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Itchy skin on hands and other symptoms: redness, flaking, rash, dryness
Medical expert of the article
Last reviewed: 12.07.2025
Itchy skin on the hands can be a manifestation of external influences on the skin, many dermatological diseases, the result of infections, general sensitization of the body and autoimmune reactions.
In addition, intense pruritus - severe itching on the hands and other parts of the body - occurs with some systemic diseases.
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Causes itchy skin on the hands
Symptoms such as rashes on the hands and itching most often accompany skin diseases. And the most common causes of itching localization on the upper limbs include all types of skin inflammation - dermatitis.
First of all, it is simple or irritant contact dermatitis, not associated with an allergic reaction; it occurs due to external irritation of the skin with detergents, solvents, pesticides, benzoic and phenolic compounds, alkalis, acids and their derivatives, paints (including those used for tattooing), fiberglass. And the first signs of irritation appear after some time in the form of reddening of the skin. In the hyperkeratotic form, the damaged epidermis loses moisture, which leads to desquamation - the formation of keratinized scales and their sloughing; burning of the skin, itching on the hands and cracks also appear. Edema and intraepidermal bullous rash (blisters), leading to maceration, are observed less often.
In allergic contact dermatitis, patients have an allergy - a hypertrophied immune reaction to the effects of many factors. In such cases, clearly defined hyperemia of the epidermis area with bubbles (vesicles) filled with serous exudate is visible, i.e. itching on the hands and redness with a rash.
Sun itch on the arms (shoulders, forearms) is the result of skin reaction in some people to UV radiation in photocontact dermatitis. All the details in the publication - Photodermatitis on the face, legs and arms
Note that itching on the hands can be caused by herbs of the Ranunculaceae family (buttercups), which includes buttercup, pasqueflower, and larkspur. Also on the list of irritant plants that can cause rashes on the hands and itching are ivy, dicentra, acalypha, mirabilis, and many euphorbiaceae herbaceous plants.
Allergic factors, under the influence of which atopic dermatitis develops (from the Greek atopos - inappropriate, incorrect, unusual), are more pronounced in children. And fluid-filled pimples on the hands and itching, provoking frequent crying and restless sleep, can appear in the first months of a baby's life. Domestic pediatricians diagnose rashes (spots and vesicles) and itching in a child on the hands and face, chest, abdomen and lower extremities that are not associated with infections as exudative diathesis.
In older children, this symptom of a recurrent allergic reaction manifests itself in the ankles and wrists, popliteal and antecubital fossae, that is, itching is localized on the bend of the arms. The disease often persists in adults, and, as experts note, such patients have a family history of allergic rhinitis or asthma.
Under certain conditions, the symptoms of atopic dermatitis in women can worsen, causing itching on the hands during pregnancy. In addition, skin symptoms in pregnant women are associated with increased nervous stress and insufficient intake of vitamins (in particular, group B), stagnation of bile. Also see - Itching during pregnancy
A condition is distinguished in which itching on the hands and blisters, blisters and hyperemia of the skin are localized mainly in the intertriginous (contacting) areas of the body; itching on the hands up to the elbow and on the shoulder area - on the inside, constantly touching the body - is also common. This condition is called vesicular dermatitis or bullous pemphigoid.
The list of causes of itchy skin (including that localized on the upper limbs) should include palmar eczema (a descriptive term from the Greek ekzeo – I boil); dry eczema is characterized by itching on the hands and peeling skin.
But, with all the variety of eczematous lesions, there is one type, called recurrent vesicular dermatitis, dyshidrotic eczema or pompholyx, which affects only the extremities, that is, patients complain of itching of the skin on the hands and feet. Therefore, this disease is also called palmoplanar spongiotic dermatitis. It is distinguished by numerous papules deepened in the epidermis, quickly evolving into blisters (which burst with the formation of areas of erosion and weeping), intense itching on the fingers and between the fingers (less often on the toes), as well as itching and cracks on the palms and soles of the feet.
