Any Suggestions for Chapped Hands??

I have horribly cracked skin on my hands. I mean horrible. It lasts from about October to April every year. They are chapped, they crack open and then start bleeding. I have tried everything I can think of - every type of hand lotion, udder balm, Mary Kay Night Cream (the pink stuff), Aquaphor, steroid cream from a dermatologist, and others. I have also tried wearing gloves at night, but only if I do that EVERY night does it even begin to deminish the problem.

I am just wondering if any of you have similar problems and wonder if anyone has a grand solution. My DS inherited my skin and is now beginning to have the exact same problems and he complains every night when he goes to bed that they hurt.

Any suggestions????

oh you poor thing! My sister used to have this problem and she'd put vaseline all over the tops of her hands. It's gross and greasy, but helped. However, I don't know if it's something you'd have to do all the time too. I hope you figure something out!

Eucerin lotion works the best. My daughter has very sensitive skin and with this cold weather her skin gets red and cracked very quickly. The Eucerin clears it right up. They also have a type of balm made with the same stuff.

I like corn husker's lotion. I had this when I moved to Ohio...colder weather, dryer weather and different water than what I was used to. The corn husker's lotion helped. I'd try buying the cotton microfiber gloves that they make for this. My mom believed in wearing yellow cleaning gloves to bed once a month, slathered in vaseline and lotion underneath. my poor dad. LOL! I could never sleep in those. anywhooo...

You could try a prescription excema cream like elidel too.

Paraffin wax treatments could help too

My oldest son (almost 7) has battled severe eczema his whole life so we know a thing or two about helping dry skin. The best solution I have for you and your DS (DD?) is something called wet-wraps. Its what they had us do for Cameron's whole body when we spent a week at National Jewish Medical Center (the world's leader in asthma, allergy, and immune disorders).

What you do is start with a warm (not hot!) water soak for no less than 20 minutes. You can either do this in a bathtub or just do you hands in a bowl. 20 minutes is the "magic" number for skin to absorb the maximum amount of moisture from water.

Take your hands out of the water and DON'T DRY THEM. Barely pat the dripping water off, but don't actually dry them with the towel. You want that moisture to stay on your skin.

Here's where you'll need help since you only have two hands. Cover hands in a basic cream like VaniCream (available at your pharmacy, no Rx required), or Aquaphillic, or even Vaseline. Then take a large sock soaked in warm water (and rung out) over one hand. Then cover with a dry sock. Repeat with other hand.

Leave overnight, or until wet sock is dry. Remove socks and apply daily lotion.

If you do this every night for a few nights, I guarantee that it will clear up. Then you can do the wet-wraps only once-a-week perhaps.

I know it seems like a big hassle (and it is! lol) but I know how painful cracked hands are. I work as a school nurse and my hands are parched from washing them so much (and those stupid powdered latex gloves).

eta: the reason just plain lotion isn't working is because your skin cannot retain moisture. Thats where the soaks come in. Its called "Soak and Seal" and basically it means you soak your hands so they absorb as much moisture as possible. Then you "seal" that moisture in with the cream and wet/dry socks.

I have the same problem. The only thing that seems to work for me is the Aveeno Intense Relief hand cream. Most of the others I've tried, including a prescription from the dermatologist used with the gloves, take too long to soak into my hands. Because I couldn't do anything for 10 minutes after I put them on, I only put them on a few times a day. This one soaks in so quickly that I can put it on every couple of hours. It's a pain to have to do it so frequently, but it's the only thing that seems to work for me. I've been lazy about it lately, but with the cold stretch we're in right now my hands have gotten a lot worse and I need to start using it again.

Thanks for the suggestions!! I have VaniCream. I think I will give some of these a try, especially the whole wet wrap thing. I swear it seems to get worse every year and I am so concerned about my son having as much trouble as I do. They hurt so much at night that it keeps me awake. I just lay there and I can feel my heart beating in my hands. :thumbdown:

The weird thing is that I think it has something to do with the water or something specific to this town. When I went to visit my DH parents over Christmas, the cleared up within 24 hours of being there, and when we came back, they were all chapped again within 24 hours of being home. Not exactly sure what is the culprit.

Anyway, thanks for the great suggestions. I knew you gals could help me out!!!

One thing that helps me unfortuntely is too late for you, but it could help from getting it worse. NEVER go outside without gloves on when its cold outside. Always wear them even for short trips, even if its as light as the cheapy stretch gloves. They help from getting chapped from the cold, winter wind. Then add lotion constantly throughout the day and after everytime you wash your hands. Also I have heard it helps not to towel them off after washing, but to rub the lotion in while still wet.

Thanks for posting that Jenny! My mom used to do that with me as a kid but I couldn't remember the whole sequence. I need to do that badly! Come to think of it, so does DD.

Hope you find some relief Heather!

aquaphillic is what a friend of mine used for her hands. they would get so dry they would crack.

Jenny--For some reason I didn't see your instructions the first time I clicked on this thread. You must have posted while I was typing. Thanks! I'm going to give the wet wraps a try, too. I can't do it now because trying to nurse a newborn with wet socks on my hands would be laughable, but once she's sleeping better at night I'm going to try it.

I have this issue too. I do paraffin wraps once a week, at least (I luck out though, my neighbour is a nail tech, so she has all the stuff needed for it at home, no/little cost for me). I also use hydrocortisone cream, alternated with Aveeno lotion (I also use the Aveeno all over my body during the winter, I suffer from Winter Itch every year!). Also, when washing my hands, only use soap as required (I know, it sounds weird, but soap agrevates it), and when I do use soap, it's only Aveeno. I do NOT wash dishes, so that's one less trigger. hehee

I have very dry hands, excema and cracks, I still battle with it. I went to a dermotologist and it was recommended to have grenz ray therapy. I had it 1-2 times a week for 2 months and it completely cleared up my hands. I was so thrilled. However, now a year later, it is coming back, but a lot less severe. I'd recommend seeing a derm and asking about grenz ray therapy as it is absolutely painless and really helped for quite a while.

my husband gets this not just during the winter but year round a combination of the weather and the work he does. He uses only corn huskers lotion. It works incredibly. If it is really dry gets some vaseline and slather it on really heavily and put gloves on over it while you are sleeping

I have 2 things that help me. Corona-a thick cream with lanolin in it. It is so thick it doesnt wash off or move very much. Slather it on and put on sleeping gloves. Target and Walmart have the gloves. My lips crack so bad they hurt. Corona usually makes it 90% better overnight.

My newest thing to use all the time is Bath and Body Works True Blue Spa hand cream with paraffin in it. My hands are very nice now. I put tons of hand sanitizer on my hands every day so I feel for you. These things work well for me.

You could come back to Colorado! What about Vitamin Supplements? Vitamin E is especially recommended for promoting skin heath. Possibly Vitamin A but you have to watch the daily intake as it can reach toxic levels) Also have heard that the fish oil supplements are good for skin health. Vitamin E promotes healing- break open the capsules and rub it into the worst areas of your skin as well as taking it orally.

a humidifier might help a bit, too.