How to get rid of dry skin on hands

Rough, dry, rough skin on your hands is not a death sentence at all if you take good care of it. Nutrition and hydration are important not only for women with skin prone to dryness, but also for everyone else: this problem often appears during the cold season, during temperature changes, and illness. Dry hand skin - what to do with it, what creams, oils to moisturize, what vitamins to add to your diet and what to avoid - read on.

What is dry skin

Dry skin means a constant feeling of tightness, tingling, peeling, and cracks on the hands. The surface of the skin on the back of the hands and palms becomes rough, inelastic, especially stretched after contact with water and soap. Household chores can cause even more harm in this situation, so it is important to use special gloves when washing dishes and cleaning.

Why does the skin on your hands dry out?

The epidermis on the hands is thinner, has no sebaceous glands at all, and contains little moisture, unlike the skin of the face. Adverse weather conditions, contact with allergens, constant washing with hot water, failure to follow basic daily rules of personal care - all this leads to dry skin on the hands. What reasons can be identified:

1. cold: if you don’t wear gloves in low temperatures, the skin will definitely become rough;
2. household chemicals: wash dishes, windows, do wet cleaning only with gloves;
3. rough work with bare hands;
4. congenital predisposition;
5. nutritional disorders, lack of vitamins, dermatological diseases.

What to do if your hands are dry

First you need to understand that dry hand skin is a temporary problem. The situation can be easily corrected if you follow useful tips and try to avoid dangerous factors in the future. Let's look at how to get rid of dry hand skin:

1. if the problem is critical: there are deep cracks, calluses, wounds, the skin is very flaky - you should contact a dermatologist or cosmetologist to select effective restorative therapy;
2. if the skin is simply dry and does not look very beautiful, various creams, therapeutic masks and oils will certainly help you.

Vitamins for dry hands

If the cause of dryness is seasonal disorders of the body, then vitamins are a mandatory element to get rid of the problem. Vitamins B, A, C, E help best for hydration. It is necessary to include in the diet foods rich in essential substances: liver, fatty red fish, nuts, herbs, fruits. Water balance is important: you need to drink a lot of clean liquid a day and do not drink alcohol. Vitamins for dry hand skin can be taken in capsules, in the form of ready-made complexes.

How to moisturize your hands at home

To moisturize the skin of your hands at home, you need to apply nourishing, softening creams daily, eat foods rich in healthy fats, and keep your hands clean and safe. What to use on your hands for cracks and dryness? Simple recipes for moisturizers that can be prepared from available natural ingredients will help solve the problem. Prepare them yourself or choose special cosmetics that can be bought at any store.

Hand baths for dryness

Baths are a convenient and effective procedure. They saturate the skin with all the necessary substances, thanks to their aqueous structure, long-term effects penetrate deep into the skin and normalize the functioning of the sebaceous glands. Herbal tinctures also heal flaky areas, small wounds and cracks well. Several recipes for homemade hand baths for dry hands:

1. A liter of linden blossom decoction, 7 drops of patchouli essential oil, can be replaced with orange, 1 tsp. glycerin. Place your hands in a hot bath and hold for 30 minutes.
2. Oat flour. Add 3 tbsp to 0.5 boiling water. l. flour, stir, cool to a comfortable temperature, place your hands in the mixture, hold for 20 minutes.
3. Potato or celery broth. Cool the liquid and hold your hands for 20 minutes.
4. Heat the milk slightly, add a teaspoon of honey, 2 drops of oil (avocado, jojoba, olive, sage). Stir and keep for about 20 minutes.
5. Half a liter of kefir, 2 raw yolks, 1 tsp. flaxseed, olive or other vegetable oil. Mix well and keep your hands in the bath for 20 minutes.

Hand mask for dryness and cracks

For the effect of the procedures to be noticeable, hand masks against dryness and cracks should be done regularly, 2 times a week. Before doing this, you need to wash your hands thoroughly, dry them with a towel, and massage them. The procedure can be done both at home and professionally, at an appointment with a manicurist or cosmetologist. What masks can be made from improvised materials:

1. Raw yolk, any vegetable oil, honey. Mix a tablespoon of honey and oil with the yolk, grind, apply to your hands, rinse with warm water after 15 minutes, or leave overnight, wearing thin gloves on top.
2. Juice of one slice of orange or lemon, vegetable oil. Apply the mixture to your hands, wait 15 minutes until it is half absorbed, and rinse.
3. Banana, 1 tsp. butter, 1 tsp. honey Mash the banana, mix with the rest of the ingredients, apply a compress to your hands, wrap them in cellophane and put on warm gloves. Leave for 30 minutes.
4. Soak the white bread crumb with hot water, add a drop of lemon juice and any oil, grease your hands, put on thin gloves. Wash off after 10 minutes.

