talkhealth forums

Hello, it's my first post, and I joined to write this post about what is working for me.

I had eczema during childhood, but in adulthood, it subsided. As I got older and hit my late 50s, it came back, affecting my hands pretty much exclusively, with itching, lichenification, weeping, all the symptoms. Over the past few years,I have tried mild steroids, tacrolimus, eucrisa, but the only one that works is a strong steroid (using clobetasol propianate). Recently, I underwent a dental procedure that involved me taking a 7 day course of antibiotics, and I noticed that by the end of it, my hands looked pretty good. I concluded that my hand eczema must have something to do with bacteria, and decided to try chlorhexidine gluconate skin cleanser, which can be purchased at any pharmacy. I wash my hands thoroughly in this just before bed, i.e. once a day, and it has definitely improved my skin condition.

Yes! We were recommended to use that when my child was 7 month old. Now at 12yo, she's still using an anti-bacterial cleanser - we use Octenisan now as it's more gentle. But before this, we used to have chlorhexidine on facial wipe and just wipe down the skin to reduce staph bacteria. Great that you've found something that works and thanks for sharing!

It is mainly available in over-the-counter (OTC) products used to clean and prepare the skin before surgery and before injections in order to help reduce bacteria that potentially can cause skin infections.