This may or may not be weird to some….does anyone on here get those painful skin cracks where the skin literally splits down deep, sometimes to the point of bleeding? Anyone know of any proven remedies? I’ve been working in dirt more frequently and I guess it’s just sucking moisture out of my hands. My hands are getting severely calloused and cracking and bleeding to the point I almost can’t use them due to all the splits that hve occured. And nothing seems to deaden the pain.
Any ideas anyone?
Replies
I get that (or similar) in the winter. I use "heavy duty" skin moisturizers.
I don't know whats worse...the splitting hands....or the greasey cremes.
At least the creams don't hurt though.
(I also find that wearing gloves helps to curtail the splitting.)
If you have a problem with certain Breaktime members, put them on ignore. Don't go whining to the moderators about it. Grow up already. Buncha Marys.
Happened to me once after using a very powerful degreaser; literally removed the oils in my hands.
I wore latex gloves for a few days with some sort of prescription hand lotion.
Good Luck
The proven remedy is "bag balm", available at your local farm supply store. However when I had some cracks in the skin on my feet, I couldn't find any so I went with "Crack Creme" at Walgreens (I think, maybe it was Longs). Anyway, worked well and surprisingly fast. Smells a little strange, but seems to work.
I've tried Crack Creme, that Zims brand. Problem is you don't want to get any of it in an open crack, that stuff stings worse than Alcohol on an open wound if you ask me.
It was over thirty years ago on the first ship I was on in the Coast Guard.
I just remember now that it really ^%$&^ hurt.
Whatever the lotion they prescribed worked quickly and took the pain away.
Ditto for the 'Bag Balm'. I would slather the stuff on my hands and wear some of those disposable blue nitrile rubber gloves.
Come one guys, it's water that your body needs and that gland that coats your body (skin) needs it too or it cries out for remedy.
Bag Balm is still the best ointment for your skin ONCE it cracks but it's more important to get that water into you first.
Compare your usual water intake in the summer versus your water intake in the colder climate of the winter and you don't drink half or a quarter of the water you do in the summer months. You still work hard under that clothes and you still sweat and your body still needs WATER.
Gabe
I always wear gloves unless doing finish work. That's number one. I still get some of the cracked hands you're talking about, and I usually put a bandaid with antibacterial cream during the day. That will help keep it from getting worse. I knew a mason who told me he slept wearing rubber gloves with vaseline in them. Not sure if I'd do that, but you need more protection for your hands.
To keep ahead of the dry cracked skin I've tried quite a number of products and what has worked the best is called "Udderly Smooth Udder Cream".
For quick relief of the pain I just cover the cracked skin with super glue and am good to go. Reapply as needed throughout the day.
When my calusus get to a certain thickness they seem to always crack regardless of what I use. What does work is sanding down the calusus a little and using lotion on a regular basis. During the day keep a bottle of lotion, wax or whatnot handy and use it once in a while.
You know how a calus gets hard and dry right before it cracks? If you simply put a bandaid over it, the extra moisture will keep it soft until you can sand it a bit or at least put lotion on.
If your finger does crack wash the lotion/wax/oil off and a bit of superglue will help bridge the crack and hold it together until it heals a bit.
At night my hands swell and the cracks hurt unless I take something to reduce swelling like aspirin and/or wrap a bandaid around it to keep the crack from opening up further. A bandaid covered with duct tape is surprisingly durable and will normally last almost all day.
Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.
I get that and so does my brother. I've worked outdoors daily for 35 years and as soon as the crack appears, for me usually near the sides of the fingernails, I 'fill it' with a gob of antibacterial ointment, then cover it over with a bandaid. This ALWAYS immediately begins the healing/sealing process and I'm usually fine within a day or two.
nb
For some reason, this problem always arises in late Fall, early Winter. I hate those damn cracks (got some this week), but yes, any greasy hand cream (like Bag Balm) works great.
Scott.
Always remember those first immortal words that Adam said to Eve, “You’d better stand back, I don’t know how big this thing’s going to get.”
I get those too, at this time of year. Like others have said, trimming the crack edges helps.
Try Porter's Liniment Salve, Porter's Products, Covington, OH. Wall-Mart sells Porter's.
Neutrogena hand cream. Comes in a smallish tube, about the consistency of Vaseline. Works like a charm.
Wear gloves as much as possible during the day, esp. during winter. Put the lotion on in the mornings, too.
My father-in-law, who does concrete work, coats his hands w/ Vaseline in the evenings, then puts thin cotton gloves on. Sleeps with 'em on.
Jason
When I get deep cracks, usually at the sides of the thumbs, that show red I use Preparation H.
I met someone once who trained seals all through the winter she hand fed the seals their fish and couldn't wear gloves because the seals were imprinting her.
Her hands were a mess, raw and painful. She tried the H and couldn't believe the change.
Neutrogena lotion is also good.
Zim's has a good rep, never tried it.
I tried the Preparation H that you suggested. I about screamed. I felt like I was putting alcohol on my skin splits. The Prep H continued to sting my splits for quite some time. I just about washed it off just to get the sting to go away. It so far has not.
Sorry to hear that. I've put it on cracks deep enough to show red and have had no reaction. Not tough it out, I mean nothing. Others I've recommended H to have only said thanks. Some even after seeing dermatologists unsuccessfully.
I learned of H years ago from a syndicated column by a pharmacist (Joe Graden?) who said although he felt it didn't work very well for it's intended use it did work very well for severe hand cracks.
Though the years I've gotten better about keeping my water intake up and using quality skin lotions through the day and I haven't had deep cracks for awhile.
