I work outdoors and have dry cracked skin on my hands; lotions do not repair the damage. Help?
By Ken T.
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A lady helped my husband with this. His would crack so deep they bled, and he went to doctor after doctor, and was even prescribed a $500 tube of medication.
She said to use pure aloe vera gel and vitamin E oil, rubbed into the hands, and cover with non-porous gloves, such as medical gloves.
He also drinks about 4 ounces of aloe vera juice a day, and takes vitamins E and C, as well as a multi-vit.
After about 2 weeks, his hands were remarkably better. He has been doing this for almost 2 months. His hands still crack. We think related to his hand contact with the steering wheel of his 18 wheeler, but this treatment is inexpensive and easy even for him.
Best of luck to you!
Growing up on a farm, I was taught that very little works as good as Bag Balm. Imagine what it would be like to have cracked...um...udders.
I think this would help, also the other poster had an excellent tip. Often times, help from within is more effective than from without.
We all need C and lots of water. I hope these two tips help.
PBP
Nothing is as good as Bag Balm. Almost always available at feed stores.
You can also try putting vaseline / petroleum jelly on your hands at night and cover them with soft cotton socks so the vaseline / petroleum jelly has time to absorb into your sink vs. being wiped off while sleeping.
Has a weird name but Corn Huskers Lotion works great, is totally non-greasy like most other dry skin remedies are and has been around for over six decades. It was invented in Iowa and you can probably guess by the name what it was originally used for ;-) It's in most pharmacies and definitely at WalMart.
I use a Paraffin Wax Machine and it works wonders on my hands especially when they are dry and cracked. First I put Bag Balm on my hands and then dip my hands into the hot wax coating them with a heavy coat. I leave it on for 10-15 minutes. When I take the wax off, my hands feel so good. I can tell a difference immediately.
The wax machine was given to me for Christmas about 15 years ago and it has really been a life saver for my hands.
Ken, I empathize and sympathize. A couple years ago I picked up a tube of Chap-Stick - for lips - Moisturizer formula (in the KY Wildcat blue tube!) lying on the nightstand and decided to rub it on my fingertips, thinking, oh, well, why not? They had so painfully cracked and bled on the ends and around my nails for years.
The dermatologist told me I was allergic to water. I tried to wear vinyl gloves so I didn't have to wash my hands so often, but that and endless lotions and potions did little to help (I did not do aloe vera or bag balm).
I kept applying the Chap-Stick several times throughout the day, rubbing it well into the skin. I was amazed, but lo and behold, they healed! Praise the Lord. I haven't been as diligent this winter about applying it, so there's some dry skin cracks on both sides of, and slightly on, the fingertips, but no bleeding and no pain!
I still use vinyl gloves, keep my hands out of water as much as possible, and I keep a tube of Chap-Stick in my pants pocket, in my purse, in the car, around the house - and buy it in multi-packs. This has been a real blessing for me; I pray it will be for you, also.
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