when winter comes, the tops of my hands get extremely dry. even when i put on lotion (high quality) 3-4 times a day and don’t leave the house for a day or so the condition does not subside. it has gotten to the point where my skin will crack and i start to bleed: much worse than rpevious winters(always had it). is this a documentated condition? is there anything else i can do?
The General Rules of Dermatology:
- If it’s wet, dry it.
- If it’s dry, wet it.
- If the patient is on steroids, take them off steroids.
- If the patient is not on steroids, put them on steroids.
- Don’t scratch.
- No, really. Stop scratching!
Sounds like either simply really dry skin or eczema. Go see a dermatologist, it’s probably treatable. If you’re using a moisturizer with alcohol, stop it and try a different one.
I used to get this problem in dry winters. Talk to a doctor about getting a prescription topical corticosteroid cream to rub on. It will make a huge amount of difference.
I never had this problem until the last two months, where the knuckles on my right hand got so dry they were cracking and bleeding. It got so bad that the area would scratch my unaffected skin if I rubbed the dry, cracked knuckles across it. I got some Vaseline Intensive Care Advanced Healing lotion, which has helped a good deal.
I have found hemp-based creams to be very helpful as well. Supposedly they contain a good amount of essential fatty acids. Whatever it is, the hemp stuff seems to do the trick for me.
I was using Vaseline Intensive Care daily. Still needed the prescription stuff. YMMV.
You forgot a few:
- If you don’t know what it is, don’t touch it.
- If you do know what it is, there’s no reason to touch it.
- Biopsy everything!
Re the OP: It sounds like a reactive dermatitis; I’ve got it bad this time of year too. Of course I wash my hands about 20 times a day, and have them in and out of surgical gloves, too. I use ointments rather than creams, as they replenish the moisture better. Many “creams” can actually dry skin out.
But consult your own doctor if your symptoms are worse than average, and your standard methods of coping aren’t helpful.
QtM, MD
I wanted to recommend ointments, also. I like Euceric cream (not lotion) or the Walgreens brand Eucerin-like substitute. My skin is dry anyway and I’m exposed to alot of handwashing and water. The only things I’ve found helpful are Eucerin, Lanisoh (pure lanolin nipple cream!), and Vaseline (which stinks), and some various “Bag Balm” type products. On a bad day I’ve had to use a product about 4 times, but once I get ahead of the problem, it is easier to manage…
Shae butter has helped heal cracked heels on my not-so-loving-tender feet. I would imagine it would do the same for cracked hands but it doesn’t soak in very well. It’s good to use right before bed.
I was going to ask if you took long hot baths or otherwise had your hands in water. If so, that could definitely be lending to the problem.
Girls sometimes do a thing where they put a thick layer vaseline or other similarly heavy ointment/moisturizer on their hands before bed and wear gloves. If you’re a girl, maybe you should try that. If you’re not a girl, maybe you should set aside your masculinity and try that anyway.
If you have access to an ag store or an old-timey five n dime, try to find some stuff that comes in a green can called Bag Balm. That stuff rocks.