What should I do to heal my cracked hands? Discover in this article, the cause of cracked hands or skin. What to do for dry cracked hands in order to heal. Furthermore, know how to determine the best cracked hands lotions and creams that will aid in faster healing.
It is better to have freckles on hands rather than the unsightly cracked hands. Cracks on hands can limit your activities in the house, the garden and the workplace. Sometimes the cracks can get painful and uncomfortable to the point of bleeding. Your hands feel like sand paper and appear to be unhealthy all the time when you have cracked hands. You try using very cold or hot water and the pain gets unbearable.
Unlike cracked feet, which you can hide away in closed shoes, cracked hands will draw attention to anyone you meet and greet especially if you are meeting new clients all the time. It is impossible to wear gloves throughout in summer months however, in winter it is understandable. In order to avoid wearing gloves all the time, the best thing would be to prevent getting cracks in the first place. Treating cracked hands can be costly especially when they become infected. To be able to treat cracked hands effectively you have to know their cause. What are the causes of cracked skin on hands and what are the best lotions and creams to heal them? Let us explore them shortly.
Cracked Hands Causes -Lack of Moisture
You may have cracked hands just because you do not moisturize your hands as often as you should. Similarly, your hands may be cracked because of washing them with hot water and washing them regularly. The use of some detergents and chemicals used in household cleaning agents may also deprive your hands moisture and they become cracked.
Cracked hands causes are generally those that deprive the skin moisture because of what you do or fail to do. They can easily be healed with moisturizers that add high content moisture. This is possible with hand creams and lotions. Other causes that deprive your hands moisture include:
Age
Cold weather or low humidity
Chlorinated water
Cracked Bleeding Hands Word of Caution
Dry hands may get worse by getting cracked and bleeding. When they this happens, it is time to see a dermatologist to identify what could be ailing your hands. Cracked bleeding hands maybe accompanied by a crust, which is the color of honey. Furthermore, they may be swollen and you may have red strips moving up the arm. They are uncomfortable and unsightly and you should therefore see a doctor for a prescription of steroid creams.
Severely Dry Cracked Hands Causes
If you have severely dry cracked hands that will not go away with the use of ointments, lotions and creams, you would still have to see a doctor to be check your hands. Severely dry cracked hands could be a sign of:
- Atopic dermatitis
- Psoriasis
- Allergies
An autoimmune condition that causes inflammation
Cracked Skin on Hands Prevention Tips
Since the main cause of cracked skin on hands is lack of moisture, the best thing is to avoid depriving the skin the much-needed moisture. For starters, when doing any wet work, it would be appropriate if you wore latex or vinyl gloves when doing house chores such as dish washing or mopping the floor.
On the other hand, if you are doing gardening, you may have to wear gloves made of cloth to protect the skin on your hands from tear and wear. Moisturize your hands before wearing any of these gloves to keep you hands with enough moisture.
It is normal to wash your hands regularly especially after visiting the restroom to kill any germs you may have collected while doing your business there. Instead of using lathery soaps to wash your hands, which could also be the cause of allergies on your skin, settle for bacterial wipes and hand sanitizers. Although, wipes and sanitizers contain alcohol, which causes drying of skin, it is better than having to wash your hands with water and soap each time you live the clock room. Any cracked skin on hands can heal by limiting the number of times you wash it in a day.
The master of all preventing tips for cracked skin on hands is moisturizing regularly in a day. Do not moisturize only when you wash, wipe or sanitize your hands, but do it often to replace moisture that evaporates in the air. You should moisturize your hands 5-6 times in a day if you want to stay with enough moisture all day long.
How to Heal Cracked Hands – Treatment
Treatments that can heal cracked hands range from ointments, creams and lotions. Ointments are the most effective. You may have to use an ointment prescribed by your doctor, however, if you get cracked hands from washing with harsh detergents you can try treating them at home with hydrocortisone or antibiotic topical creams you have in the house. This should be followed with a band-aid or gauze to prevent the crack from being infected.
Similarly, how to heal cracked hands with creams is also effective because they rich in moisture. Lotions come in the last position as effective treatment for cracked hands. Therefore, if you can have a doctor prescribe an ointment the better, even better when you have one in the house. However, feel free to more of creams than lotions. If your job requires typing on your computer keyboard, a non-greasy lotion maybe the best on your hands.
Best Lotion for Cracked Hands – Buying Guide
When shopping for best lotion for your cracked hands, it is important to read the ingredients label. This way, you will know what products will be going on your sensitive skin. Some products contain harmful chemicals that would only make your cracked hands worse.
Therefore, look for best lotion for cracked hands with natural ingredients. Organic components have been derived from Mother Nature and do not have toxins. They would do a great job in healing your cracked hands without leaving you long-term adverse effects. Additionally, the best lotion or cream should not have fragrances or dyes that could cause irritations on your skin.
Look for the emollients in lotions fro cracked hands. Emollients are responsible for making the lotion slide on your skin smoothly. The best lotion for cracked hands should consist of natural emollients, which are antibacterial and antifungal. A good example of emollients is lanolin and jojoba oil.
The other thing to look for is humectants, the properties that draw moisture from the air to add to your cracked skin. A good lotion should not just sit on your skin without making it smooth and supple. It should offer moisture and draw extra from the environment.
Natural ingredients of emollients and humectants should be your buying guide when looking for hand creams.
Best Hand Cream for Cracked Hands- Ingredients
When buying any cracked hands treatment the ingredients label should be the first thing you look at before even knowing how much the product costs. The ingredients will determine if you will get your soft and supple hands back or they will just keep getting worse by the day.
The best hand cream for cracked hands should contain some of the following emollients and humectants:
- Urea
- Bees wax
- Jojoba oil
- Dimethicone
- Lanolin
- Shea butter
- Petrolatum
- Glycerin
- Lactic acid
- Isopropyl palmitate
- Glycerol stearate
- Squalene
- Hyaluronic acid
- Sorbitol
- Propylene glycol among others
Remember to wear gloves on your hands when you apply the creams or lotions for them to moisturize deeply. If you cannot wear gloves during the day, doing it overnight only would still give you supple and soft hands.