A nettle-like burn, a small rash on the hands that merges into large areas of hyperemia, and itching that is intensified by a burning sensation are the main manifestations of urticaria or allergic urticaria, which is considered either an idiopathic condition, or a manifestation of an autoimmune reaction, or a side effect of a number of pharmaceuticals. Solar urticaria is also distinguished, which is identical both visually and in etiology to the above-mentioned photodermatitis (obviously, excessive synonymy and disorder in dermatological terminology have an effect).
Why else can itching occur on the right, left hand, in the article - Itchy right, left palm
Itchy skin on hands and infections
Infection-related itching of the skin on the hands occurs with scabies, caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei . This contagious disease is characterized by the appearance of skin rashes (in the form of elongated nodules or pimples), thickening of the skin, formation of scales and their peeling, as well as severe (especially at night) itching between the fingers, around the nails, on the hands, wrists and above - to the elbows, with transition to the skin of the shoulders, armpits, chest and abdomen.
Also, the outer layer of the skin is colonized by dermatophyte fungi Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Trichophyton schoenleinii, Microsporum (genus Arthroderma and Ascomycota) with the development of epidermophytosis, the symptoms of which include redness, swelling and itching on the hands, the formation of blisters of various sizes on the palms and fingers, peeling at the edges and itchy plaques in the shoulders or forearms. And itching around the nails, under the fingernails is a sign of nail mycosis, accompanied by increased proliferation of keratinocytes of the basal layer of the epidermis.
When the skin of the hands is infected with the fungus Trichophyton rubrum, rubromycosis of the hands is diagnosed, the symptoms of which include not only itching of focal oval-shaped inflammatory elements on the dorsal surfaces, but also redness of the palms.
Although the exact cause of acute lichenoid pityriasis in adolescents and young adults has not been definitively established, cytomegalovirus, parvovirus B19, herpesvirus type IV, and toxoplasma are among its probable causative agents. In this disease, itching is caused by an exanthema in the form of scaly pink papules and vesicles that form on the folds of the elbows and knees. In chronic pyrithiasis, itchy red spots are localized on the palms and soles.
A small red papular rash on the hands and feet and itchy skin occurs with intestinal yersiniosis, a contagious disease with fever and diarrhea caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia enterocolitica (transmitted by rodents and acquired through consumption of contaminated food).
Itching on the hands in systemic diseases
In the presence of congenital gluten intolerance (celiac disease) and malabsorption syndrome, every tenth patient experiences Duhring's dermatitis herpetiformis, which manifests itself as rashes and itching on the extensor surfaces of the elbows and knees, on the shoulders (as well as on the scalp and buttocks).
With such an endocrine disease as diabetes mellitus - due to too high a level of glucose in the blood - there may be itching of the skin on the palms, legs and other parts of the body. Also, diabetic blisters (bullosis diabeticorum) appear - on the skin of the hands, legs and back. And in young men with uncontrolled insulin-dependent diabetes against the background of obesity, cholesterol deposits protruding above the skin surface may form, diagnosed as secondary eruptive xanthomatosis, which accompanies itching on the upper and lower extremities.
An autoimmune disorder called primary biliary cholangitis or primary biliary cirrhosis causes itchy, patchy palms in nearly 80% of cases.
There may also be itching on the hands without a rash, and this is most often associated with excessive dryness of the skin of the hands. Usually xeroderma (from the Greek xeros - dry and derma - skin) is noted in cases of hypovitaminosis, as well as hypervitaminosis A; with bile stasis (cholestasis); in patients with terminal renal failure (uremic itching occurs in 60% of cases); after hemodialysis; in thyroid diseases (in patients with thyrotoxicosis and diffuse toxic goiter); in peripheral neuropathies and neurological pathologies; in lymphomas, primarily Hodgkin's lymphoma and cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.
Paraneoplastic itching of various localizations can be felt in the early stages of development of malignant tumors of the lungs, colon, mammary glands, and brain.
At the same time, one cannot ignore non-itchy rashes on the hands - in the form of pinpoint red or purple spots (petechiae), which appear with iron deficiency anemia, aplastic anemia, thrombocytopenic purpura, leukemia in adults and acute myelogenous leukemia in children.
People with ulcerative colitis and granulomatous enteritis (Crohn's disease) also experience erythema nodosum: small red nodules on the arms (hands, wrists) and legs (ankles and shins).