Remedy for dry hands

Peeling of the hands can cause a lot of discomfort, both aesthetic and internal, since the skin becomes more vulnerable, exposed to external factors. A good remedy for dry hand skin is paraffin baths and wax masks, which can be made at home, if you have the necessary ingredients, or from a specialist for a small amount. Special medicinal cosmetics, which are sold in pharmacies, have a quick, guaranteed safe effect. When selecting, you need to try each product on yourself and follow the instructions.

Cream for dry hands

Creams prepared at home are natural and harmless, but they can be stored for a short time, up to 2 weeks, and in some cases they can cause allergies if the composition is incorrectly selected. Beeswax, paraffin, fish or pork fat, butter and glycerin are good bases for a homemade cream for dry hands. The product must necessarily contain essential oils and other natural emollient ingredients.

It is better to apply cream for chapped hands at night for better effect, to maximally moisturize your hands and prevent the appearance of new cracks. Here are homemade recipes you may need:

1. Butter – 2 tbsp. l., 1 tsp. honey, 1 tbsp. l. St. John's wort decoction. Store in the refrigerator, rub into the skin of your hands daily before bed.
2. A solution containing vitamins A and E – 1 tsp, 1 tsp. any honey, 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp. oil, preferably olive, 1 tsp. low-fat cream. Apply with a cotton pad.
3. Night cream, to be applied and kept under gloves: 1 tbsp. l. strong green tea, 1 tsp. shea butter, 1 tsp. orange oil, 1 tsp. beeswax, 2 capsules of a vitamin complex (for example, aevit). Heat the mixture in a water bath, stir, and cool.
4. A mixture of herbs (chamomile, celandine, St. John's wort) - 2 tbsp. l., pour half a glass of boiling water, leave for half an hour. Mix 2 tsp. sea ​​buckthorn oil, 3 tbsp. l. melted wax, half a teaspoon of propolis and strained tincture. Apply in the morning and before bed.
5. Glycerin – 4 tbsp. l., 3 tsp. lemon juice, 3 tsp. starch, 2 tbsp. l. vodka. Heat in a water bath, stir, cool, use every day.
6. Take a tablespoon of cocoa butter, 3 drops of bitter orange oil, half a teaspoon of cinnamon. Mix, heat, beat with a fork or whisk, cool.

Hand oil for dry hands

Oils are a natural source of moisturizing and nourishing the skin. If you eat the right amount of fatty foods, add natural oils to cereals and salads, you can get the necessary fats to maintain softness and balance of the skin. Hand oil for dry hands can be used as part of masks or in its pure form. Regular care with oils will help your skin stay smooth during cold periods. Which oils are effective:

1. Cacao butter. Can be applied solid or melted.
2. Shea butter, coconut, natural cream.
3. Nourishing mask: a teaspoon each of avocado, grape seed, almond, apricot, orange, olive oils. Mix, heat slightly, treat especially damaged areas of the hands and elbows.

Ointment for dry skin of hands

If the situation is serious and your hands become very dry and crack, daily, careful care may be required. Cracks and dryness can occur over time, in old age, especially if you previously engaged in rough physical labor (work in the garden, in production). You need to start dealing with this problem on time - with the help of daily care, help the skin return to a soft, delicate state, do not forget to use creams and protective gloves. What ointments for dry hand skin will you need:

1. From calendula: grind half a glass of dry plant into powder using a blender or by hand, add a glass of melted lard. Heat in a water bath, stir, cool, store in the refrigerator.
2. Mix plantain powder with a teaspoon of any oil and a tablespoon of Vaseline.
3. Grind homemade rose petals into a pulp, mix with lard, leave for several days.
4. Smooth hernia: combine 100 g of crushed plant and 2 tbsp. olive or almond oil. Infuse for a week.

