As the novel coronavirus pandemic spread across Finland and the world, health officials advised that thorough hand washing was one of the most-important ways to avoid catching and spreading the disease caused by the virus, Covid-19.
However, nearly two months into the crisis, many of those who dutifully followed those hygiene instructions have seen their hands become dry, itchy and flaky.
While thoroughly washing hands helps to rid them of dirt and bacteria, the practice also cleans away natural oils that protect the skin. This can dry them out, sometimes causing irritation and rashes and even cause skin conditions like eczema, according to Liisa Väkevä, the department chief at Helsinki and Uusimaa medical district’s skin and allergy hospital.
She said that even though water dries out skin - and soap worsens the situation - it is still necessary for people to keep washing them properly.
Väkevä said she has not yet noted an increase in patients at her facility complaining of ailments like eczema but noted that if the coronavirus outbreak continues into the autumn and becomes more severe, referrals for such skin conditions may well increase.
"People who've had skin problems before, like atopic eczema, are suffering even more [than those who did not]. But health skin also gets dried out and irritated when people wash their hands very often," she explained.
Hand cream can help
Väkevä advised that ordinary hand cream can help relieve dry hands.
"If the skin is extremely dry it’s worth using a hydrating cream in the evenings," she said, adding that people can also don cotton gloves afterwards.
"If that doesn’t help then the use of a mild corticosteroid could be considered," she said.
The skin expert also recommended those with dry hands to use washing solutions that are mildly acidic on the pH scale.
Tap water, meanwhile, has a pH of around seven, and the skin temporarily becomes more alkaline as it is washed. She said that some hand soap solutions can be very alkaline - sometimes having as high pH levels as dishwasher detergent - and they can dry out skin too.
20-second rule
Health authorities are unanimous that washing with regular soap and water are the most-effective ways to kill novel coronavirus. But is it a good idea for people to use hand disinfectant when their hands are dried out?
"Hand sanitiser also dries out skin, even though manufacturers try to use moisturisers in them," she explained.
According to analysis published by the US-based National Center for Biotechnology Information, hand washing with regular soap and water provides the most effective way to reduce the spread of gastrointestinal and respiratory infections.
The analysis found that good hand hygiene reduces the risk of respiratory infections by around 20 percent.
"The most basic thing we can do to reduce the spread of influenza and respiratory viruses is to have good hygiene. Wash your hands and use the right technique [into a tissue that is immediately discarded or the inside of your elbow] when you cough or sneeze," Väkevä said, noting that hands should be washed for about 20 seconds, or the length of time it takes to sing the "Happy Birthday" song.