Risk factors
Exogenous risk factors should be taken into account: exposure to chemicals, ultraviolet radiation, allergens, viral, fungal and bacterial infections. As well as the intake or parenteral administration of drugs; thus, severe itching is caused by sulfonamides, aspirin, some antibiotics, steroids, opioid injections, etc.
Since, as you have seen, itchy skin on the hands occurs with many different diseases and pathologies, then the presence of a skin disease, allergy or disease of internal organs, endocrine disorders or autoimmune disorder in a person maximally increases the risk of this symptom appearing.
And if you have very dry skin or an inherited tendency to skin reactions (sensitization), it is even more difficult to avoid.
Pathogenesis
In any localization of itching, the mechanism of its appearance is caused by the release of an organic nitrogen compound from skin mastocytes (mast cells), a mediator of local immune reactions - histamine. Under the influence of exogenous and endogenous factors, histamine is activated, which, on the one hand, increases the activity of eosinophils and neutrophils, and on the other, by binding to H1 and H2 receptor neurons in the epidermis and papillary layer of the skin, induces a sensation of itching with edema. The latter is explained by the fact that histamine causes vasodilation and increases the permeability of capillary walls, due to which fluid accumulates in the intercellular space of the skin tissue.
In addition, there is a release of the neurokinin 1 (NK1) mediator, which binds to neurokinin receptors (NKR1) on the membranes of keratinocytes, endothelial cells and mastocytes. This, in turn, ensures the activation of proinflammatory cytokines - interleukin-31 (IL-31), leukotriene B4, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), involved in the transmission of the itch signal along afferent nerve fibers.
In autoimmune etiology and genetic predisposition to skin reactions, itching on the hands is an abnormal response of T cells to the hemidesmosome components BP180 and BP230 of the basal epithelial cell membranes.
This issue is covered in more detail in the publication – Pathogenesis of skin itching
Epidemiology
As noted by experts from the European Society of Allergy, statistics on the prevalence of atopic dermatitis vary in different sources, but the presence of diagnostic criteria allows us to state that the overall incidence of atopic dermatitis in the largest European countries has increased to 10-20% of the population, and in North America - to 23-26%. It has also increased significantly among children under seven years of age, in some countries - up to 24% of all children in this age category.
Globally, some estimates suggest that up to 3% of adults and about 20% of children have some form of eczema. Two-thirds of eczema cases begin in children under five years of age, and about 60% of children with eczema have it as adults.
According to the 2010 National Health Interview Survey, the prevalence of eczema in adults (aged 18-85) in the United States was 9.7-10.6%. Of those surveyed, 3.2% had a history of asthma and/or hay fever.
Research over the last decade has shown a high risk of allergic dermatitis in children in their first year of life. For example, in Germany, more than 40% of infants are at risk, and in Europe as a whole, more than a third of all newborns.
Allergic contact dermatitis, according to specialists from the British Association of Dermatologists, is generally diagnosed in 1-1.5% of British patients.
Without specifying the location, chronic itching (lasting more than one and a half months) is experienced by about 8% of adult Norwegians.
Diagnostics itchy skin on the hands
In dermatology and allergology, diagnostics consists of identifying the causes of itching. In addition to a physical examination of the patient and a detailed anamnesis, as well as examination of the skin using a dermatoscope, blood and urine tests, scrapings in areas of the skin affected by the rash, and other studies are necessary.
In many cases, an allergist, endocrinologist, hematologist or oncologist takes part in establishing the etiology of itching, using instrumental diagnostics of the relevant organs (X-ray, ultrasonography, computed tomography, etc.).
Of course, if these symptoms are present, differential diagnostics are necessary, which allows us to distinguish contact dermatitis from allergic or atopic dermatitis, and scabies from epidermophytosis.
What tests need to be taken and other details of the examination of patients are described in detail in the material - Diagnosis of skin itching
Treatment itchy skin on the hands
Dermatologists, allergists, endocrinologists, pediatricians know how to relieve itching on the hands. And each specialist coordinates the treatment of skin itching with its etiology, although in most cases the therapy is aimed at relieving the symptom, and not at eliminating its cause (the latter is not always possible).
