Why do a woman's hands peel?

Your hands are always visible, so it is very unpleasant when the skin on your hands peels off, becomes covered with cracks and begins to itch very much. To get rid of a problem, you must first find out the reasons for its occurrence.

Causes

The palms and fingers are covered with very thin skin, which has practically no sebaceous glands. In addition, the epidermal layer contains very little fluid. These factors lead to the fact that, with any negative impact, the skin on the hands dries out and begins to peel.

In most cases, the reasons that cause itching, dryness and flaking are quite commonplace. After eliminating them, your hands look healthy and well-groomed again. These include:

1. frequent use of soap with antibacterial or deodorizing components;
2. drying your hands with a towel that is too hard and scratches your skin;
3. using household chemicals without protective gloves;
4. incorrect selection of cosmetics for care;
5. mechanical damage - scratches, abrasions, wounds;
6. prolonged exposure of fingers and palms to water, most often associated with professional activities.

In addition, the skin on the hands can peel off under the influence of atmospheric factors - frost, wind, sun rays. The epidermis can also react to frequent changes in temperature with dryness and the appearance of cracks.

All of the above reasons are easily removable, but there are factors that are more difficult to get rid of. These include:

1. genetic predisposition, inherited;
2. hormonal disruptions in the body (in adolescence, during pregnancy, during menopause);
3. metabolic disease;
4. lack of vitamins or other nutrients;
5. long-term use of medications, especially antibiotics and corticosteroids;
6. improper diet and diet.

One of the reasons for dry and flaky skin on the hands or feet is smoking and other bad habits.

The skin can dry out, peel and crack due to many diseases, among which the most common are:

1. Ichthyosis is a genetic pathology in which the skin on the torso and arms thickens, becoming covered with small scales that resemble fish scales.
2. Psoriasis is an autoimmune pathology when bright pink spots covered with scales appear on the torso, feet and palms.
3. Atopic dermatitis is an allergic disease, one of the symptoms of which is peeling of the skin.
4. Dyshidrosis - small vesicles with fluid form between the fingers or toes. They burst, causing severe itching and the appearance of scales.
5. Scarlet fever is an infectious disease in which, on days 5-6, peeling of the skin on the palms and fingers begins and large areas of the epidermis are rejected.
6. Eczema is weeping lesions that form on the body, neck, arms and legs, dry out and peel over time.
7. Scabies. The causative agent of this disease, the scabies mite, is localized in the interdigital area on the hands, resulting in the formation of convex nodules that itch and peel.
8. Syphilis. A secondary sign of the disease is redness on the palms, dryness and the appearance of scales.

The skin on your fingers, hands and palms can dry out and peel if you get a fungal infection. Most often this occurs with pityriasis versicolor and lichen planus, dermatomycosis, and onychomycosis. An advanced fungus is difficult to treat, so it is important to diagnose this disease as early as possible.

The skin can peel off not only in adults, but also in children. In most cases, the cause of dryness in babies is a lack of vitamins, allergies, exposure to wind and cold, and bacterial infections.. A pediatric dermatologist can determine the cause and help eliminate it.

Symptoms

It is impossible not to notice when your fingers are peeling. However, often even before the formation of scales, signs appear that are worth paying attention to:

1. the skin loses elasticity and begins to dry out;
2. noticeable irritation and redness;
3. formation of small cracks;
4. feeling of skin tightness;
5. itching and mild burning.

Hands look aged, wrinkled and unkempt. If measures are not taken in time, the skin becomes very dry and begins to peel.

Treatment

Many men do not pay attention to dry and flaky skin on their hands. But this causes a lot of trouble for women, so they try to take all measures to eliminate these symptoms.

Before starting treatment, it is necessary to find out the reason for the drying out of the epidermal layer. To do this, it is best to make an appointment with a dermatologist.

