There are three causes, says a dermatologist, of small circles of peeling skin on the fingertips.

That’s a pretty odd-looking symptom, but here is what Dr. Janet Prystowsky, board certified dermatologist in New York, NY, with 30+ years’ experience, explains:

“Small patches of peeling skin on the fingertips is typically psoriasis; a contact reaction to a substance that you may be allergic or sensitive to; or may reflect recovery from a systemic viral illness.”

So to treat this symptom, you must find out what the cause is. A doctor can determine if the cause is psoriasis.

If it’s determined that this autoimmune disease is not responsible for circular peeling areas of skin on your fingertips, then you’ll need to evaluate whether or not you’ve been touching things or getting substances on your fingertips that might be triggering an allergic reaction.

Of course, if you’ve recently had a systemic (body-wide) viral illness, you will have felt sick enough to know this—or at least, that some kind of “bug” was in your body.

In combination with her focus on early skin cancer detection and removal, Dr. Prystowsky provides a wide range of revitalizing and rejuvenating treatments.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.