Try smearing vaseline on at night and wearing gloves to bed, do it a fear times in a row and then maybe every couple of days, good luck,

Sandy

Thanks, Sandy. Will certainly try that.

Ann

My sister-in-law suffers from cracked skin - she says she has had the most relief from a combination of taking 1000mg of Lysine per day and rubbing on a mixture of pure, liquid lanolin and a cream made for healing diabetic ulcers. The first 2 can be had at most health food stores or probably on-line from the Vitamin Shoppe, the last, I am not sure, but can ask her.

Another friend swears by a cream called Rex-Eme (comes in a tube), which most drug stores should carry.

Making sure he is drinking enough water during the day, and taking fish oil capsules won't hurt - I can get ragged-y cuticles and very dry hands if I get lax about drinking water, esp. in winter.

Another possibility is that matters are being exacerbated by a reaction to the detergent/soap he is using. Try switching to Ivory or any other plain soap, with as few ingredients as possible. And washing in luke-warm water, rather than very hot water might help also.

THANKS, DIBBIT...all new information and very much worth trying.

Ann

What is he washing his hand with? Detergents and commercial soap will dry them out badly. Try buying some superfatted homemade soap and use just that to clean hands. I really saw a difference when I starting making my own soap from scratch (not melt and pour). Commercial soaps have all the glycerin removed and are very drying as are detergents.

The lanolin (dibbit mentioned) you can also buy in the baby section of walmart for nursing mothers, when I had my son the OB at the hospital used it on her hands. A&D ointment (also found in the baby department) works well and is very similar. My experience is for very severe chapped skin is to apply it at night after a long warm shower when your skin is the most hydrated so it can sink in over night.

-Sheila

How can I thank all of you! What wonderful suggestions. At least we have a WalMart in our small town so I am going to load up on all this good stuff this week. Not sure I can find de-fatted soap there, but I'll have someone in a city run it down for me.

What great people we meet on this site! THANK YOU ALL.

Ann

Cornhuskers lotion and vitamin E capsules works for me.

My husband uses the Neutrogena Hand Cream in tubes. You may see advertising about it being the "kind fishermen use". It is an extremely heavy cream, which he applies heavily before work. It soaks into his skin during the drive to his job, kind of leaves a coating on skin for the day. Husband works outside all day, seldom wears gloves in his farrier work. This is the ONLY cream he has used that stays working all day. Seems to only need it applied that once in the AM. He tried ALL the others, Corn Huskers, Bag Balm, along with a number of home remedies like straight lanolin and rendered goose grease. The skin still would split and crack despite repeated applications.

I have also had great luck with this Neutrogena cream, but usually put it on before bed, because I don't have the time to let it soak in during the morning. It is pretty wonderful stuff, sure has helped both of us in not getting the deep skin cracks of the past. I do wear my gloves!!

While I consider all of their products wonderful, the handcream in the tube, only comes in the tube. None of their other handcreams, lotions, are the same heavy mix as the tube stuff. The soothing lotion is close, but not as stiff and heavy.

I would give the handcream a few days or week, to show the best effects if his hands are so very bad. I would have him put it on a couple times a day, when he can let it soak in. It will make his hands slippery! Start with a little dab, tiny, rub it in to see how far it goes. I work it into the cuticles especially, may leave a bit extra there to soak in slowly. Then apply more and rub it in skin of hands. Most folk squirt out way too much, can't rub it all in, have to share with someone or wipe off on a towel. You should see results within a couple days, but raw, split skin closing, healing, takes a bit more time. I use this heavy handcream on my horses when they have new skin that needs protection from the cold wind, dry air of winter to prevent splitting scabs open. Works pretty well.

I am always amazed at how long those small, 3oz tubes last. I guess because you only need a bit to do both your hands.

