Home Blogs Skin Peeling On Fingers Causes And Vitamin Deficiency
Skin Peeling On Fingers Causes And Vitamin Deficiency
By
Patricia | May 29, 2009
What Cause Peeling Skin Of Fingertips And Hand
Skin peeling on fingers:
There could be a number of reasons for skin peeling on fingers and toes. One possible reason is Kawasaki disease. This disease affects mainly children and the skin peels away from the fingers, toes and feet. This occurs due to moisture drying up. A lack of certain vitamins could also be responsible for this condition. In particular, a lack of Vitamins A and B could cause these symptoms. It is advisable to check with the doctor, preferably a dermatologist to determine the cause of this. Some other reasons could be certain medications, eczema, sunburn or even certain infections and allergies.
Peeling fingertips:
There are several causes for peeling fingertips. Skin peeling on the fingertips is not a good sign and could be indicative of a serious condition. Peeling fingertips sometimes develop cracks or fissures. These cracks are a rupture in the body’s immune system and thus one is more susceptible to infections. Therefore, the peeling of skin on fingertips should not be taken lightly as it is a serious condition. Causes include Psoriasis, Kawasaki disease, dry skin, diabetes, lack of Vitamin B, Vasculitis among others. Kawasaki disease is known to affect mainly children but adults have been known to suffer from it as well. An overdose of Vitamin A can also cause this condition.
Peeling skin on fingers
Symptoms of peeling skin on fingers include dead looking skin, skin thickening on the fingers and then cracking and peeling away. Several pieces may break away at one time and the skin left underneath will be sensitive and new. This could also occur on the palms of the hand. Remember that peeling skin is a temporary problem and will generally heal in a few days once the new skin surfaces. If there are underlying health problems which are causing this peeling skin on fingers, then the treatment of such skin peeling will depend on the cause. Peeling skin on fingertips may take longer to heal in such cases.
Fingertips peeling:
There could be various causes for fingertips peeling. Fingertips’ peeling is the term given to skin peeling at the fingers. The causes can include:-
- Excessive consumption of Vitamin A can lead to this condition.
- Diabetes: This disease leads to decreased perspiration which results in cracks in the skin.
- Blisters, rashes and sunburn also lead to this.
- Frequently washing one’s hands with perfumed soap and hand washes, not using gloves while washing.
- Eczema: this is one of the most common reasons behind skin peeling.
Some people feel that skin peeling might be due to fungus, it is best to check with a dermatologist who can advise them on further treatment if this is the case. It is also common for toddlers to experience peeling fingertips. This is fairly common and can occur after an illness. Inform your pediatrician immediately as this might also be due to Kawasaki disease. Tests may be carried out to confirm this.
Skin peeling on fingertips
Skin peeling on fingertips and toes can occur in children as well. This could occur after a strep infection. If you feel that this is the case, ask your doctor about medication/treatment that needs to be followed for this. A good moisturizer applied on these areas has been known to help. Skin peeling might occur on the toes as children’s feet sweat in socks and this leads to the skin becoming mildly inflamed. Keep in mind that skin peeling can occur after any kind of inflammation. Do not rule out eczema or any atopic dermatitis. These can also cause skin to peel on fingers and toes in children. At times the rash may already be there but in a mild form and not noticeable until the peeling starts.
Peeling skin on fingertips
To understand what causes peeling skin on fingertips, it is necessary to understand the skin’s structure. The skin has three basic layers: the epidermis (outer layer), dermis (middle layer) and the hypodermis (inner layer). All three layers have their individual function and are constantly changing. The epidermis is completely replaced once in every 28 days. Mostly, peeling skin is not a serious problem as the skin will heal itself once the new skin appears. However, there are certain skin disorders that cause peeling skin on fingertips and toes as well. These causes are:-
Exfoliative dermatitis
- Scarlet fever
- Psoriasis
- Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis
- Dry skin, sunburn, rashes
- Peeling Skin Syndrome which is a genetic disorder.