What medications are prescribed to be taken orally? Latest generation antihistamines. Their specific names, contraindications and side effects, as well as standard dosage, are detailed in the materials - Tablets for skin itching or Tablets for allergies
Doctors recommend taking vitamins B3, B6, B12, beta-carotene, tocopherol, ascorbic acid, rutin for itching; children also need vitamin D.
If in the old days zinc slurry with glycerin was used for eczema (now this external antiseptic is called Tsindol), today ointments are used for eczema on the hands - Ointments for eczema, as well as Creams for eczema
Comprehensive information about which ointments and creams for itching help to cope with this problem and how to use them correctly is provided in the publications - Ointment for itching and Creams for itching.
For allergic and atopic dermatitis, Dermatitis Ointments are prescribed.
To treat itching that occurs with dermatophytosis, use Ointment for fungus between the fingers.
And the main treatment for scabies is - Ointment for scabies
Patients with skin diseases may benefit from physiotherapy treatment, read - Physiotherapy for dermatitis and dermatosis
Homeopathy is not welcomed by dermatologists, however, among homeopathic remedies there are some quite effective ones (for example, Aloe, Hepar sulfur, Calcarea carbonica, Arnica, Graphites, Medorrhinum), but they should only be prescribed by a homeopathic doctor.
Folk remedies
Traditional healers give advice on how to get rid of itching on the hands at home. To moisturize dry skin prone to irritation and peeling, it is recommended to lubricate it with glycerin, petroleum jelly or raw olive oil.
You can add a few drops of tarragon or tea tree essential oil to Vaseline. And a pinch of ground turmeric to olive oil and lubricate itchy areas two or three times a day for several days. The oil is rich in omega fatty acids, and turmeric (Curcuma longa rhizome) relieves inflammation and itching thanks to its bioactive components - curcumin and alpha- and beta-turmerone.
If your hands itch due to contact dermatitis, cold compresses will give a quick effect. And compresses with a solution of baking soda or applications of raw yeast dough, applied for one and a half to two hours, help well with itching and dry out wet rashes - if you have atopic or allergic dermatitis.
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Oatmeal baths are considered a good folk remedy for itchy skin. Grind oatmeal (150 g) into powder, pour warm water over it (about a liter), and let it swell for 20 minutes. For a bath for itchy hands, just pour the oatmeal into a basin of moderately warm water, stir, and soak your hands for a quarter of an hour. Baths for the whole body are done in the same way (but you need to take twice as much oatmeal).
For eczema, it is recommended to make compresses from apple cider vinegar with the addition of honey (a teaspoon per 100 ml).
Herbal treatment is also used - in the form of baths, compresses, lotions or irrigations with decoctions of plants such as: chickweed, sage and wild pansy (herb), agrimony (root), burdock (root), comfrey (root), broadleaf cattail (rhizome), curly sorrel (root), chamomile flowers and calendula officinalis, plantain (leaves).
Complications and consequences
When a person feels itchy, they begin to scratch the itchy area: researchers have long established that scratching the skin essentially soothes the itch because it causes a weak pain impulse, and this forces the neurons in the spinal cord to switch to transmitting pain signals.
There is temporary relief from scratching the itching on the hands, but scratching can have negative consequences and complications. Firstly, severe itching disrupts normal sleep, and in some people it causes increased nervousness and irritability (leading to a neurotic state).
No less serious problems are associated with a high probability of secondary bacterial infection - streptococcal and staphylococcal, which affects areas of the skin with damaged epithelial layer. Infection leads to tissue inflammation, ulceration, formation of foci of necrosis with pus. In this case, secondary pyoderma, erysipelas, impetigo, etc. can develop.
Prevention
To prevent dermatological infections, recommendations regarding personal hygiene are relevant.
If you have sensitive skin, protect it when handling household chemicals and substances that may irritate the skin on your hands.
In case of an allergic reaction, atopic dermatitis, eczema, prevention is difficult, as is the case with systemic diseases of an endocrine nature or pathologies of autoimmune origin.
Forecast
Itching on the hands is rarely chronic with infections and allergies. But rashes with itching caused by chronic diseases with autoimmune disorders can manifest themselves for a long time - sometimes disappearing in the remission stage, sometimes appearing after some time, entering a period of exacerbation.