The objectives are

• To try to avoid direct skin contact with irritants and
• To speed healing and prevent relapses of your dermatitis

These tips should help:

Hand Washing. Only wash your hands when essential. Use lukewarm water and a simple soap (a superfatted soap without scent or colour). Rinse thoroughly, particularly under rings. Dry (dab and do not rub) carefully between the fingers. Soap contains an alkaline irritant so always use a soap substitute if possible, aqueous cream, or emulsifying ointment.Smear a little on to the hands and rinse off. A little extra can be put on the hands after drying to soften the skin, or a bland, greasy skin preparation can be used to combat dry skin. Adding water softener to hard water allows a greater lather for less soap.

Avoid direct contact with DETERGENTS
Measure carefully the quantity of washing powder and detergents according to the maker's directions; otherwise they may be too strong. Keep the packages clean to avoid irritation from detergent on the outside and pour carefully.'Biological' or 'Enzymatic' detergents are forbidden.
Avoid direct contact with shampoo, which is a detergent. Let somebody else shampoo your hair, or wear plastic gloves.

Hair lotion, hair cream, hair dye. Do not apply these with bare hands, and avoid aerosols and hair lacquer spray.

Housework. For washing up dishes use running water if possible. When dusting and cleaning wear cotton gloves to protect against wear and tear, and save the need for washing hands. Washing machines and dishwashers also help to preserve your hands.
Do not touch metal polish, wax polish, shoe/floor/car/furniture/window polishes, solvents and stain removers, such as white spirit, petrol, trichlorethylene, turpentine or thinners.

Food and plants. Do not peel or squeeze oranges, lemons or grapefruit with bare hands. Dampness from raw vegetables, meat and fish irritates. Do not touch onions or garlic with bare fingers. Gardening, window boxes, indoor plants abrades hands. All sap and juice is bad.

Rings. Do not wear during housework or other work, even when the dermatitis has healed. Rings should be cleaned frequently on the inside with a brush, and left in ammonia water (1 tablespoonful in a one pint bottle) over-night, then rinsed thoroughly. Never wash your hands with soap when wearing rings, as the soap residues will remain under them.

Gloves. If you use gloves for washing dishes, clothes and shampooing, they should be plastic and not rubber since rubber often causes dermatitis. Plastic gloves should not be worn for more than 15-20 minutes at a time. If water happens to enter a glove, change it immediately. Turn the gloves inside out, and rinse them under the hot water tap several times a week. Sprinkle with talc before they are used again, as they must be completely dry. Preferably cotton gloves should be worn under the plastic ones. They should be worn many times before they are washed, (with soap and thoroughly rinsed).Buy several pairs of plastic gloves at a time. Keep gloves in an airing cupboard. In cold weather wear warm gloves!

REMEMBER THAT THE RESISTANCE OF THE SKIN IS LOWERED FOR AT LEAST 4-5 MONTHS AFTER THE DERMATITIS APPEARS TO BE COMPLETELY HEALED, SO YOU WILL NEED TO CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS FOR THIS LENGTH OF TIME

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