SDHL Champion Relieves Hand Eczema Completely With DRYE Asymetric Liner

Linnea Pettersson Dove has played for Frölunda HC for years. For most of that time, her hands were a problem she managed around — not one she solved. She started using the DRYE Asymetric Liner in November 2022. This is what changed, and what didn't.

Before

Redness. Cracks. Stinging after practice. Cortisone as a recurring fix that never lasted longer than the next session.

"I've always had sensitive skin. Even a bit of sweat could set it off, especially on my hands. They'd get red, irritated, sometimes cracked. It's been like that for years," Linnea says.

She was using cotton glove liners inside her hockey gloves — the standard recommendation. They helped briefly, then the problems returned. "It just felt like a cycle," she says. "There was always something that rubbed the wrong way."

The underlying issue is the same one that affects anyone wearing sealed gloves for extended periods. A hockey glove creates the same occlusive environment as a work glove: no airflow, continuous pressure, sustained moisture. Cotton absorbs sweat initially — then saturates. Once saturated, it holds warm moisture against already-compromised skin for the rest of the session.

Before

After

What changed

Through a teammate who knew the brand, Linnea heard about a liner built on a different principle — one designed to move moisture away from the skin rather than absorb it.

"The first two practices felt a bit strange. You notice the difference in material at first. But then it just… turned around. My grip was better, my hands stayed drier, and my skin started doing better. Now it actually feels weird not to wear them."

About a year after she started, she tested a practice without them.

Why the environment is the variable

Linnea's experience follows a pattern documented in occupational dermatology: skin problems that present as sensitivity or eczema often stabilize significantly when the moisture environment inside the glove changes — without any change to skincare routine or medication.

The reason is mechanical. A hockey glove worn through practice creates sustained occlusion — the same condition that causes barrier disruption in mine workers, mechanics, and anyone wearing sealed hand protection for extended periods. Warm, compressed, humid conditions weaken the skin's outer layer over time. A liner that keeps transporting moisture rather than saturating removes the primary driver.

Linnea still uses cortisone on occasion. But the frequency dropped once the environment inside the glove changed.

The grip issue nobody talks about

Separate from the skin question, Linnea noticed something about her grip.

"You actually play better with dry gloves." She pauses. "It's not just comfort — the feel changes. When sweat builds up, the inside of the glove gets slick. The liner keeps that from happening. The glove sits tight against the skin the way it's supposed to."

She mentions that several teammates use hair dryers between periods to dry their gloves. "It's common. People know the difference. Wet gloves affect how you hold the stick."

A secondary finding from the Gothenburg automotive mechanics study observed something similar — improved glove removal and handling attributed to less friction at the skin-glove interface. The mechanism is the same: a drier interface means more consistent contact and less slippage.

What she would say to other players

Her advice to other players dealing with skin problems: "Try it. Give it three practices. If it doesn't work, fine. But it might be that one small change that means you don't have to think about your hands all the time. That's exactly what happened for me."

Linnea Pettersson Dove, Frölunda HC. DRYE Asymetric Liner use began 1 November 2022. Interviewed 7 February 2024. Frölunda, Gothenburg.