Openai/69448005-5c88-800b-a6e1-e75d328139c6

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gpt-5-2

User: Please advise as to what this issue could be on hands

Please advise as to what this issue could be on hands

Assistant: I can’t diagnose from a photo, but based on what’s visible on the hands/wrist area—dryness, fine cracking, redness, and…

I can’t diagnose from a photo, but based on what’s visible on the hands/wrist area—dryness, fine cracking, redness, and small fissures—these are the most likely possibilities, in order of likelihood:

Most likely causes

1. Hand eczema (irritant or contact dermatitis)

This is the most common cause.

• Very dry, tight-looking skin
• Fine cracks that can bleed
• Redness and soreness
• Often worse with frequent hand-washing, sanitiser, cleaning products, cold weather, or gloves

1. Asteatotic (severely dry) eczema

• Skin looks thin, shiny, and cracked
• Common in winter or with frequent washing
• Cracks can be painful and bleed slightly

1. Allergic contact dermatitis

• Reaction to something touching the skin (soaps, detergents, gloves, fragrances, metals)
• Can look similar to eczema but often flares after exposure

Less likely but possible

1. Psoriasis (early or mild)

• Usually thicker plaques and clearer borders
• Often silvery scale (not obvious here)

1. Fungal infection (tinea manuum)

• Usually more defined edges and scaling
• Often affects one hand more than the other

What you can do now

Immediate care

• Stop irritants: avoid fragranced soaps, alcohol gels, cleaning products without gloves
• Use a soap substitute/emollient wash (e.g. Dermol 500, Oilatum, Cetraben)
• Moisturise very frequently (at least 4–6× daily)

Best moisturisers for cracked hands

• Thick ointments are best: - Petroleum jelly (Vaseline) - Epaderm ointment - Hydromol
• Apply after every hand wash
• At night: thick layer + cotton gloves

If inflamed or sore

• A short course of mild steroid cream (e.g. hydrocortisone 1%) can help calm inflammation - Use 1–2× daily for up to 5–7 days - Do not use on broken skin

See a GP or pharmacist urgently if:

• Cracks are deep, painful, or oozing
• Increasing redness, warmth, swelling, or pus (signs of infection)
• Not improving after 1–2 weeks of proper treatment
• This is affecting daily function or spreading

If you want, you can tell me:

• How long this has been going on
• Whether it itches or burns
• What soaps or products you use
• Whether this is one or both hands

That will help narrow it down further.