I've heard that, and maybe it's an urban legend, that cokeheads use it to sooth their tortured nasal passages. No experience on that.
The spelling was wrong, but here is the guy and his site. It seems the Prep H I used and still have has been changed. The original formula I know is available in Canada, not here.
Edited 11/8/2006 1:22 am ET by cynwyd
drink more water....
.
.
.Wer ist jetzt der Idiot
?
One of the things I inherited from my Father was his skin cracking problem. He always had Band-aids on his knuckles fingers or thumb during fall, winter or spring.
Mine started cracking about seven years ago. Before this I thought paper cuts were painful. No comparison and it seemed like forever to heal.
I tried the Crack Cream, thought it was for plumbers, lotions, moisturizers, different soap and Bag balm. None of those worked well for a guy like me who has his hands immersed in a wallpaper trough or applying paint outside.
I now use a combiation of products. Badger Balm from Lee Valley each night before I go to sleep and when a crack opens up I use somethng called New Skin, could ne NuSkin to seal up the cut. It is a kind of a liquid bandage that you put on with the brush provided. I even spread the crack apart a little befre I seal it so it doesn't stretch it when I use my hands.
It doesn't wash off and it allows the skin to heal itself. Best product ever for this. My Dad even uses it now.
Jon
Russian saying
I will AMEN the NuSkin solution. Several years ago I chemically "burned" the back of both hands. My skin died to about an eighth of an inch--kind of like leather gloves. After the peeling and slow healing, my skin still occasionally cracks open deep. Hand lotions--even those recommended by my Dermotologist--only get in the way of the crack healing (cracks heal from the bottom).
When I put NuSkin on the crack--while it is held together--it acts like both a super glue (which it is) and a protective sealant. Viola, the crack is gone in about half a day. And that is whether I am working with my hands or sleeping.
Terry
Nexcare by 3M makes a skin crack care that comes in a little jar w/brush like fingernail polish that seals the crack. They also have a lotion in a tube that is good. I've had good luck with these products and it is available in most drugstores. Had a brickmason that work for me and he had the worst cracks in his hands I've ever seen. He swore by Prep H, but I never tried it.
Put a generous amount of vaseline on your hands before you go to bed, and wear some light gloves to keep from smearing vaseline all over the place. You will have a remarkable improvement when you wake up the next morning. After the second night of this, you should be healed. This works for the feet too.
During the day, I wear gloves at work and put vaseline on my hands before donning the gloves. This will keep you from needing the nighttime treatment, as I use it only when the situation gets out of hand.
Dermatologist's advice:The skin cracks because it's drying out.You need to get WATER back into the skin.ANY of the products mentioned will work, and there's no evidence I'm aware of that any of the over-the-counter products will work any better than any other. You're looking for an oil or grease that inhibits water evaporation. I'd probably use the cheapest.Most importantly, BEFORE you use the product, make sure your skin is very slightly damp. This traps water between the skin and the cream and helps drive it into the skin.Also, ideally you'd like to do the above every time you wash your hands, or get them wet. May not always be possible, but is best if you're fighting fissures.HTH
I like to use shea butter (made from nuts from African Trees). I find that my skin responds better to it than any petroleum based product (like Vaseline/bag balm). You may be able to find it in general drug stores, but you can certainly find it online... or if you have a massage supply store near you, you can certainly find it there.
I'm a massage therapist as well as an assistant to my husband on our house remodel and other remodel jobs. I have to be particularly careful with my hands, and they definitely get abused, especially since I do all the grouting for the tile jobs we do.
Wear gloves whenever you can!
If any of you find that your hand joints ache at the end of the day, and are wanting some sort of lotion I like to use Celedrin Soothing Cream put out by Natural Factors. It is a great topical anti-inflammatory. You can find it online or at some natural supplement stores. (Seattle Super Supplements here in WA)
The cotton gloves that photographers use to handle pictures work pretty well for sleeping in.
I too swear by the Nexcare products from 3M:
http://tinyurl.com/yljra2
I was plagued with this problem for years, and tried just about everything -- Bag Balm, Zims, Cortaid, etc.
But Nexcare was like a magic elixir. It is available in most drug stores around here.
********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
I'll second the vaseline response. It's always worked MUCH better than anything else I've tried and it cheap!
But the nice thing about Nexcare is that it works and is not greasy......********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
I use arnica gel and this seems very effective.
As you can see from the varied solutions, almost any cream or ointment will work, if used correctly. If you're looking for cheap, you probably can't beat petroleum jelly. Messy though.<apply the cheapest triple anti-biotic ointment you can find>This is the exception and is NOT good medical advice. Kind of the medical equivalent of using Piffin screws to hang cabinets.
Not good medical advice ???!!?Who said it was medical advice in the first place ?Just exactly HOW is, <apply the cheapest triple anti-biotic ointment you can find>, medical advice. And bad medical advice at that... And, <almost any cream or ointment will work, if used correctly. If you're looking for cheap, you probably can't beat petroleum jelly.>, is NOT bad medical advice ?Seriously, wtf is the difference ???Yeesh, some people can twist anything...
Get over it....... The angry going eat you up. ~Brownbagg '06
The body will only absorb plant and animal oils or fats.
I didn't know that.But where does the petroleum jelly that everyone is using, go, then ? Evaporate ? I believe that most triple antibiotic ointments are made with a mix of petroleum jelly, and mineral oil, and then whatever "active ingredients" there are.In fact, I have mixed the two and used it on my hands before. It does stick around for a while, but eventually it goes somewhere. And it is not being rubbed off on other things.
