Hand eczema is one of those things that might not sound so bad…unless you actually have it. It’s easy for people to dismiss eczema as dry skin that just goes a little overboard, but as anyone with the condition knows, there’s way more to the itchy, inflamed story than that.

Eczema can create incredibly irritated and tender skin pretty much anywhere on your body. Unfortunately, your hands are one of the most likely—and inconvenient—spots for this skin condition to make itself known, according to the Mayo Clinic.