Whenever the cold weather comes, the backs of my hands get severely dried out, especially across my knuckles. They feel tight like a drumskin, rough like sandpaper, and there’s tiny little red fissures that have turned into bleeding cracks in some spots. Every winter. When I put hand lotion on, it stings like crazy for a long time afterwards. My hands are throbbing as I type.
Anyone have remedies for alligator paws? I have a paraffin wax kit that I’ve used before, but when my skin’s this dry it hurts way too much. All over-the-counter lotions (Lubriderm, etc, even Curel) that I’ve tried sting like there’s no tomorrow, and/or are so greasy I end up having to wash it off soon anyway.
Neutrogena’s Norwegian formula hand cream stings just as badly, but it works great. I apply it while watching TV; it’s fairly heavy duty stuff and takes a while to absorb, but it isn’t sloppy or over-greasy. I don’t know how to avoid the stinging, but if you find out let me know!
You could try the wet-wrap thing that eczema sufferers use to relieve their symptoms - do it before bed. It will be fiddly with fingers though, you might need a friend to help or do one hand each night!
Have a bath or shower and within seconds of getting out, while your skin is still damp, apply your lotion - in this case the water based soft white ones are good. Slather it on. (The stinging should be less because you’ll have got over it when you got wet in the first place - sorry!)
Then use bandages soaked in warm water and wrung out (wring them all out before you start the creaming process if you’re struggling by yourself!) Wind the wet bandages round your hand and fingers (you could try doing it mitten style the first time as that would be easier but it might not medicate between your fingers very well. ) When you have covered everything firmly but not tightly, then wind another set of dry bandages over the first wet ones. You might be able to substitute a cotton glove or mitten for this bit.
Then go to bed! In the morning unwind everything and you hopefully will be surprised how much better your skin is.
Once you have achieved any improvement at all, the key is to maintaining it. It will be painfully obvious to you by now that maintaining skin health is way easier than healing it.
Good luck, and here’s a shot of whiskey to numb the ouchies (that is applied internally, by the way.)
Have you tried ‘Bag Balm’? The stuff works WONDERS, AFG. You need something fragrance-free and alcohol-free. I can understand how bad your hands are hurting, as it happens to me on occasion in the winter months, too. I try not to let it get to the point of cracking and bleeding, though. Bag balm usually takes care of the problem. You can find it at your local WalMart or your local farm store (Rural King, etc.) Good luck! I hope your hands heal up soon. That’s miserable to have to put up with!
I thought I had dry skin, too. Turns out to be eczema. Eczema can be exacerbated by any number of things. I suppose cold could be one of them. I’ve also heard many anecdotes of people who’s dry skin turned out to be a fungal problem.
If it is eczema or psoriasis or a fungus, it can be very very easy to treat and/or cure with the right prescripion lotion.
And even if it is just dry skin, the doctor can suggest some of the creams and lotions they keep behind the pharmacists counter.
Me, too. Bloody stinging knuckles used to be my confirmation that Winter was really here.
Avon Moisture Therapy hand cream solved my problem. It doesn’t sting, and if I remember to use it twice a day my hands stay soft. It is a little greasy, but it works, even after washing. Bag balm and Eucerin are pretty good, but the Avon hand cream seems to work best.
I suffer from dry skin too, and have very good luck with lotions containing hemp.
The Body shop makes one, and I have seen others in natural food stores.
If you wash dishes by hand, I’ve found that putting on TONS of hand cream and then putting on a pair of rubber gloves while I wash dishes works wonders. Because when I’m all done, my hands are still warm from the water, but the cream keeps them nice and soft.
I usually use Suave Skin Therapy for Sensitive Skin, and it’s pretty decent. Have you tried Udder Cream? No joke-it was originally for cow teats but it’s also marketed as a hand cream. You should be able to find it easily-it’s packaged in black and white cow print.
Good luck-I’ve been there and people used to comment that my hands looked as if they had been dipped in acid. Try using hand cream every time you wash your hands, and when you notice they start to feel a little dry, use more. I use hand cream obsessively, and thus my hands don’t have a chance to dry out. You can get little travel sizes to keep in your purse or pocket.
It will sting at first, but after a while your skin won’t be as dry. Good luck.
I’ve never seen Bag Balm. I wonder if it’s sold in Canada…I’ll go down to Crawl-Mart and see if they have it. I might check out the Body Shop, too.
No, it’s not eczema, I’ve had that and psoriasis since I was a baby. Those feel and look different. This is definitely dried-out skin from the colder weather.
Water! I mean drinking more water. During winter we often tend to drink less, not being reminded of thirst because it’s not warm. Also, warm drinks are popular and many contain caffeine, which can dehydrate. I always had dry skin in winter until I started making sure I was still drinking enough non-caffiene drinks to be well hydrated. Not to say that external treatments shouldn’t be used - I am a lotion fiend! I’m a fan of treating the problem as well as the symptom, and (excepting Green Bean’s note about skin conditions) too many of us are just not getting enough water.
If you can’t find it around you, try some of the online farm supply companies. Also, I think Valley Vet, KV Vet or TSC Tractor Supply may have it online.
In my case, as a preventative measure, wearing gloves whenever I’m outside helps, or at least keeping my hands in my pockets. Stupidly, I tend to not wear gloves because A) I don’t like having things covering my hands no matter what and B) by the time I realize, ‘hey, if I wore gloves and therefore kept my hands out of the direct 0% humidity 30-degree wind I’d be more comfortable’, my knuckles are already all oogy. I can’t tolerate the feeling of fabric over them at that point.
I have a friend who swears by some cream (I forget the name of it, sorry) that I think you can get at both Trader Joe’s and GNC or something. It’s actually meant for famers to rub on cows udders, which (IMO) is gross. she swears it works miracles, though.
That would be the “Bag Balm” for cow udders. I saw the stuff in some department stores for the last couple years, next to the other hand creams. You can go to the Farm supply stores and find it by the cow medicines.
Here’s the site for Bag Balm, IIRC you can order online. I rememeber (because of the name) someone mentioning thatthis stuff was good stuff too. I’d say you should get your hands looked at just to be safe, it might take a prescription to cure.
When I was in college, I got extremely dry skin on my hands and legs. Right before bedtime, I used to warm some petroleum jelly so it flowed (put the jar in a bowl of hot water) then smeared it all over. I’d wear long sleeve, long leg jammies, socks, and gloves, and hit the rack. Next morning, my skin would be much nicer, but water would bead up when I showered. :eek: Now I use a body wash rather than soap, and lots of lotion. I don’t give my skin a chance to get chapped and dry.