Get over it....... The angry going eat you up. ~Brownbagg '06
A few years ago I had some terrible skin problems and was using some petroleum products to help me, but I could not seem to get rid of the problem. At that time I read that petroleum products do not work very well. So, I tried salad oil and it worked within about two days. I am no expert but my hunch is that animal or plants oils and fats will get rancid. Where as most likely petroleum products will not. Now I use Vaseline for lubricating hinge pins.
LOLAnd don't forget about coating your battery cables.=0)
Get over it....... The angry going eat you up. ~Brownbagg '06
Actually, the fact that petroleum jelly/mineral oil IS NOT truly absorbed is an advantage. This allows it to basically lay on the surface of the skin and block the evaporation of moisture. This is important with antibiotics, eg, since the wound drying out greatly hinders healing. When I get "road rash" I always use such an ointment, even after the chance of infection has passed, since it keeps the injured skin moist and flexible.Also, of course, blocking evaporation is an important aspect of dealing with simple dry skin.The stuff is physically absorbed into the outer (dead) layers of skin, however. It just doesn't go beyond that point.
Seven blunders of the world that lead to violence: wealth without work, pleasure without conscience, knowledge without character, commerce without morality, science without humanity, worship without sacrifice, politics without principle. --Mahatma Gandhi
<Who said it was medical advice in the first place ?>Ummm, I'd say that since the whole thread deals with healing the body, it's ALL medical advice.<Just exactly HOW is, <apply the cheapest triple anti-biotic ointment you can find>, medical advice. And bad medical advice at that...>You're using an antibiotic inappropriately. <Seriously, wtf is the difference ???>Seriously, plenty of us in the medical community DO care that any antibiotic is used correctly.<Yeesh, some people can twist anything...>Ya think? <G>
This is more of a preventative thing for me. I read it in FH years ago.
After I finish placing concrete, my hands always dried out and started to crack, so I wash my hands in vinegar. The acid in the vinegar neutralizes the alkali in the concrete. It's like I didn't even touch the concrete.
It does sting if you have cuts or cracks, but it is worth it to me. I carry a small container of vinegar in with my bucket of trowels.
If anyone asks what the smell is, I tell them I just had an awesome salad for lunch (no fork).
If it wasn’t for the Bank Payments,
Interest, Taxes, Wages, and Fuel Costs,
I wouldn’t have to charge you!!
You are not making any sense.You told him to use vaseline.I told him to use something that is a combination of vaseline, mineral oil, and three antibiotic agents. (Commonly known as neosporin, but available at a cheaper price if you get the "store brand".)You are just giving advice. But I am giving "bad medical advice".That just doesn't make any sense.~~~As for using it inappropriately... What world do you live in ? Read the label. Talk to my real life doctor. Ask -him- why he recommends neosporin for cuts. Ask the pharmacy, and the drug companies why they market the product to be used on cuts and abraisions, and covered with a bandaid.You buy this stuff over the counter... Expressly for applying to cuts and abraisions. A crack in the skin is exactly the same thing as a cut. Especially a bleeding crack in the skin.Next you'll tell me that putting a hat on my head is an innapropriate use of a hat. Or that the bandaid that I suggested be put over the neosporin is also bad medical advice.
Get over it....... The angry going eat you up. ~Brownbagg '06
I'm not sure how much simpler I can make this for you. If you use an antibiotic WHEN THERE IS NO INFECTION, with very few exceptions, it is BAD medicine. I've been practicing medicine for almost 30 years and I can assure you there's no debate about this. Sorry if you don't like it.If your 'real life' doctor truly recommends this I'd be concerned about his other advice. For example, I know plenty of docs who prescribe antibiotics for colds, or sore throats. Doesn't make it right, and it's certainly not good medicine.Is using Neosporin in these cases going to make the world come to an end? Absolutely not. I just presumed people reading this thread would like facts rather than the opinion of someone spouting out of that inappropriate hat on his head.HTH
Wow.Good thing we have people like you around to protect us from ourselves.
Get over it....... The angry going eat you up. ~Brownbagg '06
I thought I understood your original comment, but I didn't want to step into the fray.However, it would be helpful if you clarified, since you're clearly in a position to know more than the rest of us on this issue. Are you saying it is generally good practice to avoid topical antibioltics (like neosporin) even as a preventative measure?What if I get a cut on a job site, and a good soap and water wash of the wound is not possible (at least until some hours later)? How about sloshing it with an antiseptic, such as betadine or hydrogen peroxide?I might say that I am obsessive about wound care on my hands since one of my friends picked up a simple splinter, and eventually had to have surgery to deal with the infection.Thanks. ********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
I've been told that hydrogen peroxide is not a good antiseptic -- it causes too much damage to essentially healthy tissue, hampering healing.I've read several times, however, that using some sort of antiseptic ointment on wounds that are not obviously infected has been shown to help them heal faster. Whether an antibiotic ointment like Neosporin is a good choice or not I don't know. Likely washing with Betadine and then applying plain petroleum jelly would work fairly well.