When peeling is caused by a dermatological disease, the doctor will give a referral for additional examination, after which he will determine treatment methods. Thus, for fungal infections, complex therapy is considered the most effective, including the following measures:

1. The use of external ointments or creams - Exoderil, Pimafucin, Lotseril, Mikoderil, Triderm. They are applied to the back of the hand, palm and each finger 2 times a day, thoroughly rubbing into the surface.
2. Taking medications for internal use - Orungamine, Nystatin, Itraconazole.
3. The use of folk remedies - soda baths, apple cider vinegar compresses, lotions from a decoction of celandine and string.

If the cause of peeling skin on the arms or legs is vitamin deficiency, the doctor will prescribe complex vitamin preparations: Multitabs, Complivit, Perfectil, Duovit, Supradin. In addition, it will be necessary to review the diet and include foods rich in substances that have a beneficial effect on the skin.

These include:

1. nuts - walnuts, cashews, almonds;
2. flaxseed oil or flaxseed flour;
3. vegetables - carrots, broccoli, spinach;
4. fatty fish - tuna, salmon, cod;
5. fruits - citrus fruits, apples, grapes.

It is recommended to drink at least 2 liters of liquid per day. In this case, preference should be given to mineral water, juices and green tea and limit the consumption of coffee and alcohol.

If dry fingers and palms are caused not by a disease, but by external factors (frost, sun, cosmetics), then you can get rid of it at home using folk recipes.

The most popular are:

1. Combine 50 g of melted goose or pork fat with the yolk and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Apply the mixture in a thick layer to your hands, leave for 5-10 minutes to absorb, then put on plastic gloves overnight.
2. Heat a glass of flaxseed, olive or corn oil in a water bath to a temperature of 40 0 ​​C. Add 1 tablespoon of honey and 5-7 drops of rosemary, tea tree, and lavender essential oils. Place your hands in the oil and hold for at least 20 minutes, then pat dry with a napkin.
3. Boil 3 large unpeeled potatoes, peel and mash. Pour in 50 g of cream and 3 tablespoons of olive oil, stir. Apply the mixture to your hands, put on first plastic and then fabric gloves. Leave until completely cool, then wipe with a towel and apply nourishing cream.
4. Pour 50 g of oatmeal with 1 glass of milk and microwave for 3 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil and the yolk of one egg. Use for compresses or applications, immersing hands for 20-30 minutes.
5. Combine 4 tablespoons of honey with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Smear your hands every evening at night, then put on medical gloves.

For dry and flaky skin on your hands, it is recommended to do oil wraps at night.. To do this, thin fabric gloves need to be dipped in olive, linseed, burdock or any other vegetable oil heated to 40°C, squeezed lightly and put on your hands. To avoid staining the bed linen, rubber gloves are needed over fabric ones.

Prevention

In order for your hands to always look well-groomed and beautiful, you need to take care of them not from time to time, but daily.

You can prevent drying and flaking of the skin by taking the following preventive measures:

1. Use only high-quality cosmetics that are suitable for your age and skin type. Try to buy creams that contain natural ingredients and do not use them after the expiration date.
2. During the cold season, be sure to wear mittens or gloves outside.
3. When performing household work, especially when in contact with aggressive substances, wear protective gloves.
4. In summer, use hand creams with protective UV filters.
5. Do not go outside with wet hands, especially in the cold season. Carefully remove moisture between your fingers.
6. Massage your hands regularly, kneading and rubbing each finger to increase blood circulation.
7. Wash your hands with warm water and moisturizing and softening soap. Do not rub with a hard towel, but blot with soft tissue napkins.
8. Exfoliate dead cells using scrubs.
9. Make hand baths using herbal infusions and essential oils.

If, despite all the measures taken, the skin on your hands continues to peel, you should definitely consult a dermatologist. It is possible that the reason lies in some chronic disease that needs to be diagnosed and treated. Then the skin on your hands will again have a healthy and blooming appearance.

