How to Help Your Child with Hand & Foot Eczema

Elaine Siegfried, MD, National Eczema Association Scientific Advisory Committee Member
Director of Pediatric Dermatology at SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center and Professor of Pediatrics and Dermatology at Saint Louis University School of Medicine

Children with atopic dermatitis (AD) who have eczema on their hands and feet generally have eczema on other parts of the body as well; it is much more common for adults than children with AD to have eczema only on their hands and/or feet. Children with dry, rough, cracked skin mostly involving their palms are more likely to have psoriasis. A history of cradle cap, diaper rash, or scaling around the ears and/or belly button, are other clues that the condition may be psoriasis. Children who have eczema that is limited to only the tops of the hands and feet are more likely to have contact dermatitis rather than atopic dermatitis, and the former condition may be much easier to control. Be sure to see a dermatologist for a correct diagnosis. It may be worthwhile to seek an opinion from a pediatric dermatologist, but not all communities support these subspecialists.

For children with AD who also have eczema on their hands sometimes the pattern of their eczema can give you a clue to the trigger and possible ways to minimize flares. If the eczema is worst on the top of the hands, especially over the area around and between the thumb, and first finger (insert image) this suggests that the problem is aggravated by frequent hand washing and vigorous lathering, or excessive use of hand sanitizers. A simple tip to teach children who have hand eczema is to wash the palms only (rubbing the palms together, with no soap on tops of hands). Carrying a small tube of pocket moisturizer will help encourage them to apply it immediately after washing.

For children with foot eczema, choose socks that don’t have a lot of elastic in them. Socks made out of Lycra are much less risky because the stretch is from silicone, not latex. White socks are safer than dyed socks as some people can develop allergy to dye. A good footwear choice is something made out of white canvas, because they do not contain as many materials like dyes, glues and tanning agents that can trigger allergic reactions.