Chapped, Dry & Cracked hands/fingers in the winter - What do YOU do about it?

[QRTRHRS]

I handle carbon fiber products where I work as an inspector. I use nitrile gloves but take them off when I handle the paperwork which gets covered with dust so I wash my hands a lot. Then, when I am not on the paying job, I am in the horse barn doing chores so I too have my issues with cracked skin.

If I have an active crack, I put some antibiotic salve on it and bandage it with heavy duty bandaids. I let the bandaids get pretty gross if I am at my work until I pull them off then go with Gold Bond healing.

Though it may not do much for your love life, for extreme conditions, get a light weight pair of pig skin or goat skin gloves. You may have to locate an "old timey" drug store to find pure lanilin but bag balm will work somewhat. Slather your hands with the lanilin, put the gloves on and hit the sack. It won't work overnight but eventually you will see results even if you do masonry work for a living.

 

[Turbys_1700]

I have a similar problem with dry and cracking feet...
I use Gold Bond foot creme and after applying it to my soles I apply the remainder to my hands and elbows...
Has worked really well for me many years...

 

[stuckmotor]

Frequent washing seems to take the natural oils out of my hands, causing the painful splits beside the finger nails and on the knuckles. Lotion seems to end up in my mouth and I don't like the taste so, after every hand washing, I use petroleum jelly, which I can't taste. For a take along bottle I stick a finger into the petroleum jelly and rake out a teaspoon or so, then I rake it off into a small prescription bottle. Not getting the cracks in the first place is easier for me than healing them. Petroleum jelly also helps remove the ground in greese stains that I can't get out by scrubbing.
As far as those who have good results with extreme scrubbing, I can't help wonder whether our hand problems have different causes.

 

[Biggreenavalanche]

With all the advice given I wonder what the OP did and if it worked....just wondering...

Rich

 

[big e]

With all the advice given I wonder what the OP did and if it worked....just wondering...

Rich

I'll squeeze in another. I'm sure all the above advice will work... BUT it's not just what you use, it's how you use it. What has worked wonders for me is to apply lotion EVERY night at bed time and then touch nothing (light switch, book, the wife, Mr. Happy, the covers). I've tried all the different potions but many are too heavy/greasy/don't stay on hands overnight/etc. I love this lotion from my local hippie dippy co-op:
Nature's Gate Lotion.
I started using it during bow-season because one is fragrance-free and I'll be danged if it's not the best hand cure out there. And your daughters might be more apt to use it since it's easy to use not thick greasy stuff.
BTW its not cheap, but none of the good ones are.
Good luck, chapped hands stink!

 

[JimWalch]

Working Hands

My hands use to be same as yours but this stuff made the cracks disappear.

 

[Scooby074]

Something you guys with dry hand should think about is using a barrier cream before working. Not only does it make cleanup easier, it prevents any chemicals from seeping into your skin and pulling out what moisture is there. It also works to prevent dermatitis and chemical sensitivity.

I like this stuff: Pan Tec - pr88 - 800-361-3079

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Before antibiotics, and going way back to the Greeks/Romans, honey was used to heal wounds. Sugar works and was used as well.

Later,
Dan

Dan,

I did not realize you were THAT old!

David

 

[MossflowerWoods]

With all the advice given I wonder what the OP did and if it worked....just wondering...

Rich

Rich,

So far I've taken a varied approach, and had some decent results.

I stopped wearing my leather gloves routinely, I am now wearing them only when handling something rough.

My wife bought me some Gold Bond extra healing hand lotion stuff which I used every night for a few nights when they were really bad.

I use liquid bandaid super glue like stuff on the cracks.

And MOST IMPORTANTLY I try to use an emory file often to keep the jagged edges and rough spots smoother. I've discovered the worst problem has been these spots catch on my clothes etc. and I fuss with them while driving or working on the computer, and I pick at it.

I seem to have been doing this subconciously. if I can keep from messing with these spots, they heal faster...

Who'd a thunk it!

David

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Not sure about hands BUT for lips my Grandfather always gave us the same advice every year without fail. And by gosh it sure lessened the amount of chapped lips we used to get.

He always said 3x per day we were to go out to the barn and kiss the arse of one of the horses!

We used to ask was it the horse sh@t that prevented us from getting chapped lips... he never did answer us.

When he was about to die he told finally gave us the answer and the answer was NO. Kissing the arse of a horse was a solution because it sure stopped us from licking our lips as much in the sub zero weather which in turned lessoned the chapped lips.
:dance1:

Cheers folks

MyStepdad always said it was chickenpoop that cured chapped lips... I see TSC now has it in nice little tubes...

David