The skin on your hands dries and cracks. Skin treatment

Symptoms of pathology

Cracks in the hands cause discomfort. If a bacterial infection gets into them, swelling and inflammation begin, and pus is produced and accumulates in the wound. Symptoms depend on location:

Finger pads - the epithelium becomes coarser, then rises, an open, painful gap is formed.
The interdigital space is a very delicate place. If a person is used to working without gloves with water and chemicals, then a burning sensation is felt in these areas, and the skin gradually cracks.
The area around the nails - deep bleeding cracks form around them and in the corners. They interfere with everyday life, work, and spending time at the computer.

What do cracks on hands look like?

General signs of disorders in the epithelium are gradual coarsening of the skin, dryness, and discoloration along Langer's lines. The stripes turn white and become clearer. After this, damage occurs. The condition of the nails also changes - they peel, turn white, and break, as in the photo below.

Prevention of cracks

To protect your hands from cracks, it is very important to follow prevention. The causes of dry skin that are associated with external factors can be eliminated by following simple rules:

You should drink more water during the cold season.
Wash dishes and do household cleaning only with rubber gloves.
Use antibacterial soap as little as possible, as it dries out the skin.
It is advisable to use mild soap that contains moisturizing agents.
Regularly care for the skin of your hands using folk remedies or cosmetic procedures.
When choosing a cream, it is very important to study the composition and make sure that there are no allergies to these components. In addition, you need to check the expiration date of the product.
In summer, you should protect your hands with UV creams.
When working in the garden or vegetable garden, you need to use household gloves.

You need to know how to choose the right cream - it should not contain alkali. The main function of the product is moisturizing and softening. Therefore, any cream must contain the following softening components: propylene glycol, lanolin, glycerol stearate, jojoba oil. Urea, lactic and hyaluronic acid, and sorbitol help moisturize the skin.

Oils for dryness

There is a large list of useful hand skin care products. Oils for dryness include:

Olive.
Shea Butter.
Sea buckthorn.
Almond.
Peach.

Folk remedies

When the skin on your hands begins to crack or dry out, you can prepare your own cream at home. For this you can use the following ingredients: olive oil, honey, flour, turmeric, a few drops of sandalwood oil. It is important to know if your hands are peeling and cracking, what to do in this case.

Before using folk remedies, you must make sure that you are not allergic to their components.

Proper nutrition

After determining the reasons why the skin on your hands dries and cracks, you can begin to create the right diet. In case of problems due to internal changes in the body, it is necessary to follow a special cleansing diet. You should remove cocoa, spices, coffee, chocolate, sugar, flour and confectionery products from your diet.

Your daily diet should include fruits and vegetables, fresh herbs. It is advisable to exclude meat from your diet for a while, then you can consume it in small quantities. It is better to use meat such as veal and turkey. It is not advisable to eat chicken, as it contains many antibiotics and hormones.

In addition, it is advisable to drink at least one and a half liters of clean water every day. With its help, clogged lymph is cleared, which helps swelling go away.

Itchy and flaky skin is an unpleasant and painful phenomenon. Having experienced a skin disease, you don’t want to encounter it again. To prevent skin peeling, you need to follow good hygiene and eat right.

To avoid drying and flaking of the skin in winter, you must follow these rules:

Gloves and mittens should be worn indoors before going outside,
Do not allow your palms to get wet outside in frosty weather,
Before leaving the house in the cold, be sure to lubricate your hands with protective cream.

If your hands are constantly peeling, then you should think about changing your diet. Perhaps the skin on your palms is peeling due to poor nutrition. The daily menu must include plant foods, fresh herbs, eggs, dairy products, natural juices, cereals, nuts, and any vegetable oils.

Why do cracks appear on fingers?

To select therapy, you need to identify the causes of cracks in your hands - incorrect treatment will only worsen the problem. They are divided into external and internal. Options:

External ones are cold, dry air, prolonged contact with chemicals, water without protective equipment.
Internal – diseases of systems/organs, skin lesions, nail fungus.

External stimuli

Dry skin on the fingers may be due to external factors. These include:

temperature difference;
dry air;
chemical irritants;
constant contact with water.

The phalanges of the fingers crack if you quickly rub your palms after being in the cold. When exposed to sudden heat, the blood vessels fail to cope. The skin loses elasticity and moisture. Cracks appear.

If the air is dry, the skin peels and then cracks.