Peeling fingers:
Strep is a bacteria which children can get infected with. Peeling fingers can occur after strep and other viral illnesses. Remember that this peeling of the fingers will not occur while your child is suffering from strep. The peeling of skin on the fingers of your child usually occurs a couple of weeks after the illness. If your child had a strep culture test and it came positive, it is likely that the peeling fingers are a result of the illness. A strep throat may also be accompanied by a red rash or fever which is known as scarlet fever. When this rash of the scarlet fever disappears, the flaking of the fingertips begins. This is usually about 1-3 weeks later.
Finger skin peeling
Skin peeling off on the fingers and toes is generally not a serious problem. It is normal for skin to shed once every 28 days. However, if this finger skin peeling is accompanied by cracks in the fingers, it could be a serious condition as the body’s immune system is compromised. Exposure to water might make this condition worse. If the peeling continues for some time, say two months or so, and shows no sign of healing, do inform your medical practitioner. It could be due to a condition called keratolysis exfoliativa.
Skin on fingers peeling
There are several conditions which may cause the skin on fingers peeling off. These include environmental factors, certain medications, peeling skin syndrome, a fungal infection, Kawasaki disease, Netherton syndrome and Exfoliative Dermatitis. Some home remedies for this include eating a well balanced, nutritious diet, applying honey and olive oil to the areas applying grated cucumber to the areas too.
Fingers peeling
Fingers peeling in the summer months only could be due to xerotic dermatitis or dishydrotic eczema. Causes for these conditions include external irritants like chemicals from detergents, creams and soaps. Fingers peeling could occur in pregnancy as well due to the skin becoming extremely sensitive.
Skin peeling is a common ailment with grave implications. The peeled fingertips sometimes develop fissures or cracks. These cracks create a rupture in the body’s immune system, lending it greater susceptibility to infections. Hence, skin peeling is a serious affliction and needs to be cured.
There can be various causes for skin peeling at the fingertips, leading to what is commonly referred to as peeling fingertips. The causes of this ailment are:
- Kawasaki disease: It is a rare syndrome, generally affecting kids. It leads to peeling of skin at the fingertips and is a consequence of the immune system malfunctioning.
- Psoriasis: It is a non-contagious, unceasing disease, characterized by red, scaly patches on the skin. Psoriasis is signaled by a faulty functioning of the immune system. The cure for Psoriasis is a two-fold process, including gastro-intestinal detoxification and skin detoxification.
- Dry Skin: Changes in weather may lead to dry skin.
- Frequent washing of hands: Frequent washing of hands, particularly with scented hand washes and soaps may also cause peeling of skin. Washing dishes without gloves also leads to dry skin and thereby peeling fingertips.
- Diabetes: Diabetes leads to decreased perspiration and thereby causes cracks in the skin.
- Lack of Vitamin B: A deficiency of Vitamin B leads to a lot of skin ailments including Eczema.
- Vasculitis: In this case, blood vessels react to temperature fluctuations leading to the rupturing of skin. This condition is particularly aggravated in winters.
- Rashes, sunburn, and blisters can also lead to peeling fingertips.
- The excessive consumption of Vitamin A may also lead to peeling fingertips.
- Other reasons can include frequent trauma to fingers such as when playing a guitar, reactions to certain medicines, and infections.
This ailment can be cured by a number of simple home remedies. These remedies include:
- Grated cucumber can be applied over your fingertips for fifteen to twenty minutes to prevent dryness of skin.
- The application of a mixture of sandalwood and turmeric can be a good remedy.
- Honey and olive oil can be applied on fingertips to heal the fissures.
- The application of fresh mint juice on your fingertips, every night is an excellent solution to this problem.
- In addition to these home remedies, consulting a dermatologist and following a prescribed course of medication should also be employed in case of severe afflictions. Remember, peeling skin at the fingertips must not be taken lightly as they make your body susceptible to a number of possible infections.