Seven blunders of the world that lead to violence: wealth without work, pleasure without conscience, knowledge without character, commerce without morality, science without humanity, worship without sacrifice, politics without principle. --Mahatma Gandhi
--- Are you saying it is generally good practice to avoid topical antibioltics (like neosporin) even as a preventative measure? ---I won't presume to speak for tab1, but I, too, have practiced medicine (only for 5 years to his 30+), and I concur with him that use of antibiotics when there is no bacterial infection is a major concern of the medical community -- it leads to the selection of drug-resistant organisms, so that the antibiotics no longer work when they are actually needed.Thus, it's not "even" as a preventive measure, but *especially* as a preventive measure, that topical antibiotics should be avoided.I have not recently reviewed the medical literature on this, but I suspect that any beneficial effect of antibiotic ointments on healing of uncomplicated wounds is related more to the ointment's keeping the would moist than to the presence of antibiotics contained in the ointment.The practice of medicine is also full of supersititions, for all that it's supposed to be a scientific discipline. Surgeons routinely smear antibiotic ointment over their surgical incisions, despite there being no evidence that it decreases the rate of postoperative infections. And as tab1 noted, there are plenty of doctors who prescribe antibiotics for viral syndromes, more to placate the patient (or the patient's parent) than anything else - the word "placebo" is actually Latin for "I will please".However, all that being said, are cracked hands that are constantly immersed in irritating substances and various kinds of dirt actually "uncomplicated" wounds? That's a good question. And for that, I would have to say that whether or not applying an antibiotic ointment rather than simple vaseline is indicated really depends on the specifics of the situation. In the case of someone who gets these cracks every winter, or routinely associated with some other environmental factor, and has been dealing with them for several years with greater or lesser degrees of success but with no problems of infection in all that time, I'd say a topical antibiotic is *not* a good idea.And how does it happen that betadine and hydrogen peroxide are available, but plain old liquid soap is not?By the way, an infection from an embedded splinter would not be prevented by a splash of betadine or hydrogen peroxide, or by applying triple antibiotic ointment.Rebeccah
Thanks for your response. It's not uncommon that water is unavailable on a job site, and if it is, generally it's often just a hose bib. And that's why I alwasy carry antiseptic solutions in my first aid kit.If a topical antibiotic is not going to work as an infection preventive for stuff like splinters, is there anything you would recommend in its place -- especially, if it is not possible to give a good washing with soap/water? Would those hand sanitizers (like Purell) be of any value?Thanks.********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
On my bike I always have a water bottle, and the treatment for road rash is to first hose off well with the bottle. Then some Betadyne, if I have it, and more water. But the Betadyne is awkward to carry, so it's usually on to the ointment from there.Without antibiotic ointment there will inevitably be a few small pus pockets that develop on a good sized road rash. With it, I haven't had them.
Seven blunders of the world that lead to violence: wealth without work, pleasure without conscience, knowledge without character, commerce without morality, science without humanity, worship without sacrifice, politics without principle. --Mahatma Gandhi
The problem with splinters are two:
1. It's difficult to completely remove the splinter - a mixture of organic material(=food for bacteria and fungi), various potentially infectious agents(bacteria, fungi, spores, etc.), and irritants that cause swelling and/or changes in cell permeability
2. It's difficult to get cleansing and disinfecting agents (including plain old oxygen from the air, which kills anaerobic bacteria like the one that causes tetanus) into the wound, which is narrow and deep, and the opening to which is likely occluded by a piece of the splinter itself or by swelling caused by local irritation or inflammation.The most important factor in preventing infection from a splinter is getting the WHOLE thing out as soon as possible.In my opinion, topical applications (of *anything*) to a splinter wound that causes enough discomfort to get your attention are useless. Soap and water are better becauses the soap emulsifies contaminants and the water, combined with an effective handwashing technique, loosens and rinses them away. This is a case of, "The solution to pollution is dilution."There is also a surgical concept called "saucerization" of wounds, which is making them larger superfically, to facilitate removal of contaminants and drainage and also so that they will heal from the inside out (rather than the skin closing over before healing is complete, predisposing to infection). This is not something your average Joe is going to do to his own wounds, but it is a concept I keep in mind when dealing with my own puncture wounds including splinters. This article is about puncture wounds to the foot, which are particularly prone to infection, and to which the same principles apply as to splinters in the construction trade: http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:anh1f1Shm4kJ:www.ncemi.org/cse/cse1015.htm+saucerization+of+wound&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=5Depending on the orientation of the splinter and the thickness of the "dead" layer of skin cells it passes through, sometimes you can open part of the length of the splinter track with a clean needle or a nail clipper, which greatly facilitates access to the deeper parts of the wound. The above is not medical advice (I quit practicing medicine over 6 years ago), but general medical information.Rebeccah
Great answer ... and a helpful link.I see whoever wrote this (info in the link) did indeed specifically warn against using topic antibioltics (and betadine) as a preventative measure."Saucerization" of the wound (in the case of a splinter) is something I usually do, in order to get better access to it. So I'm heartened this is not further complicating the problem. I don't want to beat this to death, but I would like to know your thoughts on using hydrogen peroxide if one doesn't have easy access to soap/water. I realize it does, at least to some degree, damage the tissue, but wouldn't that be preferable to waiting several hours for a proper cleansing?.... Duly noted that I should take this as medical information, and not medical advice :).EDIT: YOUR COMMENTS IN POST 96 JUST CAME IN TO MY EMAIL, AND I SEE YOU HAVE ANSWERED THIS QUESTION.THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR HELP.......********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
Edited 11/6/2006 5:51 pm by nikkiwood
What do you think about soaking in warm clean very salty water? I find the splinter will often actually work it self out.
P.S. I agree the over use of antibiotics is a huge problem. It keeps biotech people like me employed though. The biotech industry spends a ton of money trying to find new antibiotics since so many resistant bacteria are out there.