If you have low indoor humidity, humidify the air periodically, especially in winter.

This will prevent troubles with the skin of your hands - it will remain soft and tender.

When working with chemicals, in oil, salt, metallurgical or other hazardous industries, the fingers gradually crack and pain appears.

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Those who frequently come into contact with water and detergents have a problem with painful cracks on their fingers and palms. Constant wetting and household chemicals wash away natural lubrication and moisture, dry out the skin, and cause injury.

Internal pathologies

The skin on the fingers also bursts due to diseases in the body, various conditions. This:

Lack of vitamins. For skin health, you need vitamins A, B, ascorbic acid and plant foods containing them.
Hormonal imbalance. The ratio is disrupted during menopause, during and after pregnancy, and with hypothyroidism.
Heredity. There is a genetic tendency to allergies or atopic dermatitis, leading to cracks in the skin.
Skin diseases. This includes all types of eczema, psoriasis, and contact dermatitis.
Problems in the body. The most common causes are diabetes mellitus, anemia, Raynaud's disease, scleroderma, hematopoietic pathologies, and neurological crisis.
Fungal infections. Dermatomycosis and onychomycosis cause cracking of the skin between the fingers, under the nail plates.
Allergy. More often it is caused by irritants in household chemicals.

What diseases does cracked skin on the hands indicate?

Cracks in the hands can be caused by water-salt imbalance or other internal health problems.

Infectious and non-infectious skin diseases

Infectious and non-infectious diseases accompanied by dryness and cracks of the skin:

eczema – characterized by itching, the appearance of blisters and pustules;
fungus (microsporia, trichophytosis, rubrophytosis, pityriasis versicolor) - externally manifested by peeling of the hands and cracks, which are replaced by inflamed blisters;
ichthyosis is a genetic disease that is characterized by disruption of the process of keratinization of the skin with the formation of hard scales;
palmoplantar psoriasis – the skin thickens and becomes rough;
atopic dermatitis is a genetic disease accompanied by itching;
and some other diseases.

Diseases of internal organs

Cracks in the hands can also be caused by:

hormonal imbalance;
endocrine diseases;
allergies;
lack of vitamins and minerals;
diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
Sjögren's syndrome (systemic connective tissue damage);
Reiter's syndrome (a combination of arthritis, prostatitis and conjunctivitis);
age-related changes.

Parasites

Often a visible skin defect is the result of a long chain of changes in the body. For example, if parasites have settled in the human body, they disrupt the normal permeability of the intestinal mucosa. As a result, the risk of large food particles penetrating into it increases, which provokes allergies.

Any disturbances in the functioning of the digestive system are reflected on the skin in the form of rashes, pigmentation, dull color and dry skin.

Thus, therapy will be effective if it is aimed not at eliminating dryness and normalizing the water-salt balance, but at getting rid of parasites. This is why it is so important to always find the source of the problem, and not limit yourself to symptomatic treatment.

What to do if the skin on your fingers is cracked

If you find cracks, consult a dermatologist.

He identifies factors in the development of the problem and prescribes treatment. Therapy depends on the cause of the irritation:

If the cause is external, then to get rid of the cracks you need to remove the external irritant and use local moisturizing and healing agents - ointment, cream, solution.
If the cause is inside the body, then the doctor prescribes complex therapy to get rid of the pathology.
The duration of treatment is influenced by: the severity of the disease;
associated and individual factors (allergy, pregnancy, others);
neglect of the disease;
state of the immune system.

For internal reasons, to strengthen the immune system and eliminate dry skin, you need to take vitamin complexes. During therapy you cannot:

Keep your hands in the water for a long time.
Work without gloves.
Apply varnish to the nail plates.

How to treat cracked fingers at home

After consulting with your doctor, you can treat your skin at home. The optimal method is herbal baths, which are done every day. Recipe:

Take 2-3 capsules of retinol and tocopherol (vitamin A and E), a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil, preferably olive, and lemon juice, 4-5 drops.
Heat the oil slightly, pour in the vitamins and citrus juice. Mix everything.
Keep your hands in the mixture for 15-20 minutes.
Afterwards, do not wipe your hands, but blot them a little with paper napkins.

The second recipe includes 150 g of oatmeal cooked in milk and 1 tbsp. l. sunflower oil:

Pour 1 tsp into the mixture. natural honey.
Keep your hands in the composition for 10 minutes.
Then rinse them with chamomile or any other decoction, apply baby cream.

