Hands peeling after longer rides

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This is a really strange thing. I have found that after any ride of maybe more than 50 miles that my hands peel badly for the next day or two. I'm wondering if it's eczema or some other reaction from the sweat and my gloves. Anyone else ever experience this?

[OakLeaf]

Wearing gloves in warm weather can give me dyshidrosis on my hands. For me it's usually a bumpy rash, sometimes it gets scaly on my fingers, but I think it can peel, in some people. It's a form of eczema and if keeping your hands dry doesn't clear it up, then steroid creams should.

Does that sound like what you have?


ETA - now that I think about it, when I was a kid a boyfriend gave me a ring that I fitted by wrapping some thread around it, and wound up getting athlete's foot on my finger because of the moisture. That really did peel. I wonder if it could be a fungus?

Is it always on both hands? If so, it's probably not an infection.

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Yep, always both hands. And I wash my gloves after every ride of more than a couple of hours, just because re-wearing my sweat grosses me out.

[OakLeaf]

I'd guess dyshidrosis then. (All the pictures I found on line are WAY WAY WAY more severe than anything I ever get, but they do show peeling.)

I can't always keep my hands dry enough to prevent it, but rubbing them with corn starch before I put my gloves on (or shaking corn starch into FF gloves) helps.

Try to expose your hands to sunlight - get mesh back gloves and/or do another outdoor activity that doesn't require gloves.


Also, since eczema is an autoimmune problem, anything you can do to settle down your immune system may possibly help. Treat any allergies you have; try a challenge diet for some of the most common allergens (gluten and/or wheat, dairy, corn, yeast and mold). Stress exacerbates it, too (DH gets it on his fingers only when he's stressed, and environmental conditions don't seem to affect his).

[zoom-zoom]

Also, since eczema is an autoimmune problem, anything you can do to settle down your immune system may possibly help. Treat any allergies you have; try a challenge diet for some of the most common allergens (gluten and/or wheat, dairy, corn, yeast and mold). Stress exacerbates it, too (DH gets it on his fingers only when he's stressed, and environmental conditions don't seem to affect his).

Yeah, I take Zyrtec every day, year-round for allergies (which seem mostly seasonal, but there seems to be a different trigger just about every season).

I like the suggestion of cornstarch on my hands, though. Years ago I had eczema issues above my eyelids from sweating when I'd run. What eliminated that was wearing a hat or other wicking headcover to minimize the sweat that would run into my eye area. The doc also had me use cortizone cream until it healed. Perhaps I should try some coritzone on my hands before these longer rides, too.

[Owlie]

I get eczema on my hands (heat, stress...you name it, it makes it worse!). The only gloves I've ever found that are adequately vented so as not to make it worse are the PI Gel Vents.

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I get eczema on my hands (heat, stress...you name it, it makes it worse!). The only gloves I've ever found that are adequately vented so as not to make it worse are the PI Gel Vents.

Those are the gloves I use. I was wondering if different gloves would help, but maybe not...