Helping hands: six ways to rescue over-washed skin – from massage to moisturiser

A year's worth of intensive handwashing and sanitising has taken its toll on our mitts. Experts advise on the best healing techniques and treatments

If you never gave that much thought to handwashing before the start of the pandemic, you're well practised in it now. But all that soap and water, and repeated squirts of sanitiser gel, may have taken its toll on your mitts. That's what we're seeing during the pandemic," says Dr Tanya Bleiker, president of the British Association of Dermatologists. People who have never had problems before are washing their hands so frequently they are developing irritant hand dermatitis [also known as hand eczema]."

If your hands become sore or cracked, then you do need to have treatment," says Bleiker. A pharmacist should be able to offer advice and products, but it may require a visit to the GP, because you may need some topical steroid creams to calm that inflammation down". There are steps you can take, however, to try to prevent getting to that stage. Here are a few tips to keep your hands healthy.