Benefits and risks
The limited benefits of hand-washing are accompanied by the risk of cutaneous irritation and hand eczema. Frequent washing of the hands can lead to dryness and impair the barrier function of the skin ( 7). The skin thus continually loses fats and water-binding factors, and noxious substances can more easily penetrate the epidermis. Clinically manifest irritant eczema of the hand may gradually develop. Given the comparatively slight benefit, it swiftly becomes clear that hand-washing should be seen as an exception. Merely in the case of contamination with spore-forming bacteria, e.g., C. difficile, is it useful to wash the hands after disinfection, because bacterial spores are naturally resistant to alcohol.