Treatment with pharmaceuticals

Cosmetics offered in pharmacies are good because they contain a ready-made set of active ingredients, the effect of which has been clinically proven. The downside is the high cost of such products and the unlikely but possible allergy. However, if you don’t want to bother with preparation, treatment with pharmaceutical products is also a solution: they can thoroughly moisturize the skin and protect it from the aggressive effects of the external environment. If you follow the instructions on the packaging and use the cream regularly, the development and renewal of skin cells will begin quickly.

What remedies are effective:

1. French cosmetics Vichy, La Roche Posay, Eucerin, Lierac;
2. ingredients for homemade creams: glycerin, paraffin, wax, herbal preparations, healthy oils;
3. vitamins A and E in capsules: for oral administration and dilution with oil.

Women are much more likely than men to experience the phenomenon of very dry hand skin. What to do if previously soft, tender and velvety hands suddenly became rough, irritated and covered with microcracks? Daily worries and the influence of cleaning products dehydrate the skin, and only careful, high-quality care will help get your hands in order. You can’t limit yourself to just cream, because an unhealthy lifestyle or illness can also cause dry hands.

Causes of skin dehydration

Damage to the skin of the hands appears not only due to external factors, but also as symptoms of diseases. External reasons include:

1. climatic conditions: frosty air, strong wind, low air humidity, bright sunlight;
2. frequent contact with aggressive cleaning agents (dishwashing liquid, cleaning powders, bleaches, laundry detergents and disinfectants);
3. neglect of care rules (cleaning without gloves, lack of hand moisturizer in your home cosmetics bag or its irregular use).

Some diseases of the body affect a person’s appearance and can cause dry skin on the hands. The causes, as well as treatment, can only be determined by a doctor based on laboratory tests. TO These diseases include:

1. Anemia caused by a lack of iron in the blood is accompanied by dry skin not only on the hands, but also on other parts of the body: elbows, heels.
2. Skin diseases associated with heredity or an allergic reaction. Allergies can be caused by household chemicals, a new ring, or a new dish in the diet.
3. Vitamin deficiency usually causes dry skin on the hands in winter. Even doctors often cannot determine which vitamin deficiency caused damage to the epidermis and usually prescribe complex vitamin preparations.
4. Any diseases of the gastrointestinal tract greatly affect the absorption of substances from the food received, and the hands suffer first of all.
5. Tissue damage by a fungus always leads to destruction of the epidermis.
6. Hormonal imbalance.
7. Diabetes.

Focal dryness, redness and microcracks in certain areas of the hands are a clear sign of a developed disease.

Light, small scales on the palms indicate a lack of vitamins A and D. Extensive peeling on the palms and fingers indicates fungal infection. With a lack of fatty acids in the diet, the skin becomes rough and covered with small and large cracks. If, in addition to external damage, itching also appears, it is necessary to consult a doctor as soon as possible - a feeling of irritation and a constant desire to scratch reddened skin are symptoms of psoriasis or acute dermatitis.

The skin on the fingers usually becomes dry due to lack of moisture, especially in old age. Therefore, care can be limited to thorough moisturizing. Fingernails may crack and become brittle, which means that your hands are suffering due to a fungal infection, and you can only get rid of it through treatment under the guidance of a dermatologist.

If the dryness on the hands is not focal, and the skin evenly turns red and becomes rough, then the problem is either improper (or absent) care, or overly aggressive detergents.

Hand treatment and care

Regular skin care can keep your skin looking youthful and prevent dryness and cracking from developing. However, there are many misconceptions that will not help, but will only aggravate the problem of dryness.

Myths about “saving” skin

Almost every womanguided by its own principles in building a care program for the body, face and hands. And often these principles are built on unreliable and even harmful information:

1. Myth No. 1. To prevent the skin of your hands from drying out, a moisturizer is enough. This is not true, because dehydration and peeling are very often just a symptom of a disease, and no cream can compensate for a vitamin deficiency.
2. Myth #2: Drinking a lot of water will keep your skin dry. Hands will become covered with microcracks even if their owner absorbs 2 liters of water a day, but does not eat properly. The lack of fatty acids in the diet cannot be replaced with liquid.
3. Myth No. 3. You should use cream only when your skin begins to dry out. This is a completely false statement. The main goal of any care is to prevent problems from occurring, and only then to restore what was destroyed. Preventive measures are always more effective than restoration measures.
4. Myth No. 4: You can get rid of dry skin with scrubs. Scrubs complement your skin care routine and help enhance the effect of moisturizers by removing dead cells from the surface of the skin. In case of severe peeling and microcracks, it is better to avoid scrubs so as not to injure damaged skin.

