When Hockey Gear Causes Skin Problems: One Parent’s Story

The challenge

My daughter Erin suffers from sports-related eczema, which is a condition that causes the skin to become inflamed and/or irritated. Eczema can flare up due to temperature changes, cold air, hot air, and friction with sports equipment. For this reason, ice hockey is a particularly challenging sport as a parent with a player having this skin condition. Hockey equipment can be coarse, and playing hockey involves a mix of temperatures and heat. In my daughter Erin’s case, she gets flare-ups on her hands, so her hockey gloves are the primary source of the issue, but it is challenging to create a 100% “clean” environment for gloves. Having this condition causes itching before and after the rash appears. The rash can appear red to dark, often appearing as dry, thick, or scaly skin. As a hockey parent or player who has this condition, it is essential to know that there are steps that you can take to reduce the effects.

The search for a solution

Our doctor said that there is no  actual cure to the disease itself as it is a systemic condition, but there  are steps that you can take to relieve it and stop itching as well. At your local pharmacy or chains, such as Walmart or Target, you can easily find many types of lotions, creams, and ointments from various brands, all with the same crucial purpose of keeping the skin from getting dry. For Erin, we tried hydrocortisone and other prescription creams but couldn’t manage the more severe flare-ups. It came to the point that it was extremely uncomfortable for her to put on her gloves and play.

Finding relief with DuraDerm SPORT

After exhausting all the options we could find to help her, we were introduced to DuraDerm SPORT by my older son’s hockey coach and have had much-needed success and relief in Erin’s condition. DuraDerm SPORT is much different than the creams and lotions we have tried in the past. This product is a type of liquid bandage that creates a natural barrier over her skin. As you can see in the pictures, this helped reduce the redness and heal the cracked skin within nine days. I don’t have a medical background, but from what I understand, DuraDerm SPORT works well because it kills all of the bacteria on contact, and that is the first step in allowing the skin to heal. It has water and sweat-resistant properties, so you don’t have to use additional bandages (but you can if you want) while playing. We have found for Erin that this product was the solution— it works well in her other sports and in hot and cold conditions.

I hope this information is helpful to other hockey parents.

Kathie Dunne, Youth Hockey Mom for Bantam and PeeWee player