WEDNESDAY, April 11, 2012 — You've heard it time and time again: Wash your hands frequently to fend off nasty bugs and germs, especially if you work in a hospital or other health-care facility. But those squeaky-clean hands can make you more susceptible to an itchy, flaky skin condition known as hand eczema or hand dermatitis, which is especially common among health-care workers. Now a new report from Denmark looks at exactly what practices may be causing the flakiness and redness of eczema.

In the study, over 2,000 health-care workers including doctors, nurses, nursing assistants, and clinical technicians answered a questionnaire about their handwashing habits both at home and at work. The researchers found a definite link between frequency of handwashing and eczema: About 50 percent of the respondents who had hand eczema washed their hands more than 10 times a day while at work, compared with 43 percent of those without eczema.

Another factor that increased the likelihood of hand eczema included living with children younger than age 4 — not surprising when you consider how often small kids need cleaning up. Wearing gloves at work was also associated with eczema, although gloves are often recommended to protect against eczema triggers such as cleansers. Eczema was more likely to be reported by those who wore synthetic rubber gloves compared with cotton or natural rubber gloves. The study was published online in the journal Contact Dermatitis.

Besides health care, other professions that can put you at higher risk for hand eczema include cleaning, catering, hairstyling, and mechanical work — in other words, any occupation in which workers' hands are frequently wet and exposed to soap, detergents, or solvents.

So how can you stay both hygenic and itch-free? The Danish investigators suggest that if hands are not visibly dirty, using an alcohol-based disinfectant can replace some soap-and-water washing. These waterless solutions were found to be well-tolerated and not drying in a previous study of health-care workers published in the American Journal of Infection Control.

Moisturizers used at work also seemed to help prevent hand eczema. The nonprofit National Eczema Association says that good old petroleum jelly (aka Vaseline) and mineral oil are effective and safe, but if you prefer a less greasy solution, you can use a hand cream. Avoid water-based moisturizers — when the water evaporates, they can actually dry the skin and worsen eczema.

For more information on eczema, visit the Everyday Health Eczema Center.