Strange Skin Issue

Hey E.,
I had this strange reaction quite a few years ago - so I don't remember all the details. I ended up going to the dermatologist. I got a "student" who reminded me of Doogie Hauser - but not as smart. He told me it was a reaction to my wedding ring (I had been wearing it for 4 years without any reaction) but didn't come across as being very confident. Anyway - I received some cream to make it go away, then put my ring back on and never had a problem with it since. But from what I can remember it was a pretty awful rash too. So - hopefully that helps! Good luck!

Is soap getting caught under the ring and irritating the skin? You could try hydrocortisone cream and see if that works. If it continues though I would see a doctor.
Walgreens have this great stuff called "Bag Balm" it's udder cream that farmers use on cows udders to keep them from getting sores. It works great on many skin ailments.

I had/have something very similar on my ring finger and the finger next to it. I am a nurse and contribute it to continually washing my hands and soap getting caught under the ring. When it flairs up it looks like little blisters and then dries up and cracks. I tried putting many products on it and found diaper cream to be helpful with the blister type rash and putting vaseline and all natural handmade lotion bar on when it gets dry. I usually don't wear my ring to work and have gotten some special soap and alcohol foam to use. I agree it is very annoying thing to deal with. I have had it for at least a year, but have not had a flair up in a long time just still very dry and cracked. Good luck and you may just need to try several products to see what works.

I had this problem some time ago. Turns out it was that it was the moisture still trapped under the band of the ring - wasn't completely dried when:
1. washing hands OR 2. applying lotions

I had to go without my ring for a bit (let it clear up first) before I could wear it again. Didn't have an issue with it since.

Hope this info helps you. Good luck!

~SR

Hey E.,

My sister had the same problem for a while. Are you taking any new drugs, vitamins, or supplements? Sometimes they have weird affects on our skin. My sister actually ended up getting a new wedding band...one that was a larger size and smaller width...which allowed for more breathing room. Or have you started a new diet or health regime? Sometimes when our bodies are sensitive we react oddly. Maybe you are going through some sort of turning point and becoming allergic to something that you may never have thought of previously.

I use this awesome lotion from a national wellness company that has totally changed the way my skin feels. It's called Renew. It had tea tree oil in it so it works! And its not greasy and it doesn't burn...I used to have cracked knuckles all winter long. Those days are over. If you are interested just send me a quick email at: ____@____.com

Good luck, I hope you will find a solution to your 'problem'.

S.

I just had the very same issue arise. It all started right after I had my daughter. I finally figured out that I was washing my hands a lot more than what I used to and soap was getting trapped underneath my ring. I wore my ring on and off for about 2 months, but my finger would not heal. I finally quit wearing it all together and my finger has finally healed. It took about a month for it to heal. The skin that got irrated is discolored now and still is a little scaly, but it's a lot better than what it was.

My son had an issue on his mouth/upper lip when he was an infant. It sounds very similar to what you are experiencing. It was from his pacifier. We constantly washed it and put lotion on that area and it would get better and worse all winter. When we brought him in for his well child check - the doctor took one look at it and said he had impentigo (sp?). She perscribed a cream for it. It got better right away and within a week was pretty much gone. We kept the cream and would put it on if it was looking bad again. It was just a little infection. Might be worth looking into. Good Luck - hope you can find something that works.

It sounds like a fungus. Use athletes foot cream on it. It should work. If it doesn't then I would go to the doctor.

This also happened to me on my ring finger on my right hand. I found that mine was related to using alcohol based hand sanitizers. I've worn a black hills gold ring on that finger for the past 4-1/2 years without issue until this winter. I've stopped wearing the ring and also use hand sanitizer sparingly now. I don't seem to have a problem using hand sanitizer from Bath & Body Works. Good luck!

You may have developed a metal allergy, it is very common. Is your skin kind of scale like right where your ring is? If so, I believe you can get your ring re-plated and it will help. Otherwise, I think the jewelers can put some other sort of coating on the ring (of any metal type).

Hope you figure it out,
K.

That sounds an awful lot like eczema. Try hydrocortisone cream for a couple days and see if that helps it.
Good luck!

Could it be nickel allergy?

