Ahh My Hands, My Beautiful Hands

[FlyingTrue]

Every year around this time of season this has been a problem for me, the top of my hands becomes red, chapped, and severely irritated, once again it started with the left side of my right hand behind the thumb, then the right side of my left hand, then it spreads across the whole top of my hands and then stays this way for months usually not resolving until the spring. Hand lotion like Jergens or Aveeno make it burn or dry out worse, last year I was given a prescription cream which made it worse and then another one made it temporarily get better before it severely worsened immediately after I stopped using it.

Any advice?

[Kitty.]

I have had mild irritation this year from washing my hands often.

I recommend U-Lactin moisturizing lotion. Me and my mother both use it.

[Pelios]

Vaseline it works just the regular one not the loction that usually works for me.

[taylalatbh.]

I think a moisturising cream without anything in it would work. And by that I mean no fragrances or anything like that. So atleast the cream wouldn't irritate your hands further.

[bitesize]

When you say the top of your hands, do you mean around the edges of your nails, or your hands in general?? Apparently Carmex, you know the stuff for chapped lips, works really well if you put it there. You could try putting it on overnight and then popping on some cotton gloves if you have some ~ it helps keep your hands soft.

[Janelle]

Make sure you really dry your hands well after washing them too! Have you tried a hydrocortisone cream?

[BigBL87]

Have you ever used Dionis brand lotion? It is made with goat's milk which is a natural moisturizer. I work on a farm, and especially during the winter my hands get beat up something terrible. Dionis lotion has helped me alot. I got to using it mainly because we sell it at work and I can get a deal on it, and now my fiance uses it alot too.

Another thing to consider is if the lotions and other things you've tried have mineral oil in them. Alot of people don't have a problem with it, but for some people mineral oil can dry out their skin much worse. I know that the company Upper Canada makes their "Naturally" line of lotions without mineral oil, I'm sure there are others but that is the one I know of for sure.

[Acheron]

Yeah, I get the same thing sometimes. Moisturise and wear gloves when you go outside.

[Jocelyn.]

Hydrocortisone cream if they're itchy, and Aquifer on top of that. My son has eczema (very itchy dry skin) and his doctor recommended that to us. It works really well.

[Elizabeth]

I have a problem with this in the winter when I swim in outdoor pools. I get those cheap shower gloves, they can found in the dollar store. I put conditioner on the glove and rub it through the glove and my hands are very soft and healed. It works for me =)

[FlyingTrue]

Thanks for the advice, I will try some of those, and yes I was referring to the top of my hand in general.

[ALLorNOTHINGforCHRIST]

My family uses utter butter it is meant for cows in the winter hence the utter part but works great for my dry skin.

[Singing to the starlight]

I get this exactly. The backs of your hands like wrist to the base of your fingers, and then up the knuckles too. I work in health care so I wash my hands a thousand times a day which does not help, and when I put moisturiser on and I haven't done it for a while, it feels like someone's put chemicals on my skin. I haven't found an answer to this yet, but you're not alone!