--- What do you think about soaking in warm clean very salty water? I find the splinter will often actually work it self out. ---I assume you mean after you get home, soaking for (take your pick: 10-15 minutes, 20 minutes, a half hour, 45 minutes, or an hour)?This is a time-honored remedy I remember from my childhood, and it may have some merit. Could just be medical superstition (see my previous post), but at least it isn't going to cause any harm. I remember the advice being to use Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate), but as far as I can see, the idea is the same. Soaking the affected body part in a warm, concentrated salt solution. The salt solution should be more concentrated than the concentration of salts in normal body extracellular fluid. This concentration difference induces an osmotic pressure gradient, which draws extracellular fluid out of the body part, reducing swelling (or if there is no swelling, then shrinking the tissues somewhat). I could come up with several possible theoretical explanations why it *might* work, but I haven't seen any studies to know if it even actually *does*. Even without soaking, most splinters eventually work their way out.Rebeccah
> Even without soaking, most splinters eventually work their way out.Well, the one in my foot took two and a half years, and that with considerable digging.
People never lie so much as before an election, during a war, or after a hunt. --Otto von Bismarck
Yuck!
<How about sloshing it with an antiseptic, such as betadine or hydrogen peroxide?>Betadine ON normal healthy skin OK, IN a wound, not a good idea. Surgeons use it BEFORE they cut or puncture the skin. We're talking about after the skin has been cut. However, if those are all I had, I'd use the hydrogen peroxide. <If a topical antibiotic is not going to work as an infection preventive for stuff like splinters,>Nothing topical is going to prevent infection under the skin, from a puncture wound, like a splinter. Get the splinter out, clean skin/wound as best you can, and 99% of the time your body will take care of the rest. (See your doc for the other 1%). What we've been discussing in this thread are 'open' wounds, a very different animal.Rebeccah, sounds like you can presume to me speak for me any time, at least medically. <G>
<<Get the splinter out, clean skin/wound as best you can>>Would you then agree with this "treatment protocol":1) Remove splinter with needle/tweezer that have been sterilized with heat (i.e. a match). 2) Wash wound with soap/water if available, a bath of hydrogen peroxide if not.3) No antibiotic ointment. 4) See doc if signs of infection develop within day or so.Thanks.********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
Yep.Hard to say how important it is to 'sterilize' the needle with a match. In theory, the splinter has already put more bacteria under the skin, than the needle will. Also, typically, probing with a needle will change a 'closed' puncture wound, to an 'open' wound. This is desirable, as it allows the body a route to push out any foreign material or infection that may develop. Can't hurt though.At home, I usually just slosh it in a bottle of rubbing alcohol. The needle that is, not the skin. <G>
---
Would you then agree with this "treatment protocol":1) Remove splinter with needle/tweezer that have been sterilized with heat (i.e. a match). 2) Wash wound with soap/water if available, a bath of hydrogen peroxide if not.3) No antibiotic ointment. 4) See doc if signs of infection develop within day or so.
---Yep. I'd add
2.5. Wash thoroughly with soap and water as soon as it *becomes* available.I'm with tab1, though, the match probably isn't necessary. I'd wipe it with alcohol, and in a pinch just wipe it on a clean cloth. Getting the filthy splinter out is more important than making the needle sterile.Likewise, if I had a choice between a hose bib of potable* water and a bath of H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide), I'd take the water and a clean scrub brush. In fact, if you're stocking a first aid kit, one of the best things you can stock is a sterile scrub brush like the kind surgeons use to scrub their hands before surgery. They have a sponge on one side and little plastic bristles on the other. Get the kind that isn't pre-filled with anything (they come pre-filled with chlorhexidine gluconate [antiseptic] soap, or providone-iodine [Betadine is a brand name] solution and soap, or plain). You can use it with water, soap and water, H2O2, betadine, or whatever. Use it aggressively for splinters to try and work your cleaning or disinfecting solution into that little tiny hole. As tab1 mentioned, full strength betadine is at least as toxic to the tissues as H202. More typically, betadine is used in skin preparation for surgery, and a 50/50 mix of H2O2 and water for cleaning open wounds -- although I've seen betadine mixed with water used for really badly contaminated wounds, and they make skin preps now that don't contain betadine at all (some patients get bad skin reactions to iodine solutions).Rebeccah*Note: If the water from the hose bib isn't potable, I'd use the H2O2.
I'v tried lots of stuff. Bag balm works well but smells bad. Others cost too much. Go to a farm supply store or a saddle shop and gat a pump can of Mane 'n Tail "Hoofmaker". Works great, it's cheap and doesn't smell bad. Pump can in my pickup makes it easy to use often.
I used Bag Balm (and a lot of other things) for years, and nothing worked until I stumbled onto Nexcare. What I am learning from this thread is that there is no one product that will work for everybody. If you have this problem with cracked skin, you just have to keep moving down the line of the many available products until you find one that works for you. Then stick with it.........********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
Here's another vote for the 3M Nexcare line. It also helps to sand down the skin on those calluses - they crack because they can't stretch.
The only place I've had problems is right at the tip of my thumbs -- and there is nary a callus in sight.Somebody earlier said that Nexcare is little more than super glue, and I think they're probably right -- at least the liquid stuff in a bottle with the brush.For me, once the crack is sealed with the liquid, the Nexcare ointment seems to prevent other cracks.********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
I use Bag Balm. We used it on the dairy farm when I was a kid.
http://www.bagbalm.com/
Edited 11/1/2006 9:56 am by gb93433
I get them every winter, and I have tried all of the aforementioned remedies. The only thing that seems to work is warmer weather. Try using super glue on the cracks. It's not a cure but it stops the pain.
