Gloves can be useful accessories for anyone, but they’re particularly handy for those with psoriasis. They can help cover your plaques, protect your hands from irritants, seal in moisture, prevent you from scratching your skin, and much more.

“I use rubber gloves to do everything,” one MyPsoriasisTeam member wrote. Another said, “I don’t think I do anything nowadays without wearing gloves, except for showering.”

When it comes to shopping for ideal gloves, it’s important to keep three essential factors in mind. Check them out as you look for gloves.

1. Identify Why You’ll Be Using Them

Depending on how you plan to use your gloves, you’ll want to look for different materials or features. You may need several pairs of gloves that serve different purposes.

Protecting Your Hands Against Irritants

Many people with psoriasis wear gloves to protect the skin on their hands against irritants, such as water, chemicals, dirt, and germs. Because one person’s psoriasis triggers are different from the next, the materials of the gloves you choose may change depending on why you’re using them.

“I wear natural rubber latex gloves as much as possible to avoid having to clean my hands, because hand-washing and hand sanitizer cause dryness and skin irritation. I’m better off not using soap or detergents near my hands,” one MyPsoriasisTeam member said.

If you’re trying to keep chemicals, water, dirt, or germs off of the sensitive skin on your hands, it’s common to reach for plastic, rubber, latex, or vinyl gloves. But these may make your hands sweat, which can worsen psoriasis symptoms. “Sweating causes outbreaks for me,” one MyPsoriasisTeam member wrote.

To protect your hands while reducing the odds of increasing sweat, consider wearing thin gloves made of natural fibers under your rubber gloves. “I wear cotton gloves and place a plastic glove over the cotton gloves when doing household chores,” one member wrote.

Covering Psoriasis Plaques

If you’re wearing gloves to prevent people from seeing your skin plaques, you can get creative. Just make sure the gloves’ materials don’t irritate your skin. “I used to wear Band-Aids all over my hands, but now I wear those fingerless gloves,” one MyPsoriasisTeam member wrote.

Ensure that you choose gloves that are made from breathable, natural materials to allow air to reach your skin.

Shielding Your Hands From the Sun

Sun protection is very important for people with psoriasis. Skin damage — including from sunburns — can trigger the Koebner phenomenon, which may cause new psoriasis lesions to form. That’s why it’s essential to wear sunscreen anytime you plan to spend time in the sun and to cover exposed skin if you can.

Fabric gloves can be used to protect your hands from damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays. Make sure the gloves are made from tightly woven, natural, breathable fabric and come with a high UV protection factor (UPF) rating. This way, you can be sure the sun can’t penetrate the gloves and reach your hands.

Sealing in Ointments, Lotions, and Creams

Your dermatologist may recommend occlusion therapy if you have psoriasis on your hands. Occlusion therapy is something you can do at home. First you apply a topical ointment, cream, lotion, or gel to your hands. Then, you cover the affected area with waterproof material, such as plastic gloves.

Although some researchers suggest that occlusion therapy is useful for certain types and sizes of psoriasis patches, it isn’t right for everyone. Only try it if your dermatologist advises you to and follow their directions, including what type of gloves to use and how long an occlusion therapy session should last. Doing it incorrectly can lead to infection or worse symptoms.

Some MyPsoriasisTeam members have had success with this treatment. “I use plastic food handlers gloves and petroleum jelly from Walmart,” one member wrote.

Another said, “I recently slept with prescription steroid cream on my fingers inside of cotton gloves to keep it intact. I woke up and some of the bad fissures/cracks on my fingers were less angry (inflamed) and even closed up. My top layer of skin did seem more peeled up/lifted up. I feel like the cotton glove trick was a small victory. It may not be totally gone, but some relief is better than no relief.”

Preventing Scratching

Some people wear gloves to stop themselves from scratching the itchy plaques they get during flare-ups. “I wear gloves to prevent me from scratching my dry skin too furiously while asleep,” one member wrote.

If this is the case for you, it may be a good idea to buy gloves in a breathable fabric made from natural fibers like cotton. You’ll want to look for cotton gloves that are snug against your hands to keep you from pulling them off in your sleep when itchiness strikes.

2. Consider Hypoallergenic Materials

Although gloves are intended to help you reduce psoriasis symptoms, they can worsen your symptoms if you end up being allergic to the materials in the gloves. Be sure to read the list of materials in the gloves you’re thinking of purchasing. Some gloves are marketed as having materials like copper, hemp, or latex, but these could irritate your psoriasis or trigger a flare. Talk to your dermatology provider about which materials would be right for you.

3. Don’t Expect Gloves To Provide Skin Clearance

Watch out for claims that gloves can cure psoriasis. There is currently no cure for psoriasis, and although gloves may help you manage your symptoms, they can’t completely eradicate the skin condition from your life.

Be wary of any product that claims that it can provide skin clearance for your psoriasis. Instead, discuss your treatment options — including prescriptions and home skin care remedies — with your dermatologist.

Find Your Team

On MyPsoriasisTeam — the social network for people with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis and their loved ones — more than 126,000 members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their experiences with others who understand life with psoriatic disease.

Have you worn gloves to cover your psoriasis? Share your experiences and tips in the comments below or by posting to your Activities feed.