hand care after using gloves for coronavirus

It takes milliseconds for viruses and bacteria to be transformed from surfaces to our skin. Viruses can be picked up by touching surfaces. Many viruses can survive on surfaces for a long time.  That is why during the coronavirus epidemic  washing our hands regularly was key to protecting our health.

Gloves as well as masks are now being worn in public to combat covid-19. 

The most common disposable gloves are made from latex although nitrile and vinyl gloves are available. Many people are allergic to latex. Even if they touch latex for a short time, they can experience:

• itchy skin
• swelling
• sneezing
• difficulty in breathing

Nonetheless, even if you are not allergic to latex, wearing PPE gloves may still cause many skin problems. 

Latex, nitrile or vinyl gloves do not let air circulate.

Compare it to being in a car for a long time with no air ventilation. Even if the weather is not hot, your skin keeps producing heat and sweat. Your breathing also gets the inside car air much hotter. 

Eventually you will need fresh air

Wearing gloves for a long time has the same effect on your skin. 

Your hands keep sweating like the rest of your skin. But there is nowhere for the sweat to go. The heat your skin produces and the excess sweat create a sauna effect on your hands. 

If your hands are in this situation for a long time your skin will get thinner and more prone to breaks, irritation and scaling.

Moreover, early skin ageing on your hands may occur.

Can we get rid of these the side effects?.

Protecting your hands from gloves

Our skin experts list useful advice on how to prevent skin problems caused by using protective gloves. You can also read about how to protect your skin from face masks. 

People in the medical profession are used to wearing gloves for a long time so there are already lots of things we can learn from them.  Seeing as gloves are going to be around for some time, what should we do to keep them in top condtiion?

1 – Choose the correct gloves for healthy hands

Just like choosing the high-quality face mask, it is important to choose the best gloves. Even if you are not allergic to latex, some gloves may still cause skin irritation when you use them for a long time. 

Choosing high-quality gloves will decrease the risk.

2 – Use the baby powder in your protective gloves

The main problem caused by the protective gloves is they make your hands sweat. There is no air circulation. So hands sit in moist for way too long. 

Using baby powder in your protective gloves will help to prevent your hands to sweat excessively. When the sweat is reduced your hands are less likely to get irritated.

3 – Wash your gloves if you need to re-use them

If you are using single-use gloves, you would not want to use them the second time as they will be moist and filled with bacteria after you take them off. But if you need to use them again, turn them inside out, wash them and once they dry apply some baby powder again before use. 

If you don’t have the chance to wash them before using them again, at least get them inside out so they can dry. 

And wash your hands right after you take them off again. 

4 – Wash and moisture your hands regularly

When your hands sweat, it produces bacteria. Don’t let your hands stay with bacteria after you have taken your gloves off. Make sure to wash your hands with a good soap. 

Choosing a mineral moisturiser will also help your hands to get back the minerals it has lost with sweat. 

If you are not sure which skincare products are the best for your skin, our skin experts are happy to help you chose. You can also order online.

5 – Exfoliate your hands and mask responsibly

Exfoliating your hands is a great way to get rid of the dead skin and get the young and vibrant look back. 

But make sure to not to exfoliate your hands too often to prevent any scales or irritation. 

You can also use hand masks to give your skin the important care it needs. 

6 – Treat ageing hands

Wearing protective gloves may also cause your hands to age prematurely. 

At Premier Laser & Skin we offer many treatments to achieve younger-looking hands. 

You can contact our clinics and book your free consultation with our experts for more personalised skin advice.