I grew up on a dairy farm and we used Bag Balm and I have seen it work wonders. I do not know what is in it, but it seems to work.I do know that if your skin is thick it will also cause what you are talking about. I used to have a similar problem on my feet and started using a random orbit sander on the bottoms of my feet to grind down the skin and the problem stopped.
Edited 11/2/2006 12:16 am by gb93433
Yeah, and I don't even do construction work all day. I think paper pulls the moisture out as well as dirt does.
Anyway, my Dr. recommended a lotion called "Complex 15". No scent, and it absorbs really quickly so no grease problem. You do have to put in on 6 or 7 times a day. I put some in the palm of my hand and roll the ends of my fingers in it to coat them well, then work it in.
Johnson and Johnson make are really heavy duty ointment that doctors use. Comes in a tube, but is pretty greasy.
Yep, what a lot have said, Bag Balm. The little (or bigger) green tin boxfrom Vermont. The vaseline & glove thing also is good for extreme cases and protective gloves while working...don't skimp, get good ones. Keep drinking a reasonable amount of water, too. You really do start to dehydrate.
Good luck, it's going to be a long winter.
...The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain...
Make sure to drink enough water. People get dehydrated in the cold, which does make for more skin cracks.
Try pure anhydrous lanolin. It is better than any of the commercial products. For the DW I mix 40% lanolin, 10% bees wax, 25% almond seed oil and 25% mineral oil. Over the years the recipe has changed a little, but it always is close to the above. My wife works in a laundry of a nursing home and her hands take a beating. My home brew is the only thing she will use. I've used Vaseline and/or olive oil in place of the almond oil. The lanolin is what really works. Bert's Bees is another winner (but my stuff is better!)
Force yourself to drink more water.
Wear gloves. Even if they are only those really thin black atlas ones with the grey rubber on the palms and fingertips. (I can pick up a dime, tie my shoes, get keys or change out of my pockets, or just about anything else I can do without gloves on... while wearing those thin things.)
When a crack opens up, (This may seem counter-intuitive.), cut back the flesh on both sides with fingernail clippers. Make a valley into the crack, with gently sloped sides, rather than the steep cliffsides that are there naturally.
Those top edges of the crack actually cause the crack to grow deeper very quickly if you keep working with them like that. To explain why, would take a lot longer post than I am willing to write on the topic. Just take my word for it. It you cut the sharp edges off the top sides, it will not get any worse from work. And much of the time you get immediate relief from a lot of the pain of those cracks, just from the clipping.
Also remove as much callous as possible from around the area.
3 times a day, apply the cheapest triple anti-biotic ointment you can find, to the crack. Put it on thick. Don't try to make the tube last by just smearing a bit on.
Cover that with a bandaid. Use two if necessary. And cover that with duct tape if you are working. (And don't forget those gloves over all.)
I suffered badly for years with bleeding cracks in my fingers. Once I started doing the above, it never has taken more than a day and a half to heal a crack.
Get over it....... The angry going eat you up. ~Brownbagg '06
Luka,Do you have a link for those Atlas gloves you like?BTW, I love it that those researcher's at 3M pay attention to life's little problems. I just bought some of their band-aids that were made out of, you guessed it -- duct tape.********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
It's possible the gloves I am thinking of are not atlas brand. They are a very thin black nylon, with a light grey nitrile coating on the palm and fingers.
Here is a link to some that appear to be like that...
thin
View Image
Here is a link to the blue palmed gloves that most of the people I know like to wear for construction work.
blue
View Image
And here is a link to the same sort of glove, but insulated for winter work. I really like these gloves in the winter. Put some of the thin ones inside, and you have even better protection from the cold.
winter
View Image
Get over it....... The angry going eat you up. ~Brownbagg '06
Luka,Belated thanks for your links on the gloves. For the last few years I have been wearing a very thin goat skin glove (Plainsman Cabretta) that was sold at Sam's Club. They are almost like surgeon's gloves. But for some reason, Sam's doesn't seem to carry them any longer, at least around here.********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
You are welcome.=0)
Get over it....... The angry going eat you up. ~Brownbagg '06
Man I loved those gloves for the right price too Sam's quit carrying them because the employees snagged them all the time.
ANDYSZ2WHY DO I HAVE TO EXPLAIN TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT BEING A SOLE PROPRIETOR IS A REAL JOB?
REMODELER/PUNCHOUT SPECIALIST
Working in the dirt or digging in the ground you should wear gloves at all times. Second, some don't like it but the cheapest and by the way the best skin conditioner sold is Vaseline Petroleum Jelly. In the morning after shaving or washing your hands apply a small amount of Vaseline to your hands, back and front, then take small additional amounts and apply between each finger at the web area near the base of the fingers. Rub and message your hands together for 30 seconds or so, to get it rubbed in good, then start your day as you would normally do. I know it sounds like a greasy mess but believe me, after 10 to 15 minutes the Vaseline will absorb into the skin and you'll find that your hands will vastly improve after a few weeks. Your whole problem is dry skin not so much that your working in the dirt. With cracks like the ones your talking about, you have got to be careful not to get an infection or develop contact dermatitis.
I dont know how to convince you that this is a better remedy than the plethora of balms, salves, and lotions out there, you'll just have to try it. Go get vitamin E gel caps. Needle the cap, squeeze the stuff out and work it into your skin. I used to split so bad it did bleed, enough I'd have bandages on all my fingers sometimes. I tried eucerin and bag balm and all that.
Leave it to your ailing gramma to give you the old country solution. Worked pretty durn good.
