR CLUES FROM THE BODY

When it comes to Chronic Hand Eczema, symptoms might include things like itch, pain, burning and stinging.¹ These symptoms can come and go.²

Cartoon style icon of 4 people, 3 out of 4 who are in a deeper shade of blue.

THE WAY WE TOUCH PEOPLE OR HANDLE
OBJECTS IS AFFECTED IN SOME WAY FOR AROUND 3 IN EVERY 4 PEOPLE LIVING WITH HAND ECZEMA*³

Flare-ups and triggers

The symptoms of Chronic Hand Eczema can change over time, sometimes getting better and then worse again. Times when symptoms are worse are called ‘flares’ or ‘flare-ups’.^4,5

Cartoon style icon of a flame.

This is when eczema gets worse suddenly. It might become more itchy, painful, red/darker and swollen.^4–6 Managing Chronic Hand Eczema involves trying to stop flares from happening.
Experiencing flares, especially while already getting treatment for Chronic Hand Eczema, can be a sign to see a dermatologist to see what else can be done.^3,7–10

REAL PATIENTS' TESTIMONIALS

Photograph of Emma, real patient with Chronic Hand Eczema, showing her hands.

“WHEN I HAVE A FLARE-UP ON MY HANDS,
I REALLY DON’T WANT ANYONE TO TOUCH ME,
I DON’T WANT THEM TO COME NEAR MY HANDS….”

Emma, a real patient with CHE

Photograph of Hanza, real patient with Chronic Hand Eczema, holding a mug, and scrtching his hand.

“"BEYOND THE PHYSICAL PAIN, THERE IS AN EMOTIONAL WEIGHT THAT CONTINUES TO GO ALONG WITH IT." ”

Hamza, a real patient with CHE

7/10 PEOPLE WITH HAND ECZEMA HAVE
COVERED THEIR HANDS BECAUSE OF SHAME
OR PHYSICAL PAIN*³

Flare-ups can sometimes happen when someone comes into contact with triggers.⁴
Triggers are things that can lead to an eczema flare-up. Finding out what things could make Chronic Hand Eczema worse and staying away from them as much as possible could be useful.^1,10,11

Triggers can be different for everyone, but might include things like:

SOAPS⁴

SMOKING^1,13

STRESS^4,12

CHEMICALS⁴

RUBBER^1,14

FREQUENT HAND
WASHING⁴

WET WORK¹

FOODS¹⁴

COLD OR WARM TEMPERATURES⁴

ALCOHOL¹²

METALS^1,14

HORMONAL
CHANGES¹²

CHRONIC HAND ECZEMA MIGHT NOT COMPLETELY GO AWAY FOR EVERYONE, BUT HAVING THE SUPPORT OF A DERMATOLOGIST THROUGHOUT CAN BE HELPFUL FOR MANY^8,12

*This study involved a survey with questions about hand eczema’s demographics and psychosocial impact. It was completed by 1023 patients with hand eczema.³

RELATED CONTENT

Black and white photograph of a hand with moderate to severe hand eczema holding a tennis ball.

LIVING WITH CHRONIC HAND ECZEMA

Black and white photograph of a hand with moderate to severe hand eczema holding the hand of another person who does not have Chronic Hand Eczema.

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? THE SIGNS

Black and white photograph of a hand with moderate to severe hand eczema making the 'peace' gesture while holding a pair of hairdressing scissors.

WHAT IS CHRONIC HAND ECZEMA?

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NHS. Atopic Eczema. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/atopic-eczema/ (Accessed September 2025).
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National Eczema Association. Eczema in Skin of Color: What You Need to Know. Available at: https://nationaleczema.org/blog/eczema-in-skin-of-color/#:~:text=Most%20people%20think%20of%20eczema,differently%20in%20darker%20skin%20to nes. (Accessed September 2025).
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National Eczema Society. Triggers for eczema. Available at: https://eczema.org/information-and-advice/ triggers-for-eczema/ (Accessed September 2025).
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