You might check with his Dr., to see if any of his medications are having dry skin as a side effect. The hot water hand washing, harsh soaps can be a big factor in skin drying as others mentioned. The bar soaps Neutrogena puts out are very cleansing, without being terribly skin drying. Work well in any water type, and in either hot or cold water. I take mine camping. You never know what the water will wash like, biodegradable fast. Bars do need good drainage so bars don't melt away real fast.

Hope some of these ideas are useful. Split skin on your hands is SO hard to live with, constant chance of infections when working.

Thanks again, folks. I can't believe all the good help I am getting here and I plan to buy every bit of it. Can always use these suggestions on other skin problems.

When you use the Vitamin E caps, I'm assuming you open and rub on the skin...or do you take these to make the skin healthier?

My farmer dad used Cornhuskers over 60 years ago; I didn't know it was still made. As I recall, that was about all that was available then. Maybe something from Watkins that was made for animals?

Such great ideas. Truly appreciate you.

Ann

When cornhuskers and other ointments didn't work for me I learned that I had exima, and then learned that it was coffee (believe it or not) that was causing the exima. I'm ok with decaf but cann't drink regular coffee any more. I used to drink it at every meal and sometimes in between. If he drinks alot of it maybe he should try giving it up and see if that makes any difference. Hope he is better soon.

Superfatted soap - heavy on the fat so it moisturizes.
Also, udder cream works great!

He can also slather on the cream/lotion/vaseline before bed, & put on a pair of cotton gloves to keep the lotion on the hands rather than on the bedclothes.

works for cracked heels/feet, too.

& a friend of mine swears by tea tree oil for cracked & irritated cuticles.

She says it smells funny, but it's better than bleeding cuticles.

Best luck!

First off, when it's bad and chapped, wash the hands before bed and slather on the Bag Balm. Find some cotton gloves to wear to bed. Do this for a few nights until improved. The Bag Balm has antiseptic which helps heal and reduce the inflammation (pain). When it's under control, I also recommend a waxy hand cream like Nuetrogena, which leaves a coating on the hand. He may need a regular moisturizer, too. Try keeping it where he washes his hands. Let me know how the Bag Balm works out, I think he'll find relief.

Udder cream works great. It has lanolin and vit A and E in it, and it's not greasy like bag balm, since it doesn't have the petroleum jelly in it. Also, there is a lanolin liquid that I use on my horse's mane/tail that leaves my hands super soft after using it. It has no alcohol or silicone. By Healthy Haircare - moisturizer. It's pink, and normally, you mix with water and spray, but you could use straight on hands, too. I order mine online, but it should be available at a feed store or Tractor Supply.

I had a friend years ago at work that had cracked bleeding hands, and she used hair conditioner as a hand lotion.

Try regular old shortening. Put it on the cracks and on the bad places at night and then put on some plastic/rubber gloves. Your hands will sweat like crazy but they will get better fast. And put it on from time to time during the day, especially after washing hands. And it's super cheap too and you can cook with it too.

Drinking water is an inefficient way to get the outer layers of skin hydrated. Instead, BEFORE you slather on the cream at night, you should soak your hands in lukewarm water with a little bit of white vinegar added to it for about 15-20 minutes. You need to get moisture into the top layers of skin before you seal the skin with the cream.

I have had similar problems with my skin all my life and spent many an hour at the dermatologist's office. This is what has worked for me. And rather than using all of those fancy creams that are full of chemicals and fragrances that can be irritating, use plain old petroleum jelly (Vaseline) after soaking.

--Johanna

I have always like using aloe vere, it was used on Jesus before he was burried. But it is a good for your skin for minor scratches too or sun burns.
My Father had problems with cracked skin on his hands and he couldn't find any doctor to help with it. So one day a man told him go get the stuff they put on cows utters before milking them and use it on his hands. It worked great and he never had a problem with cracked skin on his hands anymore or dry chapped skin. I don't know what it is called but a feed store might know or some one with a cow or dairy farm would definately know. you can call a dairy farm and ask them what they use. You really should get this for your husband and try it, as it was the only think that helped my Dads hands. Bill C