10 rules for maintaining beauty

Hand care does not take much time and often does not require cash injections. It is enough to follow ten simple rules to keep your hands beautiful for as long as possible:

1. Maintain temperature control when washing your hands. The water should be warm, room temperature. Water that is too cold can injure the skin, causing it to become red and rough. And too hot water dries and degreases.
2. Don't use laundry soap. It is better to choose liquid soap with glycerin.
3. After washing, dry your hands thoroughly so that no drops of water remain on your skin. The process of natural evaporation of moisture further dehydrates the epidermis.
4. Use the scrub two to three times a week. More frequent scrubbing injures the epidermis, and less frequent scrubbing reduces the effectiveness of moisturizers. The scrub should be applied to slightly steamed skin and rubbed with gentle movements that do not cause pain.
5. Pick up several pairs of gloves. Good warm gloves should accompany you when going outside in winter and autumn-spring. Thin and durable rubber or latex gloves should be worn while washing dishes, while cleaning the apartment, and even when you are engaged in your favorite hobby involving the use of any chemicals.
6. At least once a day you need to lubricate your hands with a moisturizing and nourishing cream. Ideally, this should be done every time your hands come into contact with water.
7. Don't forget about zone boundaries. Many women, using body cream, apply it to the skin from the elbow to the middle of the forearm. And only the fingers and hands are covered with hand cream, bypassing the skin on the wrists.
8. Don't neglect massage. If you really don’t have enough time, do a massage during the usual application of the cream. The cream is rubbed in with stroking movements from the fingertips to the wrist and then to the elbow.
9. At least once a week, apply caring masks to your hands and do homemade baths.
10. Perform short exercises for your arms every day:
11. For a minute, imitate playing the piano with your fingers.
12. Shake your hands and perform a rotational movement in the wrist joint - several times clockwise and counterclockwise.
13. Clench and unclench your fists several times.
14. Spread your fingers wide apart and hold in this position for 5 seconds.
15. Bend your fingers one at a time, starting with the little finger, and then straighten. Repeat several times.

Recipes for homemade masks and baths

Masks and baths are recommended to be used constantly, 2-3 times a week. If the skin of your hands has been severely damaged, it is better to carry out care procedures in courses.

All masks are best used before bed. In the evening, lubricate the skin with the composition and put on clean cotton gloves. In the morning, the gloves are removed and the mask is washed off with warm water.

1. Oil mask. Take olive, flaxseed or almond oil and heat it up a little. You need to soak several layers of thin fabric, gauze or bandages with warm oil, and then wrap your hands and secure them with gloves.
2. The olive-lemon mask is made on the basis of regular hand cream. You need to mix one teaspoon of cream with the same amount of oil and add half a teaspoon of lemon juice. Apply the mixture to the skin in a thick layer and put on gloves on top.
3. Glycerin mask: mix glycerin and water in equal proportions (2-3 tablespoons of each ingredient) and add 5 drops of ammonia. This mask should be rubbed into the skin and then blotted with a towel. For 30 minutes after application, try not to do anything with your hands. Then rinse with warm water.
4. Prepare the beaten egg white mixture and a teaspoon of lemon. This composition should be applied to the skin for 15 minutes.
5. An oil and honey mask is used to relieve irritation and soften the skin. But it cannot be used if you are allergic to honey! The mixture is prepared as follows: add a spoonful of honey, an egg yolk and a teaspoon of lemon juice to heated flaxseed oil. You need to keep the mask for 20-30 minutes.
6. Potato mask. Boil a couple of potatoes, mash with a fork until pureed and add milk. You can apply the mask to the skin or simply immerse your hands in the mixture for 15-20 minutes.
7. Add vegetable or flaxseed oil to oatmeal cooked in water and immerse your hands in it for 20 minutes. Be careful, the mixture may be hot!

You can enhance the effect of masks if you use the listed recipes in compresses. The compress is made from gauze or bandage soaked in the mixture. You need to wrap your hands with this fabric, wrap it with polyethylene on top, and then wrap it with a warm towel. The duration of use of compresses should be no more than 20 minutes. After this time, all layers of fabric and film are removed, and excess mask is removed using a cotton pad.