Peeling skin on the hands, causes

Redness and peeling of the hands are primarily caused by dry skin. Almost all women face this problem, despite the variety of cosmetic products. The reason is that there are almost no sebaceous glands on the skin of the hands, and the moisture content is noticeably lower than, for example, on the skin of the face. That is why the skin on your hands needs special daily care that can protect it from peeling and premature aging.

Causes of peeling palms and fingers
divided into external and internal.

External ones include:

1. interaction with aggressive chemicals - even antimicrobial and deodorizing soap can dry out the skin, not to mention detergents for washing dishes, laundry or cleaning plumbing, so it is recommended to use soap with moisturizing components, and wear rubber gloves when contacting cleaning products;
2. towel - if you dry your hands roughly after washing, the skin is damaged and loses moisture, it is better to blot them carefully;
3. weather conditions - sun, wind, cold - all this negatively affects the skin of the hands and additionally dries it, so it is recommended to wear gloves and apply sunscreen in sunny weather;
4. temperature changes - when in the fall or winter your hands move from the cold into a heated room;
5. frequent contact with water - this very often causes peeling of the skin on the fingers. To avoid this, you need to wet your hands well after contact with water and apply a protective cream;
6. illiterate care - it is not enough just to smear your hands with cream, first you need to clean them, then nourish and moisturize them.

The situation is much more complicated
if the causes of peeling hands are related to internal processes of the body.
These may include:

1. the use of certain medications, such as antibiotics;
2. allergies to ultraviolet radiation, cold, etc.;
3. development of hypovitaminosis;
4. lack of vitamins;
5. various pathologies of internal organs;
6. development of dermatitis, psoriasis, eczema;
7. lesions of the skin of the hands by parasites, fungi, scarlet fever, parasites.

To get rid of peeling skin on the palms of the hands and peeling of the fingers, first of all, you need to correctly determine the cause of its occurrence. If these are external reasons, then it is enough to pay more attention to hand skin care and protection. And if there are internal reasons, only a doctor can prescribe treatment.

How to deal with flaking on the skin of your hands

If, after examination by a doctor, no serious causes of peeling on the hands are identified, then it can be eliminated with effective folk remedies:

1. Take a few drops of olive or sea buckthorn oil and add to 1 tsp. honey, spread daily on the skin of the hands for 30-40 minutes, thanks to this mask the skin is nourished, becomes tender and soft.
2. Steam a little olive oil, add vitamin A and E to it, spread the mixture on the skin of your hands for 25 minutes, then remove the excess with a napkin and preferably wait until the oil is completely absorbed into the skin;
3. Brew chamomile and add 1 tbsp. l. flax or almond oils. For greater effectiveness, you can add lemon or lavender essential oil. Spread your palms with this mixture and hold for 20-30 minutes, then wipe with a napkin.
4. Rubbing a mixture of 2 tbsp will soften the skin of your hands well. l. glycerin, water and 5 drops of ammonia, then soak your hands with a paper napkin.
5. Before going to bed, lubricate dry skin of your hands with a mixture of melted lamb and lard.
6. Rub slightly warmed linseed oil into the skin of your hands for 15-20 minutes.
7. It is effective for flaky skin on your hands to make a bath of warm water with the addition of a small amount of vegetable oils, hold your hands for 20 minutes, then dry them well and apply a thick nourishing cream.

It is also worth paying attention to nutrition, it is necessary to exclude harmful foods, introduce apricots, pumpkin, carrots, tomatoes, eggs, green peas, parsley, cheese and other foods containing vitamins A and E into the diet. In addition, hands need exfoliation and moisturizing with creams and baths. It is advisable to wash your hands only using gentle means.

Due to the accelerated rejection of dead epidermal tissue, peeling of the skin occurs on the hands.

This problem is familiar to all people without exception, because there are a lot of factors that provoke peeling.

But what is the physiological norm, and in what cases of peeling should you go to the doctor?

