I’ve been experiencing a serious case of cracked hands for months now. the skin will crack, heal, crack again.
I’m not in the trades but do a fair amount of woodworking and tool use in my free time.
I have a trip to the doc scheduled for next week but wanted to hear if any of you have this problem and how you solve it.
Replies
Super glue for repairs and Bag Balm to soften them up...
Use to have that problem..
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming....
WOW!!! What a Ride!
I bought Liquid Bandaid a while back for repairs. Smelled just like super glue! So I started using Super Glue too. Then I figured it couldn't be good for me long term.
Got a tin of bag balm. I use it on occasion but it's greasy as he!!.
Good to hear this combo works for you. thanks
using Super Glue too. Then I figured it couldn't be good for me long term.
Curiously enough, cynoacrylate glue was originally developed as a chemical "suture" to close wounds where a needle & thread suture would leave a "leak." This is why it bonds skin together so well; it was designed that way. It's still used in some brain surgeries (but that may not be the formula in the hardware store . . . )
Zim's Crack Cream is what the shrimper I know uses. Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
i get skin splits around my finger nails i think they are called fizzures or something like that but anyway it comes from handling kd lumber for me and they hurt like heck in the winter so i use gloves as much as possible. I have had bandaids on everyfinger in some cases it got so bad so now i use gloves and that helps out alittle, ( I guess alittle is better then nothing...)
you hit it right on the head. splits at the nails. also get splits on the "bends" of the finger. lumber's definitely a killer. i do the glove thing too but it doesn't totally prevent it.
I'd be interested in what the doc says. I have heard of some people needing cortizone shots....ouch.
ron,
Vaseline every nite before bed. Cheap and it works. Hands don't snag on DW stockings any more.
KK
Neosporin at least at night. Probably similar to vasiline. Hard to heal if skin is dry, keeps splitting. Moisture from these products probably helps more than anything.
There's some reason to be cautious using Neosporin. It has three antibiotics in it, one of which is Neomycin. 20-30 % of people may develop an allergic reaction to it thus confusing the issue. If your fingers are not infected (and it doesn't sound like they are) then avoid using topical antibiotics. I would likewise be careful about using topical steroids e.g.cortisone unless you have a documented inflammatory condition. Strong steroids can thin the skin. The OTC stuff is not actually very strong. If it has worked for you it is probably on the basis of the vehicle, the cream or ointment in which the active ingredients are placed to rub on the skin.
Thanks for the information. I'll avoid the neosporin. What do you recommend instead? In my case, it's the cold in winter causing splits on the knuckles. Goes away quickly as the weather warms.
3M makes something for cracked skin, Called Nexcare. Paint it over your skin crack or bad skin and it works wonders. Clear liquid thats applied like fingernail polish. really good stuff.
For lotion, ive found nothing that beats Aveeno.
It's not so much the cold as the low humidity that goes with it. You also usually expose your flesh to heat sources that dry out the skin. The others have good suggestions about applying unguents to your hands and covering them at night.
>Hands don't snag on DW stockings any more
you get to take them off every night? man oh man.
remodeler
I use Bag Balm too. Other things that work well are A & D Ointment (has vitamins A and D in it, which seems to help) and Zinc Oxide Ointment. I put it on before bed--if hands are too greasy, I put a white cotton sock over each hand (I suppose gloves would also work!). I've found that cloth bandaids work well to keep fingers from cracking and the fabric-style wears better than most of the others--many tend to fall off in about the first five minutes of work. Gloves help too.
One thing that really screws up my hands (dare I admit I even do this?) is washing dishes--those modern detergents really dry out my hands. (That's what I tell the DW anyway--'course, I could wear rubber gloves.) Oh, and don't even think about concrete work without gloves (like someone else mentioned here, I think, rinsing hands with vinegar at the end of the day after working with concrete or mortar really helps).
My wife mixes a combo of vaseline and neosporin. Works on everything. I use Corn Huskers daily but if my hands get real bad in the winter I will lather on vaseline and put on latex gloves for the night. Works like charm. DanT
For yur cutical splits.. Vitamin E...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming.... WOW!!! What a Ride!
That's what I was thinking. Go to walgreens and get a bottle of Vit E gelcaps. Stick a needle in one and rub it in. Stuff works like magic. In the winter, my finger tips crack so much, it's like delaminating plywood. I can grab a hunk of skin at the end and pull out half of what's under the nail."If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man." - Mark Twain
In the winter, my finger tips crack so much, it's like delaminating plywood. I can grab a hunk of skin at the end and pull out half of what's under the nail.
Oh gawd!
Be a lightweight;)I would become self-employed except I'm too cheap to pay myself anything.
sobriety is the root cause of dementia
Believe it or not, my wife (who wouldn;t let me touch her anymore) bought me a tube or Crabtree & Evelyn Garderner's Hand Therapy. I made a big joke out if it until I tried it. It soaks in quick, isn't greasy, and doesn't smell. I put in on at night and again in the morning, and my hands haven't cracked in months.
