Hand washing has become one of the ways to protect ourselves from infecting COVID-19. However, the expert stated that the facial skin problems caused by frequent hand washing have increased during the Movement Control Order (MCO) and Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO). 

  
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During the period of MCO or CMCO, people have more time at home for cooking and housework. These have indirectly caused allergies or eczema on the wrist and back of their hands.

In addition, some people feel that they must wash their hands after touching anything. According to Dr. Lv Jingxian (吕敬娴), some patients even said that they washed their hands with water for more than 100 times a day.

  
Photo Source: Sinchew Daily

"Keeping your hands clean is a good sanitary habit, but excessive cleanliness is not good. In fact, as long as you don’t go out, you really don’t have to wash your hands too often at home. There is no need to wash your hands excessively because the environment will not be as dirty as the outside," Dr. Lv said. 

She does not recommend using alcohol-based hand sanitizer at home because it can irritate the skin and cause allergies. It is best to wash your hands with soap at home. Besides, exposing your hands to water for a long time can also cause skin irritation because tap water also contains irritants. 

  
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On the other hand, some people have to wear plastic gloves to work. However, plastic gloves are not breathable and can cause allergies if there is sweat. According to Dr. Lv, if you have allergic hands, you should wear a pair of cotton gloves before wearing plastic gloves to do the washing work. 

Photo Source: Occupational Health & Safety

Below are some recommendations for the public to avoid hand allergies. 

· Put aside things that need to be washed and then wash all of them at once to avoid continuous washing.

· After each hand wash, apply hand cream to avoid hand dryness.

· Wash your hands with soap or general hand sanitizer.

· Avoid eating with your hands and use forks or utensils to reduce the number of times you wash your hands.

· Don't worry too much about the sanitation at home and don't force yourself to wash your hands every time you touch anything.

Source: Sinchew Daily

Cover photo: Financial Express | NBC