Dry, cracked & itchy hands? Cures?

David Mason · From: Cambridge, MD, USA

It's "Music", I figure, as it pertains to NOT being able to play as well as I'd like... Sometimes it seems like the more hand cream I try, the worse it gets. It's usually worse in winter, but I'm starting up early this year. The best thing I've found so far is this stuff called "Ureacin-20" that's kind of waxy and can be mixed with regular hydrocortisone or Intensive Care lotion, but maybe somebody's got the miracle cure for real. I like to play with bare-naked fingertips sometimes for tonal reasons and that's kind of ruled out when I'm wincing, and bleeding all over the place.

Bill Moore · From: Manchester, Michigan

I sometimes get a small, deep crack on a fingertip, usually in the winter. I've found that zinc oxide ointment works the best, although it's very messy. I apply the ointment and cover it with a bandaid. Actually, it's about the only thing I've found that works for this.

Steve Hitsman · From: Waterloo, IL

Bag Balm

Tony Farr · From: Madison, Tennessee, USA (deceased)

I have the same trouble nd the doctor said to try omething called New Skin, get it over the counter. It really works for me heals the cracks right up. Hope it works for you.

Bryan Bradfield · From: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.

My plan is to stay ahead of the game. In the winter, I try to rub lotion into the hands every night before going to bed.

Randy Phelps · From: California, USA

Flax seed oil. the creams and cyocranalates only treat the symptoms... if you take some flax seed oil every day, you'll get many benefits... I learned about it before I had eye surgery and the doctor made me take it for 30 days prior to my surgery... it has had a dramatic positive effect on several aspects including avoiding dried and cracking skin. My father in law started taking it and within a month his problem cleared up... it used to drive him crazy in the winter time...

my advice is to get the liquid rather than caplets, but either is better than not taking it. I'm no believer in elixirs etc... but this stuff is great... it will take about 2-4 weeks to take effect but once it does... you'll notice several benefits.

this stuff is like hydration... it does no good to hydrate once you've reached deficit... you need to start hydrating 24-36 hours prior to an event... skin moisturization is similar.... you've got to do it before the skin gets dry... once you are lobbing oils and lanolin on cracked, dry skin, you are playing catchup and you never will.

Joe Rouse · From: San Antonio, Texas

I've used Utter Butter for the same problem. Bag Balm has a distinct odor that is not necessarily bad but Utter Butter doesn't have that type of odor. I think it smells like Eucalyptus, or menthalatom..Joe Rouse

Roy Ayres · From: Riverview, Florida, USA, R.I.P.

Try "Corn Husker's Lotion" carried by some pharmacies.
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Fred Shannon · From: Rocking "S" Ranch, Comancheria, Texas, R.I.P.

We use "Udder Magic" out here in the wilds when the hands and arms start to crack because of the type work we do with cattle and the weather turns crappy.
You can buy it at most feed and seed stores.

phred
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Ken Lang · From: Simi Valley, Ca

My doctor gave me spme samples for dry flaky skin. The one I chose and works for me is called Cetaphil. It's available at drugstores.

Chris LeDrew · From: Canada

Richard Sevigny · From: Salmon Arm, BC, Canada

I find the fingernails under the thumb and fingerpicks become brittle and break easy.

Any suggestions beside keeping them (almost to the quick) short??
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Bryan Bradfield · From: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.

Randy Phelps - I take 3 heaping teaspoons of freshly ground flax every day, for reducing bad cholesterol in my blood. I've been taking it for years, and find that my dry skin problem still reuqires me to use some kind of lotion on my hands on a regular basis. I have found that in a reactive mode, when the damage is already done, some types of cream or lotion work better than others, but in trying to stay ahead of the damage, just about any old thing works.

Randy Phelps · From: California, USA

Thanks Bryan. I know everybody is a little different and we all live in different climates. When we lived in Colorado I used Bag Balm all winter (before I started on the flax seed oil) now that we live in California's central coast I haven't needed anything beyond the Flax seed oil..

Bryan Bradfield · From: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.

Randy - Aha! California!

I have to say that I rarely need to lotion my hands in the summer here in southern Alberta. I'll do it for 3 nights or so before a show just to be on the safe side, but otherwise not at all.

Only in the winter do I need to take the precautions every night. If not, I quickly get into big trouble.

You are correct in saying that the weather has a lot to do with the dry hand problem, and the severity of the weather will increase the need for a good preventative.

Dayna Wills · From: Sacramento, CA (deceased)

Have you tried Boo drose (It's a French name I can't spell) Butt Paste? You can get it at Walgreen's.

Sam Marshall · From: Chandler, AZ USA

Living in AZ, I suffer from dry skin problems from OCT - MAR. I started noticing it becoming pronounced in the early '90's when liquid soaps became popular. About 2 years ago, I switched back to bar soap and found that the dryness improved considerably.

The absolute worst soap I found for dryness is the orange Dial liquid soap. Muttering

Best Regards,
Sam

Joe Rouse · From: San Antonio, Texas

Around West Texas a few years back the ladies were complaining about dry hands and cracking nails. A friend of mine told me his wife used Hooflex on her fingernails and had no more problems with cracked or splitting nails. The word got around and pretty soon you couldn't find Hooflex anywhere except the Nail Salons. ...Joe Rouse

Chip Fossa · From: Monson, MA, USA (deceased)

I use DESITIN when things really get tough. It's ZINC OXIDE, thick and sticky and messy - but works magically, almost overnight.

NEW SKIN, I've heard, is nothing more than perfumed SUPER GLUE. This is a great temporary fix, tho. I'm not sure whether or not one is supposed to close up, completely, the cracks and irritations. You kind of need air to heal an open wound. But those finger openings around the nail are just so painful that you've got to do something [to alleviate pain] to play or work or whatever it is you do with your hands and fingers.

Two other things that aggravate this problem are:
Well, age. We're drying up.
And alcohol. If you're a steady drinker, alcohol will rob your body of moisture (among other things, as we all know).

I have found when using Desitin, that if you can cover up the hurtful area, then the ointment will work quicker. BUT - it's a tough call; Because we're talking about the most active part of our body - the hand & fingers.

And we are constantly using them.

Oh well. That's my experience with skin cracking. Hope this helps some of yahs.

Chipper Smile

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Hi David. I work in a warehouse handling cardboard cartons all day long. The fingertips take a beating and kind of just wear away.

The best I've found is Neutrogena hand cream which I discovered in my years in the automotive repair industry. It was the only thing that worked and it worked well for the hands.

However, the fingertips are especially troublesome. As stated, the ointment helps considerably, but oftimes the only relief is to crazy glue the tips as a sort of buffer until they heal, then you kinda start all over again.

I'm not sure how the medical community views super glue as a remedy/preventative measure, but it works better than anything else for me.