A co-worker has very dry finger tips in the winter time. They split open and bleed and are painful. He always has them wrapped in bandaids and applies lotion to them periodically, but they keep cracking.
By Mike
Definitely! My hands used to crack open and bleed. I used to be in agony. Neutrogena Hand Cream. It is more expensive than regular lotions. It comes in a squeeze tube. I would put this directly in the cracks; worked on me like a charm. I keep this stuff handy. Other lotions would hurt my hands with these places but this was almost miraculous for me.
I use to have this problem. I started using vaseline. It really works. I use it every day & night on my hands, face, legs, arms & feet. Nothing else works as good as it, good luck.
Check with the Doctor first, this is a sign of diabetes.
If the doctor approves it, use whatever cream or lotion you want, but use it at night in large amounts and cover the treated area with a cloth glove, and then a latex rubber glove.
Lanolin--all natural, no petroleum. The kind for nursing moms works great, or get some from a health food store. You can also heat it up and mix it with olive oil.
The big thing is to take Vit. E internally. Start with 2 per day and see how it goes. Cheap, easy and important!
Bag Balm works great. It can be purchased at Farm Supply stores. It comes in a round tin and it is a real miracle worker!
Apply a thick, thick layer of Vaseline & cover hands with a sock (whatever) & leave on overnight. Works beautifully on hands & feet. However, this could be a sign of diabetes.
Witchhazel applied daily will help. I have the same problem every winter, the only relief I have found is Avon's Moisture Therapy in the blue & white tube. No other lotions work, no matter how much you apply them.
This is an old remedy from when I was a shampoo girl at a hairdressing salon.
Disposable Cotton gloves
Vaseline
Honey
At bed time:
Wash your hands, rinse and pat to almost dry
Mix a teaspoon of honey with 2 teaspoons of Vaseline.
Apply liberally to your hands, and put on gloves.
In the morning, remove gloves, wash hands to remove the mixture, apply a moisturizer. Repeat the moisturizer thru the day and repeat the nightly routine for as long as needed. Give it at least a couple of weeks to really soften and heal the hands.
The honey has natural anti-bacterial properties, and speeds healing and the Vaseline seals in the hands moisture.
I hope this helps.
Silicone Glove Hand lotion by Avon
My hands did the same thing due to working with harsh chemicals. I slathered my hands with lotion(any that I had)and covered them with rubber gloves and wore them to bed at night. This stopped them from breaking open after just a couple of nights.
Try Zim's Crack cream. It is made for this problem. Find it at any drug store. Works great!
I have the same problem as your co-worker. Get him some corn husker lotion (it's oil free and comes in a clear bottle with a yellow label). It absorbs super fast but lasts a long time!
Superglue is the best thing I have ever used. They use a form of it place of stitches a lot of the time now. Anyway, once the glue has dried the crack no longer stings and heals remarkable fast. My hands are in water a lot and so I may have to reapply after a day or so if not completely healed, but it works!
My husband had very dry skin and when he went to the doctor he mentioned this to him and told him that it was so dry it itched all the time. This is exactly what the doctor said: This is going to sound stupid but do not go and buy those lotions that are out there, save your money, go the the grocery store and buy a can of Crisco lard and rub some on your dry skin.
I used to work for a seed company. Picking field corn by hand. We used Corn Huskers Lotion. It really helped. Vick's Vaporub applied when ready for bed, with old socks over your hands is cheap, and works to soften and heal. Also keeps nose clear while sleeping, if you put hands near your nose. MUCH easier than Vasoline, to wash off the excess in the morning.
I have this problem also - and a recent yearly check-up shows that I do not have diabetes. There are products from beauty supply places that are similar to Superglue that you brush on like nail polish, but I imagine Superglue is cheaper. The Crisco idea sounds good too, as does vitamins, drinking more water and more moisture in the air. Good luck.
I live in Colorado where it is extremely dry! My dad and I had the same problem, fingers and thumbs would crack and bleed. I've tried everything! One thing I always have in my pocket was the miracle for me! Plain old chapstick! No more cracks, no more bleeding and no more pain!
I was out working one day, in the dirt, my thumb cracked and was bleeding and I didn't have any lotion or anything else. I was desperate and reached for the chap stick! It worked!
I use real butter with my meals almost daily. Whenever I get some on my hands I rub it in. Same thing with bacon grease or any animal fat. Rub it in. This and letting my dog lick my hands are the only things I've done different, and my fingertips haven't cracked for two seasons. I used to take Omega oil supplements. That did not prevent the occurence for me. Made me wonder why in the world plant oils would be a replacement for the animal (skin) oil we lose that results in dry skin. Too bad they don't have lotion made from human skin oil!
Prior to discovering this I tried all kinds of lotions, super glue, bandaids, and had pretty good luck getting them to heal and nipping them in the bud by cutting away the dried/dead edges with a nail clipper. Do this when the first sign of cracking appears, but careful, not too deep! Applying enough bandaid sheer strips with the gauze removed kept the area moist, so they wouldn't crack further, and helps hold the crack shut. Also make sure your fingernails have nice rounded corners.
I am so thankful to be rid of this suffering! Hope this helps someone else!
I have found that if I take krill oil my finger tips heal immediately. I use Dr Newtons since off the shelf brands from the big retail stores is junk.
I have tried everything out there--no luck til now. Cracked fingertips are no fun; this is my way of "pay it forward". no bull.
After years of searching I found my problem to cracked and bleeding fingertips and rashes on my palms
I have been using a computer and mouse for over thirty years and my body will not take anymore of whatever chemical is leaching out of especially the mouse! I covered it with tape and within two days my hand cleared up! I guess I was getting to many toxins in my body! I sure hope this helps one! Person! If any because I know the pain!
I suffered for four years with this exact problem..my fingers split in the corners around my finger nails and occasionally I would have splitting across the knuckles, but the fingertips splitting was the most painful part.. It was mainly the pointer finger, thumb and middle finger.. A dermatologist told me that it was contact dermatitis and prescribed fluocinonide ointment. That didn't really work and so I spent a fortune on expensive creams and treatments, bought a parafin wax spa, slept with aquaphor and gloves, tried keeping my hands out of water as much as possible but still the problem raged on every winter.. Until I read somewhere that this is actually a type of athletes foot that has spread to the hand.. I went on Amazon and bought a small tube of "Lamisil Once" for about $30.. I had a bath and then carefully rubbed it in all over both hands being careful to work it under the nails, then put on gloves and kept them on for 24 hours straight (-easier said than done) it was worth the effort.. My problem was completely and permanently solved! 100% cured for life! I would like to let that Dermatologist know how much suffering he could have spared me if he had diagnosed this issue correctly four years ago! I'm so happy that I don't have to deal with this issue ever again! Hallelujah!!!