I'm waiting for the winter to see if it can stand up.
Ricky, yep, you have the answer.....GOOD LOTION. The stuff you buy at a high end spa or good shop. Forget the grocery store.
For everyone else:
Here is the stuff that works for us after our hands are destroyed by concrete:
Heavy Duty Handcream
http://www.cosmeticmall.com/shopping-com/default.aspx?product_id=35636
It smells nice, but it isn't feminine smelling, just nice. Yes, it is expensive, but you don't use much. Buy some for your wife for her next birthday....and sneak it into your toolbox. :-) She'll be glad you did!
Paula
Rick, I've got the same "gardeners hand therapy" lotion and despite the pain of spending so much money on lotion, the stuff just plain works wonders - and the grease is very little (if any) compared to other brands.
Wal-mart sells a product called "Zim's crack cream" I got some strange looks from clerks when I asked for the stuff, but I finally found it at the wal. I work with a lot of cedar and especially in the winter the cdr takes so much moiusture out that it opens up deep cuts. this stuff works.
ST
One other thing to consider: there are some rubber or neoprene gloves out there made for softening hands. Apply the lotion, and put the gloves on. My wife does manicures and pedicures, so she got a pair for me. I don't make a habit of cruising the "home spa" aisle at the local Bed Bath and Beyond, but they should be available somewhere.
A. Wash your hands with warm water and soap. Shake. With hands a bit wet apply petroleum jelly (Vasoline). I buy the stuff in the big jar and always have a small jar in my vehicle. Massage the jelly into your hands until it is absorbed - about 3-5 min.
B. Buy the latex or thin disposable surgical gloves available at the big boxes in 100 count bags. Wear a pair for 1/2 an hour. It's amazing how much our hands perspire. By wearing the gloves there is nowhere for the moisture/ perspiration to go but back into your hands. Do not use any lotion when using this method. Nothing works better than what the body produces naturally.
Whenever I do a lot of masonry work, my girlfriend complains about how rough my hands get. One day I came home, we got frisky and she remarked that my hands were incredably soft, especially from how rough they were over the weekend. I told her that I had been staining in the shop and was therefore wearing rubber gloves all day. My hands are always soft after I wear the gloves. 3 Days later I come home earliy and she is wearing rubber gloves while working at the computer. "Well if it works so well for you..."
F.
The moisture won't go back into your skin, but you will lose less of it. It's not the perspiration that causes the skin to crack but the loss of oils. Despite the cosmetic industry's attempts to tell you otherwise, you cannot add "moisture" to the skin. If you prevent the removal of your naturally skin oils then your hands can be as soft as a baby's butt if you don't have calluses which are another matter.
I used to suffer real bad........still do occassionally in the winter.
Sounds like psoriasis (sp) to me. There are alot of enviromental and dietary factors if that's what it is and even if it's not. Petroleum products are always a trigger for mr, so vaseline may not only br innefective but may worsen you condition depending on what it is that you have.
Psoriasis is also agravated by alchohol. (consumption of) A good healthy diet may help you. I was given medication from the DR. that works. LIDEX I think, but there are alot of others. Do you have dry scabby elbows or knees or other parts?
Good luck.
Eric
oh, many conditions benefit from vit. d (again ingested), natural sunlight and uv as well.
Edited 8/16/2004 6:21 pm ET by firebird
Ron,
Another vote for BagBalm. I also will wear gloves to bed when things get real bad. I lather on the BB and then throw on a pair of those cheap garden gloves... the white ones with the blue cuff. If things get really bad, I use Crisco instead of the Bag Balm. I frame in New England and won't wear gloves for most of the winter. My hands usually feel like 60 grit by January.
light weights
maybe your in the wrong profession
hey
I put that out there to wake some of you up
for some of us this is a real problem
just ask my wife,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
oh dont touch me your hands are so rough...............................
and then
you dont touch me enough............................
can never win, its a guy thing
bag balm and aloe and vitamin e do help
but I really believe it is a "benefit" of the profession , cracked sandpaper hands
without putting on tons of lotion, gloves and stuff, which I do, I guess I will always have cracked hands
cause we are all different, but for me , a part of the reason I am in this professin is the "hands on", touching the wood, fealing the temperature of the concrete, fealing the moisture in the clay soil, floating my hands across the granite counters and thinking........................
yeah I could be running the pumper of a porta potty
beats the "carp" out of some whimpy cold fish handshakeing girly man
The ticket is to use something to PREVENT the cracking from happening. There's lots of stuff you can rub on your hands after you get out of the shower every night, so I won't get into those. But if you do like I usually do, and wait til they're cracked to start thinking about it, it's time for the Super Glue, or a product called New Skin. You paint it on like fingernail polish. Personally, I like Super Glue. Then before you go to bed that night, lather your hands in Bag Balm, put on some thin latex gloves, and in the morning they'll be much better. If you used Bag Balm every night after your shower, your hands would never split.
