Hand hygiene remains one of the most effective measures to prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs). According to the World Health Organization, proper hand hygiene can reduce HAIs by up to 70% in healthcare settings.
For healthcare workers, it is an essential daily practice that protects patients, colleagues, and the healthcare system as a whole. However, the intensity and frequency of hand hygiene required in clinical environments come with a rarely discussed cost: damage to skin health.
The hidden burden behind clean hands
Healthcare professionals wash or disinfect their hands dozens of times per shift. Repeated exposure to water, detergents, antiseptic soaps, and alcohol-based solutions can progressively compromise the skin’s natural protective barrier. When this barrier weakens, the skin becomes dry, irritated, and prone to cracks, redness, and inflammation.
Research shows that approximately one in three healthcare workers develops hand eczema or occupational dermatitis during their career, with reported prevalence ranging from about 20% to over 40%, depending on working conditions and hand hygiene intensity. Periods of increased workload and infectious risk — such as winter seasons or during outbreaks — are associated with even higher rates.
Hand dermatitis is not just uncomfortable. In severe cases, it can cause pain, bleeding, reduced manual dexterity, and absence from work. For some professionals, chronic skin damage can even affect their ability to continue performing clinical duties.
Why skin health is a patient safety issue
Healthy skin represents the body’s first line of defense against pathogens. When the skin barrier is compromised, microorganisms can penetrate more easily, increasing the risk of colonization and infection for healthcare workers.
In addition, damaged skin can make hand hygiene painful, unintentionally reducing adherence to recommended practices.
This creates a critical but often overlooked connection:
Skin health directly influences the effectiveness and consistency of Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) practices.
Protecting the skin integrity of healthcare workers is therefore not only a matter of comfort or occupational health, but a fundamental component of patient safety.
Key factors contributing to dermatitis in healthcare settings
Several work-related factors increase the risk of hand dermatitis:
- High frequency of hand hygiene, especially when combined with repeated handwashing with soap and water
- Insufficient access to skin-friendly products
- Lack of recovery time between shifts, particularly during high workload periods
- Limited awareness or training regarding early signs of skin damage
When workload and fatigue increase, skin care is often deprioritized — even though the skin is under greater stress.
Strategies to protect the skin while maintaining safety
Preventing hand dermatitis does not mean compromising infection control. Evidence-based strategies can support both goals:
Use alcohol-based hand rubs appropriately
When hands are not visibly soiled, alcohol-based hand rubs are generally less irritating than frequent washing with soap and water, when used correctly and on dry hands.
Moisturize regularly
Applying fragrance-free moisturizers approved for healthcare settings helps restore the skin barrier. Ideally, moisturizers should be easily accessible in clinical areas and compatible with gloves and disinfectants.
Choose products with good skin tolerability
Healthcare organizations play a key role in selecting soaps, disinfectants, and gloves formulated to minimize cumulative irritation.
Promote training and early awareness
Educating healthcare workers to recognize early signs of dermatitis — such as dryness, tightness, or redness — allows timely intervention before symptoms worsen.
Supporting healthcare workers beyond compliance
Hand hygiene should not be viewed solely as a checklist item or compliance indicator. It is a human practice, carried out under pressure, fatigue, and emotional load. Sustainable infection prevention depends on systems that support healthcare workers, including their physical well-being.
Protecting skin health helps break the cycle in which discomfort leads to reduced adherence, which in turn increases risk. When healthcare workers are supported, patient safety benefits as well.
A shared responsibility
Effective infection prevention is built on consistency, not perfection. Ensuring that healthcare workers can perform hand hygiene in a safe, comfortable, and sustainable way is a shared responsibility between individuals, organizations, and healthcare systems.
Clean hands save lives — but only when the skin that makes these practices possible is protected.
Ready to build a stronger hygiene culture in your hospital? Contact us for more information or to request a consultation.