We can definitely say that constant peeling of the skin on the hands needs to be corrected by cosmetic or medical means.

Let's look at the causes of peeling and find out how to improve the condition of the skin on your hands.

Peeling skin on the hands: causes

The skin on the hands begins to peel off when there is increased rejection of cells in the upper stratum corneum of the epidermis. Renewal of the epidermis is vital; dead cells are constantly separated from the skin, thereby maintaining its elasticity and softness. But this process is normally invisible to us, since particles of dead skin are removed every day when washing or drying our hands. When the process becomes noticeable, pieces of skin are separated by scales, which speaks of pathological peeling of the skin on the hands.

The problem is caused by two factors:

• parakeratosis (formation of initially defective cells of the stratum corneum of the skin);

• hyperkeratosis (accelerated formation of stratum corneum cells);

• environmental influences.

By external influence on the skin we mean:

• exposure to aggressive substances (including salt water);

• mechanical damage (scratches, wounds);

Light frequent peeling of the skin on the hands is a normal option for people with constantly wet hands, as well as with a lack of nutrients, vitamins and minerals in the diet (most often vitamin A and PP).

Peeling due to external factors (contact dermatitis) goes away on its own and quite quickly after this influence is eliminated. As for pathologies in the formation of the skin, the situation here is somewhat more complicated.

Ichthyosis

A genetic disease that first appears at two to three years of age. Hyperkeratosis with ichthyosis leads to severe peeling of the skin on the arms and torso. The skin becomes denser and thickens, leading to cracks and flour-like scales forming.

Psoriasis

Autoimmune, non-contagious disease. Psoriasis, most often on the arms and legs, forms pink and red patches covered with yellowish scales. These lesions may be the only manifestation of the disease, but they bring many problems to the patient, as they often cover most of the palms or soles.

Acquired zinc deficiency

The tips of the fingers are most susceptible to peeling and cracking, but entire hands, feet, elbow and popliteal fossae are also affected. Increased rejection of the upper layer of the epidermis is accompanied by redness and itching, leading to the formation of blisters, and then erosion. The cracks are deep, and the patient’s psychological state changes – irritability and depression appear.

Atopic dermatitis

Characterized by thickening, redness and peeling of the skin on the arms and legs, covered with whitish scales. The nature of atopic dermatitis is a hereditary predisposition to allergic reactions. The disease often develops before the age of 1 year, and persists to a greater or lesser extent throughout life, with stages of remission and exacerbation.

Dyshidrosis

Localized on the skin of the hands and feet. It appears as dropsy between the fingers, which over time begin to peel and itch. The reasons for this phenomenon are still unknown; it is believed that it arises from a combination of several factors. Treatment is antihistamine and symptomatic, possibly prescribing a diet.

Pityriasis versicolor

The causes of peeling skin on the hands with pityriasis versicolor are an increase in the amount of the opportunistic yeast fungus Malassezia and an increase in its vital activity. This case is characterized by the formation of clearly defined small spots of irregular shape on the arms and upper body, as well as in the groin and genitals. Its treatment is complex and complex, only under the supervision of a doctor.

Allergic dermatitis

The nature and development of the disease is clear from the name. Peeling, itching and cracks on the hands with severe redness can be concentrated not only at the site of exposure to the allergen, but also spread further throughout the body.

Lichen planus

A disease of unknown origin - presumed to be of autoimmune, viral or toxic origin. Plaques appear on the arms and legs, which at first peel off only in the center, but as the disease progresses, the skin peels over the entire surface of the rash, which acquires a purple tint.

Eczema

Infectious-allergic disease against the background of genetic predisposition. Leads to large red spots, often on the back of the hands (also appears on the feet). The impetus for the development of the disease is often infections and stress.

Scarlet fever

In addition to temperature and fever, this infectious disease causes intense peeling of the skin on days 4-5. Small pityriasis-like scales appear on the body, and large pieces of epidermis peel off from the soles and hands (especially the fingertips).