The article in this months issue has prompted this reply to the question of chapped hands.
The best substance I have ever found for your problem of chapped hands, arms, knees and elbows ( formally my problem) is the regular application of Crisco on the chapped area. I heard about this from a number of sources to include a dermatologist. When the days get cold, I start putting a thin coating on my hands on a regular basis. At least twice a day. Until you get your hands under control, carry a crisco can in your truck. It goes on best when the crisco is warm (70 degrees+) but it goes on just fine in colder weather when it has cooled in a colder environment. You can buy a can of this for under $2 and it will last for a year at least. Remember, put on a very thin coat so that you won't feel greasey. I use this in all chapped areas then I use Lubraderm in all non chapped areas like the exposed face. I also have found that chapstick works very well on the lips to prevent chapping but also around the problem areas near the nose. Every time I go out into the cold, I put on chapstick and sometimes I reapply outside. I use Crisco on my knees and elbows to keep the skin looking soft and preventing the white calluses that often occur in these heavy use areas. I only use Crisco for the really tough areas, because its oily potential to soil ones clothes. In the less problematic areas I still use Lubraderm since it is a little less oily. Unfortunately it is much more expensive.
peter
My hands are rough as hell, but I kind of like it. I don't really need to wear gloves, unless I'm welding or something. But one thing really softened them up, I had them in the gear case of our Bobcat for about four hours replacing a broken drive chain and that hydraulic fluid turned them into butter. Despite the oil smell my wife was impressed with how soft they were. Of course it only lasted a couple of days and now they're back to 60 grit.
Cole
Cole Dean
Dean Contracting
Try a product called oil drillers lotion. Lasts along time and isn't really too greasy. Might be alittle hard to find, but it's worth the search
I've been getting cracks in my hands for years. Big cracks get Crazy Glue(instant relief) the rest get normal hand lotion.
Got the little woman, the fix is just for the hands. DanT
someone above said lotion and latex gloves
be careful
a good friend of mine, a nurse, who had to wear latex gloves developed an alergy to latex, which I guess is not uncommon
now any latex product makes her break out
she cant even have latex banded undies
so she runs arond naked all the time, just kidding
so lotion soaking in latex might not be the best thing
what is ????????????
I dont know
for her she had to switch to natural rubber or "nitrile" (spelling)?
where can i get some of that for my woman!!!
i had the same problem for years in colorado, especially in the mountains in winter- moved to north carolina about 2 1/2 yrs ago and i ain't used three tablespoons of hand lotion since. who says higher humidity is always a bad thing?
m
Just tape your fingers up with some good cloth type training tape or if you can find it, zinc oxide tape before going to work. It's worked for me and the guys I use to have in Colo. for many years. Gets super dry here at times, especially in the winter. If you have a good tape you can put vascoline, bag balm, neosporin (if your rich) on before the tape, good cloth tape will last all day if not longer.
Have had great luck with "Udderly Smooth." Seems kinda weird but if you've had your hands in the wash pail when cleaning drywall tools or if the winds been slicing into the cracks in your fingers, then this is stuff for ya.
http://www.colehardware.com/hotline/99/02/udderly.htm or
http://www.suttonsbaytrading.com/Various_and_Sundry/Udder_Cream_Udderly_Smooth_Hand_Cream.html or
http://www.notjustforcows.co.uk/
Check out these links or other similar ones. I think you'll be surprised at how well it works and how long it lasts. For what it's worth anyway.
Kevin
great white... been using Udderly Smooth for about 6 months now.. really takes care of cracks .... and itching
you can buy U. S. at WalMartMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Neutragena hand creme. I swear by it. I've tried the bag balm, vaseline , and a handfull of the other ones,(no pun intended) but nothing comes close to the Neutragena. (It's GOT to be the hand creme, not the lotion)Most drugstores seem to carry it, around here, anyway.
24185.1
I would become self-employed except I'm too cheap to pay myself anything.
sobriety is the root cause of dementia
I remember some other threads like this from a while back, seems like everyone has experienced this phenomenon. My trick is to drink more water. I'm lucky, there is a large callous on the top of my big toe, from the way I walk, I guess. This is the first callous to dry out and crack. If I don't increase my water intake, my fingertips are next.
With callouses being dead skin, its the first thing a dehydrating body will eliminate from the water ration list.
Bag balm is an excelent fix till you rehydrate. A while back Shania Twain reported she used bag-balm on her legs because of all the flying. A new beauty secret, you couldn't buy bag-balm anywhere for months.