Real trucks dont have sparkplugs
http://www.flexitol.com/products-usa1.htm
Although it is marketed for feet it will do the same on your hands. It is great stuff. The key is that it has urea in it which actually helps penetrate the skin and get moisture into the dermis. Other creams will only moisten the surface. The only thing is it is a bit thick and feels greasy. You would want to apply it before going to bed at night. But you don’t have to buy this brand specifically - there are other brands out there that also have urea + a moisturizer that are less greasy feeling that you could apply during the day.
P.S. I am an evening and weekend DIYr but a Biochemist by day.
Bag balm, Corn husker's lotion. Pet a sheep, eat flax seed , limit exposure and pepperoni in mass quanities,,,,but get a cholestol check first.
Any gloves excaberate the problem, tuff it out and stay w/ natural assimible oils, NO petro chems.
Lard is about as clear as you get, and is edible, in case ya gotta eat a frozen finger for lunch.
Topically apply a BIT of red pepper, to thwart off glovedom stagnation, if your gloves last more than a week in the coldness, mine don't. I get into the Corn huskers, when I snag a nighty too often.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Shooting rubber bands at the Moon
all these are good suggestions. For immediate pain relief , super glue or crazy glue squirted into the crack, then hold it together tight until it dries. It usuallly lasts a day or two and by then the crack will often have healed shut. If not , reglue it. There don't seem to be any toxicity issues. Emergency Rooms and surgeons use a similar product sometimes instead of stiches. Good luck.
Tried all kinds of remedies - Bag Balm, etc. The best I've found is New Skin, sort of an antiseptic super glue. Fairly water proof and no mess. Put it on as soon as you notice a problem.
I have this problem every year. Its gettin to be old real fast! I was helping my sister inlaw take her horses to the vet. The tech saw me rubbing lotion and looked at my hands. She said bag balm works ok, but to use hoof maker. Go to a feed store and find some . No greasy mess and works like nobodys business!
Good to know - I'll add it to the arsenal - my nails could use the help, too!
I get them every year, especially when doing really dusty work. The only thing i've found to work (and does so instantly) is crazy glue.
Yeah I know the glue will kill me but at least my fingers wont hurt while their embalming me. :>)
I used to get them as a kid in the summer on my toes. They really hurt. I haven't had a problem as an adult, but the subject came up once while visiting a dermatologist. He said to glue them shut with Crazy Glue. Once they are glued shut they don't hurt anymore.
Drink more water like maddog said. I also use the stuff for horses hoofs. Can't remember the name though.
my wife had a serious bout of psoriasis, and we tried this, the stuff is heavy and gooey like bag balm and probably the horse salve.but is is strong and helps to stop the itching and scratching.....
http://www.watkinsonline.com/productDetail.cfm?product=1587.
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.Wer ist jetzt der Idiot
?
I use Burt's Bees Beeswax and Banana Hand Cream. Works wonders for my hands. Use twice a day. Runs $$6.99.
I use Neutrogena Hand Cream. It's actually a thick gell and it's a bit greasy going on -- takes 15 minutes or so to be absorbed -- but it works a lot better than the standard Curel, et al, "girly" hand creams.
this may be ridiculous to you, but put crazy glue on each crack to close them, just a tiny bit. the crazy glue is almost like a temporary callous and will protect the crack. don't use moisturizer during the day only at night. oily hands while digging in the muck are no fun. proven by framing in january in ontario.... nexcare is sterilized crazy glue
Edited 11/1/2006 10:15 pm ET by bilkbilk
I get pretty bad dry/cracking skin on my hands in winter and I don't really dig most lotions because I find them too oily. I like Johnson's extra care body cream. There's also a hand cream version. Its at drug stores and its not oily at all - almost like a whipped paste.
The Complex 15 I mentioned before is also not oily, and has no fragrance. I have to ask the druggist to order it for me, but it is over the counter. Made by Scherring-Plough.
I've got horrible skin. Cracks and bleeds all the time.
My solution? After you've had your hands in water or damp for 10-15 minutes, slather on a good oil.....I use emu oil. Olive oil, vaseline, mineral oil, jojoba, whatever! Watch it if you are allergic to lanolin, though. This traps the water in. Do it every time you get your hands wet. Immediately after the shower...don't even dry off. I keep the oil IN the shower and put it right on while still wet. Just shake your hands off to get the extra water off.
For really dry skin all over the body, my doc says dont' even dry off with a towel, just knock the water off with your hands (dry your hair with a towel) and then slather on oil.
To keep the cracks from hurting use super glue or nu skin to seal off the oxygen. The stuff will peel off when the crack heals.
If the cracks are accompanied by raw red, itchy skin....try an anti-fungal liquid. Often wet hands get the creeping crud. tea tree oil works well, but stinks. You can buy Clotrimazole in liquid form. Drop on twice a day.
Another thing that really works to keep those cracks from hurting and getting dirty is steristrips instead of bandaids. they stay on forever.
Wear gloves
and use this:
The most effective treatment there is for skin that cracks & splits
View Image Proven effective for relief & promotes healing of skin afflictions commonly treated with Cortisone based medication, without the possible damaging side effects
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"When it all finally hit the fan I was glad to be holed up in a little beer joint in Robstown Texas called the El Gato Negro."
Haven't seen where you have replied to anyone in this thread and you have nothing in your profile to indicate where you are.
One thing occured to me after I posted. Since you say you have been working in dirt a lot and this is a very painful and persistent condition you may want to see a medical doctor just to be sure that you haven't picked up some sort of infection from the dirt you are working in.
Just to be safe then use gloves and creams as a preventive.
