Ya' know those little cuts...

L Sass

L Sass

Cathlete
that you get on your fingers because your skin is SOOOO dry in the winter time? You know - the ones that HURT so da** bad? For those of you who know what I'm talking about - anyone know of any way to make them heal faster?

Lorrie

Pain is temporary - quitting lasts forever
Candace Grasso, CC-V-6
 
sorry...not sure how to make them heal faster, but I would love to know! I've been dealing with them for the past month :( As I type this, I have bandaids on two fingers!

Can anyone help?

lisa
 
When I used to work in the dietary dept. of the hospital and had to wash my hands about 100 times a day and then dry them with those terrible brown paper towels, I would get these every winter. The only thing that I ever found to help was Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream. It's available at most drugstores. HTH.
 
Lorrie, I really do feel your pain. :-( I get those in the winter, too, and they hurt something ridiculous, don't they?

My old-timey remedy, which really does help but looks goofy, is to put Neosporin on the cuts, then slather my hands in Aquaphor ointment, and then put on cotton gloves and sleep in them. My sons have always given me so much grief about this -- they think I look like Michael Jackson -- but what the heck, it works! The gloves I use are called "Moisture Jamzz", and here's a link to them at a good price ($10):

http://folica.stores.yahoo.net/moisjammoisg.html (Moisture Jamzz)

You can also use (and I have used) cotton gardening gloves -- anything cotton will do.

Aquaphor is a very greasy, Vaseline-ish ointment and I buy it in big tubs at my drug store. It's just yucky, so don't put it on until RIGHT before bedtime! Here's a link describing it -- it's made by the same company that makes Eucerin, which is a heavy-duty facial moisturizer (pretty good one).

http://www.eucerinus.com/products/hb_aho.html (Aquaphor)

Hope your poor little hands feel better!!!

http://www.clicksmilies.com/s1106/sport/sport-smiley-003.gif Kathy S. http://planetsmilies.net/sport-smiley-5536.gif
 
Lorrie, ouch. I know what you are talking about. For some reason the only thing that I have found that has worked for me is Burt's Bee Milk and Honey lotion. When I first got it about a week ago, I had to keep putting in on a lot through out the day, but now my dryness calmed down a lot and I put it on maybe twice a day.

I hope you find something that works for you.

Lea
 
Yes, I know! And they start almost as soon as you turn the furnace on. I tried everything and still ended up spending a fortune on neosporin and bandaids every winter. It is difficult to keep lotion on all the time b/c I have animals and I wash my hands all day long. But good news! I have found something that works extremely well. It is by DermaDoctor and is called Handy Manum. It is a very lightweight gel that absorbs quickly and doesn't leave your hands greasy at all (really). You can apply it up to four times a day. If you already have cuts and fissures on your fingers, it will heal them very quickly; and if you use it daily, it will help prevent them. You can purchase it at http://www.dermadoctor.com At the same website, you can also purchase a product called Epilyt, which is very similar and not quite as expensive. It doesn't work quite as well as Handy Manum, but it is almost as good. I buy both and alternate them to save a little $$$, and this works very well for me. If I need a little extra moisture at night sometimes I add Johnson's Extra Care Healing Handcream, but the Handy Manum and Epilyt are very effective.

MissL
 
I second the Neutrogena Hand Cream. I was just putting it on as I read your post. Every night (especially in winter) I rub a little oil into my cuticles and then use the Neutrogena. It helps immensely. My hands are hurting, too. I just spent the day stripping wallpaper in my bathroom. These poor hands need some pampering!
 
"Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream" - good stuff! I've used it for years after I heard Paul Harvey talk about the Norwegian fishermen using it.
 
The knuckles on my right hand are continuously sore from December through March... and I haven't yet found a cream that will help. So bumping this!!
 
The Neosporin is a good idea. Also I second Nuetrogena hand cream, that stuff is awesome. The only problem is it can cause some stinging if you have cuts. Eucerin doesn't b/c it's so gentle & just as moisturizing.

As someone who suffers with psoriasis I go through this every winter & it can be painful to the point of debilitating. One thing I do to prevent it is smother my hands in either the topical meds I get or, if my hands aren't bad yet, just plain old vaseline, right before I go to bed & cover them w/spa gloves (those little cotton gloves they have at spas & such--you can find them easily online). It feels a little awkward at first, but when you get up the next morning your hands will feel as soft as a baby's behind. :) If you have cuts on your hands try it w/the neosporin--I bet by morning those little cuts'll be all healed.
 
Hi!

I don't know how to make them heal faster but to I know how to prevent them. I thickly coat my hands in hand lotion and then put on cotton gloves. I wear this to bed. My hands look great. I only do it in the winter. I also put vaseline on my lips every night before I go to bed. I don't have chapped lips either.:)
 
I agree with MissyL. I use Handy Manum and it works extremely well to heal the little cuts and fissures on your hands.

It's a good idea to use an antibiotic ointment, too, but NOT NEOPSORIN, Neosporin contains neomycin which is notorious for causing contact dermatitis. POLYSPORIN is a much better choice.;)
 
I get painful little splits in my skin around my fingernails. I think it's because I cut my nails too short. I use a liquid bandaid called "New Skin". It hurts like an SOB when you put it on, but after a couple of coats it really works.

HTH.
Susan L.G.
 
Lorrie-
You're going to think I'm nuts, but when my cuts get to the point where they won't heal, I put a little drop of Super Glue on the cut and let it dry. It makes the pain go away, waterproofs the area for a day or so, and according to Prevention magazine, (I THINK that's where I learned this trick) it's harmless. I may have to reapply a drop before it actually heals because it does wear off with handwashing and work, but it sure heals up quicker when you get that skin "fastened" back together. Anyway, it works for me. :7
 
>Lorrie-
>You're going to think I'm nuts, but when my cuts get to the
>point where they won't heal, I put a little drop of Super Glue
>on the cut and let it dry.

I was going to suggest a liquid bandage (which is what I use for paper cuts...as a teacher, I seem to get a lot of them!).
 
A really good liquid bandage that is very inexpensive and goes a long way is something called Flexible Collodion. You can get it w/o a prescription, but you have to ask the pharmacist for it and sometimes they have to order it for you. It works (and burns) a lot like the New Skin. It can be applied with a Q-tip.

MissL
 
Wow, I thought this was going to be a question about muscle definition!

I get those cuts and splits too. A good hand lotion is Aveeno Intense Relief Hand Cream. It comes in a short squeeze tube with a dark purple cap. This stuff is marvelously thick, absorbs leaving a non-greasy feel, and lasts through hand washing--as the label claims. It really does last through the hand washing.

When I go outside, I wear Isotoner gloves.

I also try to quit chewing on my fingers. (some of you are saying "eww gross" but I know others of you are finger biters too!)


Gisela
 
I use two things that help me keep dry cracked skin at bay...100% shea butter or Aveda's Hand Relief. Both of these work wonders for me. I've used the Neutrogena cream in the past and it worked well for me too.

Tracey
"Where there's a will, there's a way."
 
I second auquaphor. My pediatrician recommended it to me for my son's dry skin and diaper rash. At first I thought it was a waste of money, just glorified vaseline, but I tried a sample and it's miracle cream! I use it now for anything dry skin related. It's worth the extra money.

Sally
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top