WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?
THE SIGNS
CHRONIC HAND ECZEMA CAN LOOK DIFFERENT ON DIFFERENT PEOPLE
It can be useful to know the right words to describe the signs of Chronic Hand Eczema.1–6 On light skin there may be redness, while on dark skin, skin may appear darker.1,6 Skin might also look flaky.2
LICHENIFICATION
Hard, rough patches of skin that might look darker or lighter than the skin around it3
EDEMA
Swelling of the skin4
VESICLES
Small bumps normally clear and filled with a fluid3
FISSURES
Cracks in the skin3
HYPERKERATOSIS
Thickening of the outer layer of the skin5
SCALING
Flakes of skin3
ERYTHEMA
A change in colour of an area of skin – on white skin tones, skin may look red, while on black, brown and olive skin tones, skin may appear darker than other areas1,3,6
Images sourced from DermNET© https://dermnetnz.org/
“I WISH I DIDN’T HAVE THIS”
Emma, a real patient with CHE
A study* shows the most common signs and symptoms people with Chronic Hand Eczema report are usually erythema, pruritus (itch)7, and scaling.8
AROUND 3 OUT OF 4 PEOPLE HAD 3 OR MORE OF THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF CHRONIC HAND ECZEMA, BUT IT’S POSSIBLE TO ONLY HAVE ONE OR TWO8
Chronic Hand Eczema
can show up on the:8
A. Fingertips
for around 2 in every 5 people
B. Spaces between fingers
for around 1 in every 3 people
C. Palms
for around half of people
D. Wrists
for around 1 in every 3 people
The areas affected can be different across people, and some may have signs of Chronic Hand Eczema on multiple areas at the same time.
89% OF PEOPLE LIVING
WITH HAND ECZEMA HAVE
FELT EMBARRASSED OR
SELF-CONSCIOUS ABOUT IT†9
70% HAVE WORN GLOVES OR
HIDDEN THEIR HANDS AWAY IN
POCKETS †9
*This study was called RWEAL and involved dermatologists and general practitioners (healthcare professionals) with roles in dermatology reviewing medical charts. There were 292 healthcare professionals from Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the UK. The study included 1939 adult patients with Chronic Hand Eczema. Most patients (73.9%) had three signs or more of Chronic Hand Eczema, whereas 15.5% had two signs, and only 10.6% had one sign.8
†This study involved a survey with questions about hand eczema’s demographics and psychosocial impact. It was completed by 1023 patients with hand eczema.9
RWEAL, Real-World trEatment & mAnagement of chronic hand eczema in cLinical practice.
RELATED CONTENT
WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE? THE SYMPTOMS
LIVING WITH CHRONIC HAND ECZEMA
FINDING THE RIGHT SUPPORT AND TOOLS
References
MAT-83817
2. Grant L, et al. Adv Ther. 2020;37(2):692–706.
3. Chiang NYZ and Verbov J. Dermatology: A handbook for medical students & junior doctors. 3rd ed. Garsington Road: Oxford; 2020.
4. MedlinePlus. Edema. Available at: https://medlineplus.gov/edema.html (Accessed September 2025).
5. Taber’s Medical Dictionary. Hyperkeratosis. Available at: https://www.tabers.com/tabersonline/view/Tabers-Dictionary/758851/2/hyperkeratosis (Accessed September 2025).
6. National Eczema Association. Eczema on black skin: pictures, symptoms and treatment. Available at: https://nationaleczema.org/blog/eczema-in-skin-of-color/#:~:text=Most%20people%20think%20of%20eczema,differently%20in%20darker%20skin%20tones. (Accessed September 2025).
7. Pruritus symposium. Numeric Rating Scale – Pruritus Resources. Available at: http://www.pruritussymposium.de/numericalratingscale.html (Accessed September 2025).
8. Fargnoli MC, et al. Poster presentation at ESCD, 2024. Poster ID: P0608.
9. Ahmed A, et al. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2015;40(5):495–501.