If you don’t have time at all, you can take a five-minute bath with chamomile infusion and tea tree or jojoba essential oil.

A safe proportion that gives a noticeable effect is to take 10 drops of essential oil per 250 ml of warm liquid.

What to apply to your hands for cracks and dryness

Dermatologists recommend the following pharmaceutical products for treating hands:

D-Panthenol is a wound-healing cream for chapped hands with riboflavin and thiamine. It has an antiseptic effect thanks to chlorhexidine.
Bepanten - contains a vitamin complex - calciferol, tocopherol, retinol, lanolin. The product relieves inflammation, heals wounds, softens the skin.
Eplan is an analgesic, regenerating, antiseptic, wound healing solution. It softens and moisturizes the skin, kills pathogenic microorganisms, and prevents the appearance of pus.
Sea buckthorn cream is a natural product based on berry juice. The composition quickly heals the skin and protects from external influences.

All products must be used according to the instructions. The main thing is to do this regularly, without skipping procedures, otherwise there will be no effect. If the medication worsens your condition or an allergic reaction occurs, you should immediately consult a doctor.

How to get rid of dry and cracked skin on your hands at home?

To eliminate the influence of negative external factors on the skin of your hands, you must begin to follow these rules:

When in contact with chemicals, soil, ash, etc., always use rubber or protective cotton gloves.
Do not wash your hands with too hot or too cold water.
To wash your hands, use only high-quality mild soap.
Apply moisturizing and nourishing creams to the skin of your hands (especially after exposure to external negative factors).
Choose the right hand skin care products and choose only high-quality products.
During the cold season, wear warm gloves or mittens and use protective creams.
Before sunbathing, apply sunscreen to your skin.
Normalize your diet and include in your daily diet a sufficient amount of foods that are rich in B vitamins, vitamins A, P, C and E.
Install a water filter if tap water is hard.
Use a room humidifier.

What to do to speed up the healing of cracks?

When deep and painful cracks appear, dermatologists recommend adhering to the following rules:

“Seal” the crack with BF-6 glue (you can buy it at the pharmacy). To do this, wash and dry your hands and apply a few drops of glue to the damage. Let it dry.
No other treatment should be carried out for 5-7 days.
After a week, you can use care products for dry and crack-prone hand skin.

How to properly wash your hands if you are prone to cracks?

Proper hand washing will help get rid of many hand skin problems: dryness, peeling and cracks. For washing, use only warm water and mild soap. After this, your hands should be carefully dried with a soft towel and immediately apply a moisturizing or nourishing cream to them.

People who, due to their professional activities, have to wash their hands many times, need to replace traditional washing with skin treatment using special disinfectant gels or wipes. Although many of these products contain alcohol, they are much gentler on the skin than soap and water.

How to choose the right hand moisturizer?

The pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry offers consumers a variety of products for moisturizing the skin of the hands. In order not to get confused among such a wide range, you should remember that only two types of ingredients can cope with the task of softening and moisturizing the skin. The composition of the “correct” cream should include:

Emollients. They act as a lubricant for the surface layer of the skin and make it soft, smooth and elastic. That is why the cream must contain at least one of these ingredients: glycerin stearate, jojoba oil, lanolin, propylene glycol, isopropyl palmitate or squalene.
Moisturizers. They seem to attract water from the environment to the outer layer of the skin of the hands and relieve it from drying out. A quality cream should contain one of the following components: hyaluronic acid, lactic acid, sorbitol, glycerin, urea or propylene glycol.

If your skin is drier, rougher and prone to bleeding cracks, you should choose thicker hand care products. The composition of such creams should include the following components:

petrolatum,
Shea Butter,
beeswax,
cacao butter,
Dimethicone

Such thick moisturizers should be applied during the day in the usual way, and before going to bed, lubricate your hands with a thicker layer of care product and put on cotton gloves, leaving them on until the morning.

Many dermatologists recommend using the following moisturizing and emollient products to care for dry skin on hands:

Lipikar,
EUCERIN,
Cutibaza,
Atopiclair,
HIDRADERM Sesvalia (Sesderma),
Bepanten ointment,
Remederm silver
TOPICREM
Locobase Repair,
La Roche Posay Iso-Urea MD Baume Psoriasis et al.