Secondary syphilis

The very unpleasant condition of secondary syphilis is accompanied by flaky spots on the palms. At first, the spots have a pink tint, then turn into copper, and shortly before disappearing they become bright, red-blue.

Scabies

Scabies mites most often penetrate the thin skin of the hands between the fingers. The hands become covered with “nodules” - flaky red spots, slightly above the main skin. There are frequent cases of purulent infection through itchy spots.

Other infectious diseases

A viral, bacterial or fungal infection leads to the rapid proliferation (often hidden in the initial stages) of pathogenic microorganisms, the skin begins to peel off sharply and often itch. With such symptoms, self-medication is ineffective.

Peeling skin on the hands: treatment methods

How is scarlet fever treated?

Ultraviolet radiation very quickly increases the surface area of ​​damaged skin. In this regard, sunlight, solariums and other sources of ultraviolet radiation are contraindicated for the patient. Peeling of the skin on the hands goes away faster if you lubricate your hands with special ointments (Ryabova, Lyassar's paste), which stimulate the removal of crusts from the lesions. It is imperative to apply bandages to this skin and minimize exposure to water and aggressive substances.

Doctors prescribe complex antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal and immunomodulatory treatment for scarlet fever. You will also need diuretics. Self-medication for scarlet fever is unacceptable!

Peeling skin with psoriasis

Unfortunately, it is not yet possible to completely cure the disease, but there is a chance to remove the symptoms for a long time. Here, too, you cannot do without medical help, since only a specialist will be able to choose from the 700 treatment methods available today that are suitable for a particular case.

Fungal infections

Unfortunately, no matter what traditional healers say, the fungus cannot be cured with their remedies. Only antiseptics and antifungal drugs in combination can get rid of fungus. In all other cases, the disease will progress and become increasingly difficult to treat.

Doctors often prescribe clotrimazole for fungus, as the most effective antifungal drug, as well as aniline dyes, boric acid, aqueous solutions of silver nitrate, rivanol and resorcinol.

Unfortunately, peeling skin on the hands, caused by certain diseases, sometimes requires hospital treatment, not to mention urgent drug therapy. Do not delay visiting your doctor if you have been bothered by dry, red skin with peeling and itching for 24 hours.

Peeling skin on the hands: folk remedies

You can remove the symptoms of peeling hands using one of the proven folk remedies:

• Lubricate your hands with rich cream. Dissolve 50 grams of baking soda in a liter of warm water and immerse your hands in this solution for a quarter of an hour. Massage your hands and apply plenty of cream again.

• Baths based on vegetable oils. Olive oil is considered the best for peeling skin on the hands, but sunflower oil is also suitable. The procedure is done before bedtime. Immerse your hands in oil heated to a pleasant temperature for 15 minutes, wipe and put on soft gloves overnight. After just a couple of procedures, the skin of your hands will become soft and moisturized.

• Flaxseed also improves skin condition. Pour a glass of water into a bowl, add two tablespoons of flax seed and boil until thick. Lubricate the skin of your hands with the resulting decoction.

• Dry skin on your hands can be removed using a carrot mask. To prepare it, grate the carrots on a fine grater, pour in two tablespoons of milk and add a spoonful of ground oatmeal. Apply the thoroughly mixed mass to the skin for 20 minutes. Rinse and lubricate with olive oil.

Peeling skin on the hands: prevention

The main preventive measures against peeling skin on the hands are:

• regular hand washing in warm water using gentle products;

• thoroughly dry your hands before going outside (pay special attention to the space between the fingers);

• in winter, regularly and thoroughly lubricate your hands with rich cream, use olive oil at night, and do not go outside without gloves or mittens;

• exfoliate dead skin cells on the hands using scrubs;

• wear gloves before using aggressive substances;

• before going to bed, massage your hands, starting from the tips of your fingers and nails, right down to the base of the hand.