One of my fingers (right pointer) is like this all the time and only worsens in the winter. I find that using Aquaphor lotion helps heal cracking, itching & pain more quickly. I believe my current condition is caused by frequent handwashing, dishwashing and using an extra-strong anti-mildew spray that leaks upon use right onto that finger (even mild detergent doesn't help and stubborn as I am, do not use gloves). The occasional swim in the local pool year round doesn't help either. My susceptibility for this skin condition only worsened after I had my baby five years ago. For a while I couldn't wear certain rings because they would cause my finger to develop a rash that itched/peeled like crazy (yuck). Oh, and the great contributing factor to all of this is eczema, which I've had on & off all my life.

My daughter would do this sometimes with her eczema. It would get kind-of blistery and pussy looking. She had to be put on steroid cream for it and that cleared it up. I could be a different soap or cream or your rings having something under it to cause the first reaction and with your rings rubbing it could have made it worse

Hi E.,
I had something similar about two years ago. It wasn't clearing up on its own so I did go to a dermatologist. She recommended I stop using all my current soaps and lotions and use Vanicream soap and lotion. I did that and it took a couple of weeks, but it eventually cleared up. Apparently once the area was so raw everything else was irritating it. The Vanicream products are not expensive you and can get them over the counter, but you usually have to ask for them at the pharmacy. Good luck, I know it is painful!

If moisture stays under your ring, it could be a yeast infection. Try putting Monistat cream around the area and keep the skin dry. Hope this helps.

I had the exact same problem, and did go to the dermatologist. It turns out that my super-sensitive skin couldn't stand the soap and water that was being trapped between it and my rings. The cure has been to take off my rings to dry my hands after washing, and to not wear them when I sleep. Once I started doing that, the horrible rash (which consumed most of my ring finger - ick) cleared up within a week or two.

Good luck!

;

Have you recently changed the hand soap you use? That may be the reason. I had a mild version of what you explain, and finally figured out that the liquid hand soap at my mom's house was the reason.
I would try switching to a mild and natural soap.

Allergies to metals are actually quite common. Could be eczema too, although that is usually very itchy. I would have it checked out by a doctor. No matter what it is, you probably need a prescription ointment.

i had i big long response typed and it got lost so i will shorten it up this time. cracks in the skin lead to things getting into the skin causing an infection. generally some sort of staph infection. key points dry your hands and dry under your ring after they get wet. after you apply lotion leave the ring off until the lotion has had time to soak in. clean your ring often especially if it has indentations on the inside where gunk can build up. you dont have to use special cleaner just get a Q tip and wipe it out from time to time. When you have a flare up take the ring off use antibiotic ointment (over the counter) and a band aide to cover it at night then let it air out during the day. don't put your rings back on until it has healed completely. best to keep you hands from getting dried out and cracked to keep the infection from starting. Staph is naturally present on your skin and DO NOT pop the little blisters that you get cover them with antibiotic ointment and wait from them to go away. i had troubles with this and i accidentally gave it to my son(he had a dry skin patch in his diaper area at the same time my ring infection flared up). because i knew what caused it and how to fix it he only had it for a few days once i saw the first blister form. If you let the infection go to long without treating it it can become harmful and cause further infection in your body. but it is very easy to fix. to prevent future cases keep under your ring area dry :)

http://www.shop3m.com/nexcare-advanced-hand-cream.html?WT...

Hi E.!
I've had something similar occur and I determined that because the rign I was wearing was not solid, but had a space behind the gems, it allowed for water to get into that area and sit there, not allowing my fingers to dry properly and it dried out/irritated the skin. Especially when I would wash my hands, the soap would get trapped in there and cause major irritations. Mine also occurred in the winter when my hands are much more susceptible to drying due to the weather. To cure it, I simply stopped wearing the rings on that hand as much as possible and really mosturized the area. A product like Aquafor is great - it's almost like vasoline but does wonders on dry skin.
Good luck!
K.

BTW - This happened to me 2 or 3 times, but then never again which leads me to believe it may have also been the type of soap that I was using.

Had the same thing happen to me earlier this year. My finger swelled up a little, too. I had to stop wearing my ring for awhile until it healed. Not sure what caused the problem, but neosporin and cetaphil cream (used generic) seemed to help.