When choosing creams that promote the healing of cracks on the hands, you should choose products that include:

lanolin and D-panthenol,
vitamins A, F and E,
extracts: propolis, plantain, black pine, chamomile, avocado, coltsfoot, grape seed, Siberian larch,
essential oils: mint, Siberian fir, chamomile, white fir, lemon, tea tree,
oils: avocado, peanut, sea buckthorn, calendula, jojoba, olive tree, carrot, almond.

Folk remedies

Traditional medicine suggests using various baths, masks and ointments to treat cracks on the hands. In most cases, these products are effective and significantly improve the condition of the skin on the hands. Before using them, you should make sure that there are no allergic reactions to the components of the traditional recipe.

Treatment of hand skin with folk remedies

Therapy with alternative means is effective if the damage occurs due to external reasons. Here are some recipes:

Dilute beeswax in a water bath. The wax should be hot, but not hot enough to burn you. Dip your fingertips into wax. Once it hardens, you need to put on cotton gloves. Keep for 12 hours. Carry out the procedure every day until the damage heals.
Pour glycerin into warm milk and stir. Take baths for 10–15 minutes several times a day.

A useful composition is obtained if you take chamomile, plantain, string, and calendula in equal parts. Sequencing:

Pour 250 ml of boiling water over 1 tbsp. l. herbal mixture. Leave overnight.
Take 1 tbsp. l. butter, 1 tsp. Grind almond cream with 1 tsp. honey
Combine with 1 tbsp. l. herbal tincture.
Apply the mixture to the affected areas several times a day until the wounds heal.

How to get rid of dry and cracked skin on your hands at home?

Folk remedies

The topic of dry lips cannot be ignored when talking about chapped hands. Why? You yourself notice that these two cosmetic troubles often go hand in hand, and when your hands crack, your lips dry out at the same time. The problem is very pronounced in winter. Therefore, when applying the nourishing mixture to your hands in the evenings, do not ignore your lips.

To soften them, you can use Shea butter. This is an amazing product that is better than other oils at softening and nourishing the skin. Heat a piece of oil in your hand or in a water bath and apply to your lips. You can do this before going outside, using the product instead of balm.

Also, during the cold season, make yourself a balm based on beeswax and oils. To do this, melt 10 g of wax in a water bath, add 10 g of cocoa butter, 4 drops of chamomile essential oil and 2 drops of rose oil. Pour the balm into a small jar and lubricate your lips with it every day.

How to avoid cracks in your fingers

Preventive measures will help prevent damage to the skin of your hands. What to do to avoid the appearance of epithelial breaks on the palms, fingers and hands:

Do not use aggressive cleaning products - only gels and soaps that do not have an alkaline base.
Use a towel/napkins - hot air from the dryer destroys the natural lubricant on the skin.
Work with gloves - thin latex gloves are suitable for the home, and construction gloves made of thick fabric are suitable for gardening and repairs.
Take care of your hands - apply creams in winter and summer. In cold weather we need nourishing ones, in warm weather we need protective and moisturizing ones.
Proper nutrition, balanced diet. If food does not contain all the nutrients the body needs, this can lead to vitamin deficiency, which often causes skin problems. Drink two liters of water daily, avoid mono-diets.

Therapeutics

If cracks in the skin of the hands become inflamed and do not heal, then self-treatment should be abandoned. In this option, a visit to the doctor is required. Only a specialist will be able to determine the true root cause of the dermatological problem and prescribe adequate treatment to the patient.

The following pharmaceutical preparations are used to heal cracks:

Ointments

Levomekol - inhibits the activity of pathogenic microflora and promotes wound healing.
Boro Plus is an effective bactericidal and antifungal agent.
Bepanten - the active component - vitamin B6 - promotes the healing of cracks and accelerates the regeneration of damaged tissues.
Prednisolone - ointment is effective for treating cracks in the skin of the hands caused by an allergic reaction;
Lamisil - treats cracks caused by fungal infection.
Balsamed - helps eliminate dry skin on the hands and prevents the formation of cracks.
Finger Fix is a vitamin-based ointment that has a protective effect and quickly restores damage to the skin.

Crema

Healer - the active component (aloe juice) promotes the healing of cracks and makes the skin of the hands healthy.
Sea wolf - the cream contains seaweed, they treat dry and cracked hand skin.
Zorka - cream activates metabolic processes, promotes the healing of cracks and abrasions on the skin.
Radevit - a cream based on vitamins A, E, D relieves irritation, promotes the healing of cracks, and eliminates the feeling of skin tightness.