Peeling skin in finger and toes, water exposure makes it worse

[jdouglas]

The skin on my fingers and feet have been peeling for almost two months now. I first noticed the peeling around my fingertips. Then it spread to the side of my index fingers, then my toes, then the balls of my feet, and now I

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Viral (and strep) infections can cause peeling like yours, but it wouldn't generally last this long.  I think you have a condition called keratolysis exfoliativa.  This long name just means "peeling of the top layer of skin."  Cause: unknown.  Significance: little, just mild annoyance.  I have never found that any treatment makes much difference.  I suggest you just keep the area moist with any lotion you like.  Swimming is absolutely fine, whatever the skin looks like afterward.  Eventually, it just foes away by itself but may come back, and I can't tell you when.

Please check with your doctor to confirm.

Take care.

Dr. Rockoff

[jdouglas]

Hi Doctor,

Thanks for the comments. One more quick question. How far will this peeling of skin eventually spread? Right now its on my fingers, toes, feet, and slightly in the palms.

[Larry_Wall]

A related discussion, PART2: Peeling skin in finger and toes, water exposure makes it worse was started.

[RobinB300]

A related discussion, skin peeling from finger tips was started.

[AZwife06]

jdouglas and doctor, as a kid both my brother and I would get what I can only describe as "air bubbles" under the skin on our fingers and palms. They were easy to scratch off, and caused no pain or irritation, and would then go away. Although I stopped getting this years ago, my brother continued to get it and still does as of now. However, about 2 weeks ago, I got it again. Only now, when I go to scratch off the "air bubble" I am able to peel the skin away and have actually taken off the top few layers on every fingertip, from side to side and on some fingers almost down to the first joint. There is still no pain, but the skin I'm taking off is starting to go deeper and it's kinda scary, I'm waiting for it to start hurting now! It hasn't reached my palms, and my feet are fine. I have researched (slightly) exfoliative keratolysis and it does sound like what I have, but so does dyshidrotic eczema. Is moisturizing the only thing we can do until it goes away?