"When it all finally hit the fan I was glad to be holed up in a little beer joint in Robstown Texas called the El Gato Negro."
By far the best hand creme I've used is the stuff made by Neutrogena; the cracks heal very fast.
However- the cracking might also be caused by a moisture-loving fungus ("Athletes' Foot"). You might want to first treat with an appropriate creme. ("Creme," not "ointment." Ointments are greasy>)
I use some stuff called Bee Balm. It's made with beeswax. When you put it on you have to spend five minutes or so rubbing it and waiting for it to soak in. It's a little wierd to get used to, but it's the only thing I've found that actually works.
It's made by a mom & pop business:
Bee Balm Lotion
Box 71
Arlee, MT 59821
406-726-3480
I just call them and get a box of small tubes. I think it's about $45 for a dozen 4 oz tubes. You won't use as much as you do with the commercial stuff.
Seems it's popular with gardeners and UPS drivers.
There isn't anything else like it and you won't be paying for some inflated ad budget since I don't think they advertise.
I've been using it for about 20 years.
"Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd."
~ Voltaire
As others have said wear gloves. To fix the problem now, the one thing I have done is soak the hands in a good lotion and wear a pair of jersey gloves to bed over the lotion filled hands.
I believe Paul Harvey endorses Nutragena (?spelling) It's supposed to help fishermen with the effects from salt water.
I've worked outside for 28 years now and have battled cracked skin on my hands the entire time...mostly on the insides of my thumbs. (Very painful!) Alot of these things that have been described do work pretty good.....BUT...this is the first year that I have had NO CRACKS!! I really do think I know the reason why is I've started taking fish oil pills. They are loaded with all kinds of good stuff for your skin. I haven't put any hand lotions on this year and I have no cracks. That has got to be why.
The kind that I am taking is made by Nature's Way and is called Super Fisol....70% EPA/DHA Enteric-Coated Fish Oil. Really Works.
With me it begins every Fall and gets progressively worse throughout the winter. I coat my hands with Valseline when I go to bed (with or without white cotton gloves). I keep hand cream around all over the house and some in work. I get into thje habit of putting some on throughout the day and after washing my hands. Real bad cracks get lotion/Vaseline and a band-aid. It's a pain in the butt, but it works. Lotion works best during the day because it doesn't have the gooey residue that Vaseline does. Most brands odf moisturizing lotion seem to work, as long as you get into the habit of applying it regularly.
Hi,
From one who has a chronic case of cracked fingers and heals...
Udderly smooth udder cream during the day (as much as you can) and a urea based cream under Band-Aids during the night.
I agree with many of the various creams, ointments, lotions, etc. I highly second the poster that suggested wearing cotton gloves at night after a heavy application of the moisurizer.
I need a miracle..... liquid bandaid warning.....
I have used bag balm plus just about anything I have found to get rid of the cracks (that bleed). I have them year round. My dermatologist said to keep my hands out of water and no chemicals. Well, try being a housewife and keeping your hands out of water. I have used rubber gloves (latex free) and it gives my hands rashes. it is almost like the heat of the hot water cooks my fingers and makes them worse. I have treated my hand with the whiite cotton gloves and many salves including vaseline. I have not tried the Vicls yet. I will once the sores heal over enough that the menthol won't burn my sores.
I have also tried the liquid bandaid. It was horrible. It felt great when I put it on I could actually touch things with very little pain. I put it directly on the splits. I thought I had finally found a solution but once the glue started to come off, so did my skin and created a deeper split. I am still recovering from that ordeal and areas that were not affected before are now peeling.
I don't know if I am super sensative or if my skin is too bad to use it.
From what I have been reading, nothing really works. As you know your splits come in cycles. Mine start getting better then they split again. Some people are seasonal. Mine are 4 seasons. They start getting better then they split all over again.
I have been looking on line for some kind of miracle, I guess there isn't one. I am using yet another cream the Dermatologist prescribed but it doesn't seem to be doiing much.
I take care of my grandson and I was horrified that he was suddenly covered in blood when I was changing his diaper. My blood from my split fingers!!
I have lived iin bandaides with I have to use cloth ones. After 10 minutes the vaselline based topical dressings seep through and the bandaids look horrible like I have dirty hands. The glue on them can make my hands itch also. Well I am not sure if it is the glue from the bandaid or if it is because my skin is covered.
If any of you have any miracles please let me know!! Oh I am also going to try the A&D ointment. I believe I tried it before but I am not positive.
I am getting very tired of being brought to tears from the pain and I feel like I am whineing when I tell my family my hands are too painful to cook, or cut up vegetables or wash dishes.
I can only tell them in the best possible way how it feels and I can only compare it to getting splinters in your fiingers that you can't get out. Every time you touch them to something they throb and hurt..
I was once taking a medication (unrelated to skin problems) that exacerbated the splitting. Something to think about.
But more recently I had problem with the skin peeling/splitting on my toes and the derm diagnosed a massive fungal infection. Two weeks of Lamisil and the problem cleared up nicely. (I'd used topical antifungals for years and they'd done no good.)
FHB 225 re painful skin cracks
I have the solution. Drink more water. Cut out coffee and any other diuretics. You are lacking moisture from within. I tried multiple hand creams including Bag Balm. They eased the pain but did not heal. Dry areas of the country make the cracks show up sooner than humid areas. Winter is worse than summer. But drinking more water is the answer in combination with reducing or cutting out diuretic drinks. For me, it takes only two days for the cracks to heal up when I cut out my coffee, tea and intentionally increase my water intake.