I have a discolored patch on my left pinky. It itches and burns and has been there for months. I am an African-American woman, aged 24. I acquired this itchy patch on my hand a little less than a year ago. At first, I assumed that the cause was the new chemicals that we were using at my place of work (I am a housekeeper, and work in chemicals regularly), and assumed that with time and gloves, it would improve. Instead, it got worse. It burns when latex contacts the affected area; and after spending several months laid off with an unrelated injury—and therefore no exposure to the chemicals that I thought had caused it—the area has not improved. If anything, it has grown worse. The patch itches, burns, and alternates between being painfully tender and so rough that a match can be struck on it. What action should I take? I have tried lotions, different types of creams (anti- eczema , anti-fungal , dry skin ), soaks, and exfoliation, and thus far, nothing has worked.