Help for Chapped Winter Hands

By Patti Zimmerman

Lack of moisture is the main reason for this. When the season changes into winter, the humidity in the outside air plummets while inside things become drier due to the indoor heating. Compounding this issue is the more frequent washing of our hands we do to avoid catching a cold or the flu. This drains the natural oils in the skin resulting in your hands becoming dehydrated, leaving them to crack, peel and bleed.
Withstanding winter's harsh conditions and how well your hands will tolerate it depends on the strength of your skin barrier. The skin barrier is a mixture a proteins, lipids and oils which protects your skin. People with weak barriers are more susceptible to symptoms of sensitive skin, including itching, inflammation and eczema. Dry, chapped hands in winter are more likely to happen.
The first step to treating dry, parched, scaly hands is to replace the missing moisture that the skin is lacking. Our first thought is to drink more water but unfortunately that is not the answer. Applying a moisturizer directly to the skin keeps water from evaporating and gives the skin a healthy, dewy appearance. Using a moisturizer before your hands show signs of dryness is the best prevention of future problems.

In many cases moisturizer doesn't get applied in a timely basis. Dealing with cracked, dry skin on your fingers can be uncomfortable and may hinder using your hands especially if those cracks bleed. Not only is healing the skin important but also infections that could arise.
I recommend following these tips to heal dry, cracked skin on your hands and fingers.

1. Treat deep cracks - if these are deep enough to bleed than treat them just like any open wound. Wash carefully with warm soapy water and dry gently. Apply bandages with an antibacterial ointment to help protect the cracks and keep them from getting infected.

2. Use moisturizing cream - use a thick, greasy ointment or cream to maintain and increase the skin's natural internal moisture. This will help dry skin patches and heal cracks. Read product labels as some advertise for use on extra-dry skin but may not heal cracks or protect the hands from damage. Others may contain ingredients like alcohol or chemicals that can actually make matters worse. Find products that contain pure emollients and humectants which hydrate and protect the skin. I suggest these:

• Coconut oil and shea butter - these are both excellent for protecting the skin.
• Lanolin - this is a first-rate product for healing cracks.
• Jojoba oil - this mirrors the skin's natural oils. Can't go wrong with products listing this in their ingredients.
• Petroleum jelly - protects the skin by forming a seal that won't allow moisture to escape.

3. Hand washing - though extremely important, understanding the proper technique and things to avoid will help alleviate dry, cracked hands. First, avoid excessive hand washing. Water and harsh soaps with strong chemicals tend to strip the skin of its natural oils leading them to dry and crack. Look for mild soaps or those that contain lotion. Second, water temperature is very important. Using hot water washes away the natural oils and dries out the skin. Warm water is recommended. Third, gently dry your hands by patting dry with a towel. Refrain from drying them roughly with a towel. Last but not least, apply cream immediately after washing your hands. Your skin loses moisture as water evaporates off your skin. Applying a cream or lotion helps retain that moisture.

4. Protective cotton gloves - to help protect even further, wear light weight cotton gloves. Apply cream before putting on to help protect your dry, cracked skin from any further irritation. Wearing these at night after applying moisturizer helps keep the ointment on and lessens the chance of a mess while sleeping.

5. Humidity - warm air tends to dry out hands. Using a bedroom or whole house humidifier puts water back into the air and decreases the risk of dry, cracked skin.

6. Sunscreen - if you plan on being outdoors for extended periods of time apply a good sunscreen. Hands are more susceptible to being exposed to the sun's harmful rays than other parts of the body.

These tips when followed can help with dry, cracked hands and fingers. If your symptoms persist or become severe contact your doctor or dermatologist. They may prescribe steroids to help heal the skin or uncover an underlying medical condition such as eczema, psoriasis or a fungal infection.

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