Baths with medicinal herbs

Using baths not only softens the skin and eliminates flaking, but also accelerates the healing of microcracks and “accelerates” blood circulation. Before using any infusion or decoction, make sure that the bath you are going to put your hands in is not too hot. The water temperature should be warm so as not to burn the skin. The duration of use of any bath should not exceed 20 minutes.

1. Plantain infusion. Pour a tablespoon of plantain into a liter of boiling water and leave for 30 minutes.
2. An infusion of chamomile flowers is prepared according to the same recipe.
3. Infuse two tablespoons of a mixture of herbs - mint, linden, sage, dill and chamomile - in a liter of boiling water for 20 minutes.
4. Take two glasses of whey and heat to a temperature of 40−42 degrees Celsius. Use as a bath without diluting with water.

Drug treatment for dry skin

If you regularly use cream and scrub, do massage and exercises and do not follow harmful myths, and your skin suddenly begins to peel, consult a doctor. He will be able to determine the reason why your hands are dry and prescribe treatment aimed at eliminating the underlying disease. During the treatment period, try not to use home remedies so as not to provoke an allergic reaction and not aggravate the condition of your hands.

After consultation with your doctor, you can use:

1. Chlorhexidine or miramistin - for skin disinfection.
2. "Panthenol", "Solcoseryl" or any other wound-healing ointment.
3. Vitamins A and E in capsules (usually a solution in flaxseed oil) can be applied to the skin by crushing the capsule as an emollient and nourishing agent.

If the doctor has not identified any disease, and the dryness is caused by climatic conditions (for example, sunburn or frostbite), select one of the pharmacy ointments that will help restore the skin.

1. "Boro Plus" is a cosmetic ointment that restores the functioning of the sebaceous glands and relieves inflammation.
2. "Radevit" - eliminates inflammation and relieves itching. This product already contains vitamins A, D and E; you do not need to purchase them separately.
3. "Bepanten" contains vitamin B5, stimulates metabolism in the epidermis and accelerates the healing of wounds and cracks.

These are the basic rules for hand care. Take care of your skin, spare no time and money, and then your hands will always look beautiful and young.

We only think about hand cream in winter, when the skin cracks and peels from frost and wind. But it’s better not to take it to extremes and always keep a tube of cream with you - especially if the skin on your hands is dry. By the way, now we’ll tell you why she becomes like this and what to do about it.

Content

1. Dry skin: main signs
2. Causes of dryness
3. Proper care for dry hand skin
4. Seasonal care
5. Hand baths
6. Diet rules for dry skin
7. Preventive measures
8. Review of care products

Dry skin: main signs

Dry skin can be caused by both genetic predisposition and external factors - the use of poorly selected cosmetic products or harsh weather conditions.

Dry skin does not retain moisture well because its natural protective layer, the hydrolipid mantle, is damaged. Particularly often, areas with thin skin suffer from this problem: eyelids, arms, neck, décolleté.

Causes of dryness

Frequent hand washing with aggressive cleansers and the use of bactericidal gels (especially important for doctors and nurses).

Using household chemicals without gloves.

Using a scrub too often and, as a result, compromising the integrity of the protective barrier of the epidermis.

Working with chemicals, solvents and other aggressive substances.

Extreme weather conditions: heat or, conversely, severe frost and icy wind.

Low indoor air humidity is a common winter problem, since when the central heating is turned on, the air tends to be dry.

To prevent your hands from becoming dry, wear gloves when cleaning and washing dishes. © iStock

Proper care for dry hand skin

Note, what do you wash your hands with and how often? you do it. If dryness and cracks on the skin of your hands are your constant problem or your job requires you to wash your hands many times a day, change the classic bar or liquid soap to a more gentle cream cleanser.

Important limit contact of the skin of your hands with household chemicals, for example, when washing dishes: use gloves or replace products with moisturizers and hypoallergenic ones.

Hand scrub is not very popular, but it doesn’t hurt to get one. Regular (a couple of times a week) exfoliation removes dead particles of the epidermis and causes cells to renew faster. The skin not only becomes softer and more tender, but also better accepts the beneficial substances that are included in subsequent care products.

Hand cream should be on every woman's bedside table (you can throw the second one in your bag, and the third one in your office desk drawer). Without it, the skin on your hands will become wrinkled ahead of time.

As an emergency treatment for quick recovery, use hand mask: This can be either a special product or any fatty cream applied in a thick layer. Wear cotton gloves on top.

Use hand cream several times a day. © iStock