Dear Molly Thorp, exposure to hot air does dry out the skin but it does not have a long lasting effect. So - it is very unlikely to have "damaged" your skin long term. Dry skin probably runs in your family? For very dry skin you could try a cream we normally recommend for conditions where ...

Dear Anonymous rhi, I understand the skin lesions which have appeared on your face are neither itchy nor painful. If there is no itch it is very unlikely to be eczema. It is possible that this could be rosacea (however impossible to diagnose without seeing it). It would be good to discuss this poten...

Dear William8, there is no link between osteoarthritis and psoriasis. Thus, you having osteoarthritis does not increase your risk for psoriasis. A patch of dry and itchy skin in particular in the ankle region sounds more like an eczema condition. General measures are: - avoid friction / irritation (...

Dear Maxine, topical calcineurineantagonists (protopic, elidel) have been discussed shortly after they were introduced to the US market (in particular for use in children) to act potentially in a way that they may favour some cancer conditions. At that time there were 2 issues raised - cancers not r...

Dear Jenny, Itch and scratching is a big problem in Lichen simplex. It seems key to reduce the itch and the scratiching to allow for any healing to occur. It often is a good idea to cover the lichen simplex overnight (e.g. zipzoc, tubifast or other bandages) to prevent you from scratching during sle...

Hi, Dishydrotic hand eczema is often part of a range of "allergic manifestations". Many patients also suffer from hayfever or asthma. if steroid creams and hand protection measures (which you follow already) do not lead to sufficient control of your eczema symptoms further allergy diagnost...

Dear Wallygrom, from the information you have given - it seems that the diagnosis has not been fully confirmed. You avoid sunlight (you will have to supplement Vit D in this case) and you have a low neutrophil count. What happens if you expose your skin to UV light? (blisters, redness, scars?) Depen...