Suggest Treatment For Redness And Inflammation In The Fingers

Posted on Wed, 12 Apr 2017

Question: I have some inflamation and redness on my fingers. It started with one ring finger and now it is also on all four fingers of my right hand. They are sensitive and tender, but not painful. The redness is mainly on the upper portion of the fingers, doesn't extend below the first knuckle. There are no issues with the nail bed/open wounds.
Sounds like cellulitis, but not sure. Do you write prescriptions?

Answered by Dr. Dr. Kakkar (31 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Need more information

Detailed Answer:
Hello. Thank you for writing to us

I am dr.kakkar(dermatologist).
I have gone through your query and i have viewed the image.
Does nt seem like cellulitis in this image.
Seems like a contact dermatitis to nail lacquer. Do you also have nail lacquer on the fingers of the other hand?
How is the response to ibuprofen?

Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Kakkar (7 minutes later)

I do not believe it is because of the nail lacquer. I am confident of this because I too thought this was a possibility, so I removed it for over a week to see if anything would clear up. Nothing happened, or got better. The left hand has the same lacquer on it and has no issues. I took ibuprofen yesterday, and I didn't see any reduction in swelling, so unfortunately I don't think that helped.

Answered by Dr. Dr. Kakkar (58 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Unlikely to be cellulitis

Detailed Answer:
Hello.

I apologize for some delay.
I still believe that this is not cellulitis. It is unlike to have cellulitis in all four fingers and that too at the ends, just adjacent to the nail plate. Moreover it is unlikely that cellulitis would be non progressive for a week and with lack of pain and no fever.
I believe that this is contact dermatitis since it is just adjacent to the nail plate. Once contact dermatitis develops it may not resolve on its own for many days (you took the lacquer off for a week and did'nt see any improvement). Even though you have the nail lacquer on the other hand but contact dermatitis is the most likely possibility here.
I suggest you to use a topical steroid cream e.g mometasone furoate 0.1% cream or triamcinolone acetonide 0.1% or betamethasone valerate 0.1% cream, twice daily.

Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Kakkar (44 minutes later)

Ok, thank you. Anything else you can suggest if this doesn't work?

Answered by Dr. Dr. Kakkar (21 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Contact dermatitis

Detailed Answer:
Hi.

Take off the nail paint.
If the creams prove ineffective I would probably suggest a course of an Oral steroid e.g prednisolone.
Does the affected area itch?

Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Kakkar (4 hours later)

Okay, I will remove the nail lacquer. I went into the pharmacy and the pharmacist said I needed a doctors prescription. So I will need a perscripton written for that! It would have been nice to know that before I went in to the store... shoot!

xxxxxxxxxx

Answered by Dr. Dr. Kakkar (9 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Kindly contact your General Practitioner

Detailed Answer:
Hi.

Good afternoon. Sorry for delay. It was night time in my part of world. I really wish I could write a prescription for you. Unfortunately I cant. You need to ask your local general practitioner for a prescription who has a licence to practice in your home country. I am licenced to practice in my home country i.e XXXXXXX

Regards

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar