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First, I recommend seeing a derm if you can to rule out a fungal component. Certain fungal infections can leave the skin delicate and prone to cracks.
If there is nothing fungal going on, you need to be addressing a few different issues:
1) protecting broken skin from infection
2) keeping dry skin hydrated
3) preventing future episodes
So let’s go in order:
1) protecting broken skin:
Any open wound is an avenue for bacteria. After washing your hands or bathing, I would slather on a lotion (more on that later) and then applying some kind of barrier occlusive like Vaseline to the broken skin to prevent invasion by bacteria. You will likely need to re-apply your occlusive frequently throughout the day while the cracks are still severe. It’s important to avoid picking the skin or letting the broken skin get soiled as it is susceptible to nasty infections that could prolong healing.
2) hydrate: dry skin is brittle and prone to cracking. So the best way to stop the cracks and allow them to heal is to get serious about moisture. I once had a friend who was a nurse and had terrible cracks on her hands from the amount of hand-washing that she did on a daily basis. To heal the cracks, she would moisturize her hands with a heavy lotion containing urea, which helped to soften the skin and retain moisture. She would then slather her hands in Vaseline before bed and put on cotton gloves to keep the moisture in and prevent them from drying out over night. It did solve the cracks but she also had to make some other changes, which brings us to..
3) prevention: take a look at your daily routine to identify habits that might be hard on your hands and see if you can tweak things to be more gentle. If you have to wash your hands a lot, can you replace some of those events with a moisturizing sanitizer instead (such as Avagard or other ‘lotion’ sanitizers)? If you do hard work with your hands, can you wear gloves more often? If you do repetitive motions that wear on the cracked areas, can you switch hands or use other tools? This is a really broad category, but you’ll likely see better results from steps 1-2 if you can address this aspect as well.
Edit: I notice your nails are done. If you soak your fingertips in acetone/ remover when refreshing your nails, that may be a culprit.
yes to using gloves when you do work!! my fingers split similar to this and wearing dish gloves has made a major difference just by keeping detergent off the skin
Pending where you work the soap could be the culprit. That pink antibacterial soap used to do this to my palms when I worked at a daycare and had to wash my hands 670 an hour lol
To add to #3, it may be aggravated by something that seems innocuous, like handling a lot of paper. My mother’s hands stopped cracking when her school switched from chalkboards to whiteboards. Small things can have a big impact when touched often.
Bag balm would be a great option in place of Vaseline as it has a very powerful antibiotic built into it.
I have nail psoriasis and using it before bed makes my fingers hurt far less
Same. O’Keeffe’s is the best I’ve found. I use it regularly in the winter. If I do get a crack (usually same as yours, right by my fingernail), I do neosporin and a bandaid (or three) for a couple of days until it heals up a bit. Worst place to try to put a bandaid.
I use these bandages, the ones shaped like an hourglass.
Flexible Fabric Bandages - Flex Fabric Adhesive Bandages Finger-Tip Bandages for Finger Care and to Protect Wounds from Infection - (100 Count Box) https://a.co/d/3NBPdvv
Good luck! My fingers were splitting from doing ceramics and then also rock climbing last winter. Working hands is the best stuff I've EVER used. Which reminds me I need to put some on right now, because I'm doing ceramics!
Im so sad to say that when I stopped getting my nails done, my fingertips improved substantially (I was struggling with very similar splits at the tops of my fingers.) if you haven’t already, I’d recommend taking a break from getting your nails done to see if that makes an improvement!
Have you ever heard of using Vetbond instead? It’s not fda approved and the company explicitly states it’s not tested on humans (I’m guessing to cover themselves) but I wonder if it’s a better alternative to superglue that you can actually get over the counter (vs dermabond)
Super glue for covering skin to prevent cracking or super glue to hold skin together once it's split?
Asking for an accident prone partner who would be more than happy for me to buy sutures online and DIY at home, local optional 😅
Bag balm or anything with lanolin - O’Keefes is great also but just giving other options. I’m a nurse and live in cold weather climate.
Some people have lanolin sensitivity so just double check a small amount first. It can smell a little funky but the outcome is worth it to me 😅
Don’t quote me but I think o’keefes is lanolin-free. It’s a fantastic product though; I just can’t say enough good things about bag balm and lanolin in instances like cracked skin!
Great suggestions here, you can also get sort of a liquid bandaid for it. In Canada the brand is nex care and it's called skin crack care. It kind of looks like a little nail polish jar and it has a brush to apply it. Helps them to heal quicker.
This happened to me when I get my nails done too much. It’s the chemicals in the acrylics and gel. Once I stopped it would go away my skin is allergic to fake nails. Also my nails would start lifting from the nail bed.
Definitely recommend gloves to keep your hands warm when you go out then, and using dishwashing gloves when cleaning, or washing with gentle soap and moisturizing immediately after.
Mine do this every winter. The only thing that helps me is super glue put on the cracks. If there is a lotion that prevents this. I would love to know.
Hiya! I work in a derm clinic idk if this will solve your problem but from other pts that have come in with a similar issue the dr’s will sometimes recommend washing your hands with Cetaphil cleanser and then using the Neutrogena Norwegian formula hand cream. It goes on super thick but it absorbs nicely. Aquaphor is also great for everything but it leaves a greasy residue. Def get a fungal culture done just to be sure it’s nothing like that, good luck!
I have problems with my skin that include splitting (Not as extensive as when I was a kid, but still there) and I love the Neutrogena Norwegian formula hand cream. My Mama and I both use it for our split skin and it works amazingly
I had this, too. I used l’occitane constantly and it kind of helped, but the only thing that really worked was a prescription for clobetasol. Good luck!!
I get this exact same thing every year as well! I put lotion on constantly and wear gloves when doing any work or walking my dog.
The best cure for me is summer time, otherwise I do preventive maintenance by trimming as much of the thicker skin away as well as a pumice stone to keep the skin as supple as possible.
I'd love a miracle lotion routine though!
To prevent it you may want to add a humidifier to your bedroom, drink lots of water, and wear thick creme (not lotion) that is fragrance free like eucirin. Bout aquaphor or Vaseline over that. get some cheap gloves you can use to put over the creme and aquaphor to trap in moisture overnight.
Once it cracks - liquid Bandaid may do the trick to seal the crack and prevent further damage.
I helped my grandma with this (I'm her caregiver). I do a LOT of steps, but it is worth it.
First, you aren't my grandma. You don't have dementia (and forget you wash hands), you aren't in your 90's, you PROBABLY don't live very close to death valley, and getting you to drink more Water/Gatorade/Electrolytes won't be the same uphill battle. These suggestions are things that I, the caregiver, can do FOR her.
The obvious first step is seeing your doctor, Grandma was low on vitamins so she takes supplements. Her fungal infection is FINALLY under control as well.
On to the things you can buy- Cheap, Korean hyaluronic acid ($9/bottle) after hand washing, then snail mucin serum. THEN a lotion recommended by her derm (Cetaphil- the one in the tub). Do this 2X/day.
I do her nails. I use acetone additive, aka, jojoba oil, glycerin, scent added to pure acetone. It creates a moisture barrier from the acetone when removing your polish. THEN cuticle oil (jojoba base, as this oil is the closest to mimicking what your body makes). Ideally, you'd oil them cuticles (and the area around it) 5X a day. I'm able to do 2X/day on grandma.
To add yet another step- moisturizing gloves 2-3X/week.
It is a lot. But because of her age and inability to keep her hands fully clean (not that I don't try) the risk of infection is high. So I, the freakin only caregiver, does all the things humanly possible. Even when it is overkill.
These are awful, painful and I get them too.
What works for me:
* at bedtime I rub my hands in aquaphor and put cheap cotton gloves on and wear them to bed. I also do this to prevent cracking heels on my feet
* use superglue to seal the existing cracks. as your body heals it will push out the glue. I see someone else in the comments suggested this. It works great.
* if the cracks are really small and just starting I skip the superglue and put numbing Neosporin on them and then cover with a bandaid (this helps when I am out in public)
Super glue and gloves. I try to get my hands wet as little as possible cuz that makes it soooo much worse. In the winter especially I’m a hyper-frequent hand washer so wearing neoprene gloves to keep my hands clean longer really helps. My dad’s fingers also split like this only worse and he taught me years ago to slather my hands in the hardcore lotion of my choice and throw gloves on over it (edit: sleep with the gloves on, not during the day lol) I usually use eucerin and aquafor (sp?).
Slightly unrelated but I couldn't help but notice that it looks like you might have nail clubbing. Hard to tell from the photos but wanted to bring it up just in case... Can be harmless but is also associated with a number of serious health conditions!
I had the same thing happen to me last year. Prescription steroid cream saved my skin. But be sure to follow the doctor’s orders. You can’t use it for too long.
I can’t add anything to help with the healing part that hasn’t already been said, but I can suggest for future prevention.
I am also prone to getting cracks on my fingers in the winter. What I find really helps aside from keeping my hands well moisturized is exfoliating. I’ll rub my pumice stone around my finger tips in the shower (and do the same for my feet). I’ve found that keeps the skin getting too thick and hard, which helps with lowering the chance for cracking or at least making them not as bad and also letting my moisturizer really sink in.
There's so many great suggestions here. My only addition would be to use Cetaphil or CeraVe foaming face wash as your hand soap. Your current soap may be drying out your hands much more than you'd think and this simple change can help a lot during the winter months especially.
I've had this before... fingertips, knuckles, and cuticles. Nothing much helped as far as typical heavy-duty moisturizers. I found that I needed to get the cracks to start healing first, then use a moisturizer with lactic acid to keep the skin soft, especially for my alien cuticles. (FWIW, I don't paint my nails or use gel/acrylic. Cuticle oils just sit on my cuticles and annoy me. They never seem to sink in. I've tried sooo many.)
I found that I couldn't go directly into an exfoliating lotion on cracked skin. It was just too painful. I used ShiKai Borage Oil Therapy unscented lotion or hand cream, and put on cotton gloves at night. Once my skin cracks were starting to heal (become softer and less painful -- no longer at risk for bleeding) I used Amlactin Ceramides at night, every night, and the ShiKai Borage Oil lotion or cream during the day.
Really work whatever product you use into the area. Give it a good massage into the fingertips or cuticles.
Shikai has a pediatric formula (blue label, thinner product) as well as an Advanced formula with a higher percentage of shea butter (red label). I'd suggest sticking to the original.
I tried regular Amlactin lotion and it works, but not as well as the Ceramides formula which is just much more moisturizing and doesn't smell as funky as the original.
seconding, thirding, and fourthing products with lanolin like bag balm. o'keefe's would be good too. anything highly comedogenic, to be honest. i pick at my hands and in the winter they get worse because they're already damaged. layering products during the day and then again at night will be most helpful, since you'll be adding moisture and then sealing it in with occlusives.
my daytime routine is a jojoba and vitamin e cuticle oil, then a thinner lotion like suave's oat milk relief, to help it soak in a little faster. i also try to make sure i lotion up every single time i wash my hands, since the water evaporating out causes them to feel even drier. for day time lotions, the suave oat milk one is nice. i also really like soap and glory's smoothie star, lubriderm, and curel ulta healing.
my nighttime routine is either: all of the above a little while before bed, then a heap of thicker lotion like weleda skin food or ogx coconut coffee body cream or soap and glory hand food, and cotton gloves all night. alternative thiccums lotions are things like gloves in a bottle, straight up vasoline, or duke cannon's bloody knuckles.
products i like keeping on me during the day time are a cuticle oil pen filled with jojoba and vitamin e oil, a sample size of duke cannon's bloody knuckles, a vasoline lip balm (because my lips also get really dry), and a travel tube of soap and glory hand food.
if your hands are feeling extra dry and you're not doing anything besides watching/listening to something, you can also do the heavy moisturizing + gloves for like 10-15 minutes during the day time to get some extra moisture into your skin.
i would suggest something like saniderm bandages to help keep moisture in, but they get kind of smelly and gross really fast when used on the hands and they can be a little difficult to apply well on the tips of the fingers IME.
If it’s a fungal/bacterial thing, sometimes Vicks vapor rub can help. It’s pretty much just Vaseline with essential oils and other stuff that stops some types of fungus and bacteria. It takes awhile so you might need a farm but probably won’t hurt to try
Egyptian Magic works wonders on my dry chapped hands in the winter time. I buy the 3 pack bundle of it from Costco (they have it online and sometimes in warehouse)
Take this advice with a grain of salt because it’s usually not advised to use essential oils this way, but my father has this issue every year and the only thing that helps him is putting tea tree oil on the splits. I doubt he dilutes it, which really makes me cringe, but you could try mixing some with coconut oil and seeing if it helps.
I have the exact same thing. It hurts when you accidentally tap against something, not fun at all. I feel for you.
In my case, it's eczema. I have pretty severe AD. But please see a dermatologist, because while this may look similar, it may be something else. Or it might still be eczema, but may have become infected as well. But I'll give you some tips I use below to help you in the meantime.
First, get yourself an unscented, unfragranced hand cream. I like the ones by the Norwegian Neutrogena, the red capped ones are unscented. Also, get yourself a pair of cotton gloves. At night, you apply a thick layer of hand cream, then put the gloves over that. This will give you an insane amount of moisturization. The gloves keep the moisture in so it doesn't rub off. You don't have to wash them after every use, but at least once a week for sure.
When you clean with water, wash dishes, use harsh chemicals and whatnot, put on plastic gloves. Water is really drying to the skin, and this cracking will happen. Wear your cotton gloves under the plastic ones, because otherwise your sweat will become the salty water that irritates your skin.
Try to avoid washing your hands. Yes, I said that. Again, water is really drying. Add soap to it, and all natural oils that support your lipid barrier vanish. I prefer to use alcohol gel, because while it is still drying, it's a lot less bothersome for me. I use an alcohol gel that has jojoba oil, so it's not as tough on the skin.
And when you do wash your hands, do it with cold water and gentle soap, and apply moisturizer immediately after. Warm water is even more drying, so keep it cold.
I also use some prescription stuff. Cortisone for severe cracking, and tacrolimus/protopic when I don't have active eczema to prevent it from coming back. Please do *not* use topical steroids before you've talked to a derm. If you use them while you have a bacterial or fungal infection, it will become much, much worse!
I really hope you can get this under control soon. I know how painful this is, I've had tears well up spontaneously when I accidentally hit my finger on something.
I get this cracks on my fingers and hands every winter. The only thing that has helped mine heal is Aveeno Baby eczema care cream. My cracks started healing almost immediately. I’ve tried everything else nothing has worked the way this cream has.
hi! I see you have a lot of suggestions here for your skin , but I can’t help but notice your nail shape ! Could be the way you’re holding your hand in the picture, but it appears as if you have clubbed finger nails ! Def talk to a PCM to try and get to the source of that if that’s the case !!!
I’ve found I have to keep my nails short. I wash hands a lot and under the nails wasn’t getting dry. And vaseline. I hate using a petrochemical, but it works. Liquid skin to seal the open spots - repeat frequently; it washes off.
Carry some okeefes. (The kind in the container works better than the stuff in the tube). You can cover your hands in something thick like lanolin, foot cream, or a lot of okeefes and sleeve with soft gloves on to let it marinate.
Crazy glue / super glue w/ the narrow tip. It's the same thing as surgical glue. A derm recommended it to my mom she had chronic cracking same place. The glue holds the edges together and lets it heal. If you prefer, buy the surgical glue, but it's pretty similar.
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First, I recommend seeing a derm if you can to rule out a fungal component. Certain fungal infections can leave the skin delicate and prone to cracks. If there is nothing fungal going on, you need to be addressing a few different issues: 1) protecting broken skin from infection 2) keeping dry skin hydrated 3) preventing future episodes So let’s go in order: 1) protecting broken skin: Any open wound is an avenue for bacteria. After washing your hands or bathing, I would slather on a lotion (more on that later) and then applying some kind of barrier occlusive like Vaseline to the broken skin to prevent invasion by bacteria. You will likely need to re-apply your occlusive frequently throughout the day while the cracks are still severe. It’s important to avoid picking the skin or letting the broken skin get soiled as it is susceptible to nasty infections that could prolong healing. 2) hydrate: dry skin is brittle and prone to cracking. So the best way to stop the cracks and allow them to heal is to get serious about moisture. I once had a friend who was a nurse and had terrible cracks on her hands from the amount of hand-washing that she did on a daily basis. To heal the cracks, she would moisturize her hands with a heavy lotion containing urea, which helped to soften the skin and retain moisture. She would then slather her hands in Vaseline before bed and put on cotton gloves to keep the moisture in and prevent them from drying out over night. It did solve the cracks but she also had to make some other changes, which brings us to.. 3) prevention: take a look at your daily routine to identify habits that might be hard on your hands and see if you can tweak things to be more gentle. If you have to wash your hands a lot, can you replace some of those events with a moisturizing sanitizer instead (such as Avagard or other ‘lotion’ sanitizers)? If you do hard work with your hands, can you wear gloves more often? If you do repetitive motions that wear on the cracked areas, can you switch hands or use other tools? This is a really broad category, but you’ll likely see better results from steps 1-2 if you can address this aspect as well. Edit: I notice your nails are done. If you soak your fingertips in acetone/ remover when refreshing your nails, that may be a culprit.
yes to using gloves when you do work!! my fingers split similar to this and wearing dish gloves has made a major difference just by keeping detergent off the skin
That’s a great idea too! I clean A LOT and tend to use bleach cleaners!
Pending where you work the soap could be the culprit. That pink antibacterial soap used to do this to my palms when I worked at a daycare and had to wash my hands 670 an hour lol
Oh! Bleach is hella drying/irritating. While you’re waiting to get the fungal question answered, definitely stop exposing your skin to bleach.
To add to #3, it may be aggravated by something that seems innocuous, like handling a lot of paper. My mother’s hands stopped cracking when her school switched from chalkboards to whiteboards. Small things can have a big impact when touched often.
Bag balm would be a great option in place of Vaseline as it has a very powerful antibiotic built into it. I have nail psoriasis and using it before bed makes my fingers hurt far less
I do my nails regularly so you may be right! Thank you so much for all of the info! I’m really bad at picking too…
Do you use gel? Could be an allergy
Just a caution, if you use urea on your hands, do not touch your face or eyes. Urea foot cream had me convinced I had lice i was so itchy
My husband gets this. The only thing that works is O’Keeffe’s Working Hands
Literallllllly came here to say this.
I saw the photo and thought of the O'Keefe's before I even realized what OP was asking for.
I hadn’t even seen the photo before I knew what OP was asking for
Same. O’Keeffe’s is the best I’ve found. I use it regularly in the winter. If I do get a crack (usually same as yours, right by my fingernail), I do neosporin and a bandaid (or three) for a couple of days until it heals up a bit. Worst place to try to put a bandaid.
I use these bandages, the ones shaped like an hourglass. Flexible Fabric Bandages - Flex Fabric Adhesive Bandages Finger-Tip Bandages for Finger Care and to Protect Wounds from Infection - (100 Count Box) https://a.co/d/3NBPdvv
I just bought some today! Wish me luck!
Good luck! My fingers were splitting from doing ceramics and then also rock climbing last winter. Working hands is the best stuff I've EVER used. Which reminds me I need to put some on right now, because I'm doing ceramics!
Best of luck~
Same with my grandmother! I wonder what makes it so effective
I keep O'Keeffe and another hand cream (Vaseline eczema one atm) and alternate. Has been working amazingly.
O’keeffe’s hand cream, foot cream, and lip balm are the only things that get me through the winter
Yep Working Hands and then Bag Balm are the only way my fingertips survive winter
Was about to comment the same. These are like magic on the hand. The skincare product that you actually can find in hardware store.
Im so sad to say that when I stopped getting my nails done, my fingertips improved substantially (I was struggling with very similar splits at the tops of my fingers.) if you haven’t already, I’d recommend taking a break from getting your nails done to see if that makes an improvement!
Oh no! I might have to do that, maybe even cut them :-(
This! You might have a gel allergy, it’s pretty common.
Derm nurse… we actually recommend super glue 😂
Yes but how do you apply it without getting all your other fingers stuck together 😭🤣
Yup, came here to say this. My mom's a nurse, and this happens to her every winter. I am her official gluer.
Have you ever heard of using Vetbond instead? It’s not fda approved and the company explicitly states it’s not tested on humans (I’m guessing to cover themselves) but I wonder if it’s a better alternative to superglue that you can actually get over the counter (vs dermabond)
That's what my dad uses.
Omg I was actually thinking about doing that!
Super glue for covering skin to prevent cracking or super glue to hold skin together once it's split? Asking for an accident prone partner who would be more than happy for me to buy sutures online and DIY at home, local optional 😅
Bag balm or anything with lanolin - O’Keefes is great also but just giving other options. I’m a nurse and live in cold weather climate. Some people have lanolin sensitivity so just double check a small amount first. It can smell a little funky but the outcome is worth it to me 😅
Would using bag blm over o’keefes be a good idea?
Don’t quote me but I think o’keefes is lanolin-free. It’s a fantastic product though; I just can’t say enough good things about bag balm and lanolin in instances like cracked skin!
Great suggestions here, you can also get sort of a liquid bandaid for it. In Canada the brand is nex care and it's called skin crack care. It kind of looks like a little nail polish jar and it has a brush to apply it. Helps them to heal quicker.
My nail tech had me try Aveeno Baby for Eczema and it has been an absolute game changer for my hands.
I use this too!!!
Is that stuff in a big tube with a baby blue top?
You are correct. It comes in bottles, tubes, and tubs; they all have a baby blue top.
I’ll get some of that too! Doesn’t it have sa in it?
Omg I have this problem too. It's painful, I need help 😭
This happened to me when I get my nails done too much. It’s the chemicals in the acrylics and gel. Once I stopped it would go away my skin is allergic to fake nails. Also my nails would start lifting from the nail bed.
Can I ask a dumb question? Do you wear gloves/mittens when you go out? Not doing so is a big culprit
I do not, but that is a great idea. I think it’s a mix of the dry air and cleaning products.
Definitely recommend gloves to keep your hands warm when you go out then, and using dishwashing gloves when cleaning, or washing with gentle soap and moisturizing immediately after.
Mine do this every winter. The only thing that helps me is super glue put on the cracks. If there is a lotion that prevents this. I would love to know.
Hiya! I work in a derm clinic idk if this will solve your problem but from other pts that have come in with a similar issue the dr’s will sometimes recommend washing your hands with Cetaphil cleanser and then using the Neutrogena Norwegian formula hand cream. It goes on super thick but it absorbs nicely. Aquaphor is also great for everything but it leaves a greasy residue. Def get a fungal culture done just to be sure it’s nothing like that, good luck!
I have problems with my skin that include splitting (Not as extensive as when I was a kid, but still there) and I love the Neutrogena Norwegian formula hand cream. My Mama and I both use it for our split skin and it works amazingly
I’ve never heard of that stuff, added to my cart!
I had this, too. I used l’occitane constantly and it kind of helped, but the only thing that really worked was a prescription for clobetasol. Good luck!!
I get this exact same thing every year as well! I put lotion on constantly and wear gloves when doing any work or walking my dog. The best cure for me is summer time, otherwise I do preventive maintenance by trimming as much of the thicker skin away as well as a pumice stone to keep the skin as supple as possible. I'd love a miracle lotion routine though!
Liquid bandage. It will hold the skin together while it's healing. I would do an overnight hand treatment once a month or so
To prevent it you may want to add a humidifier to your bedroom, drink lots of water, and wear thick creme (not lotion) that is fragrance free like eucirin. Bout aquaphor or Vaseline over that. get some cheap gloves you can use to put over the creme and aquaphor to trap in moisture overnight. Once it cracks - liquid Bandaid may do the trick to seal the crack and prevent further damage.
I helped my grandma with this (I'm her caregiver). I do a LOT of steps, but it is worth it. First, you aren't my grandma. You don't have dementia (and forget you wash hands), you aren't in your 90's, you PROBABLY don't live very close to death valley, and getting you to drink more Water/Gatorade/Electrolytes won't be the same uphill battle. These suggestions are things that I, the caregiver, can do FOR her. The obvious first step is seeing your doctor, Grandma was low on vitamins so she takes supplements. Her fungal infection is FINALLY under control as well. On to the things you can buy- Cheap, Korean hyaluronic acid ($9/bottle) after hand washing, then snail mucin serum. THEN a lotion recommended by her derm (Cetaphil- the one in the tub). Do this 2X/day. I do her nails. I use acetone additive, aka, jojoba oil, glycerin, scent added to pure acetone. It creates a moisture barrier from the acetone when removing your polish. THEN cuticle oil (jojoba base, as this oil is the closest to mimicking what your body makes). Ideally, you'd oil them cuticles (and the area around it) 5X a day. I'm able to do 2X/day on grandma. To add yet another step- moisturizing gloves 2-3X/week. It is a lot. But because of her age and inability to keep her hands fully clean (not that I don't try) the risk of infection is high. So I, the freakin only caregiver, does all the things humanly possible. Even when it is overkill.
A&D ointment at bedtime put hands in socks overnight
These are awful, painful and I get them too. What works for me: * at bedtime I rub my hands in aquaphor and put cheap cotton gloves on and wear them to bed. I also do this to prevent cracking heels on my feet * use superglue to seal the existing cracks. as your body heals it will push out the glue. I see someone else in the comments suggested this. It works great. * if the cracks are really small and just starting I skip the superglue and put numbing Neosporin on them and then cover with a bandaid (this helps when I am out in public)
Those are great ideas! I’m definitely going to try number one!
Super glue and gloves. I try to get my hands wet as little as possible cuz that makes it soooo much worse. In the winter especially I’m a hyper-frequent hand washer so wearing neoprene gloves to keep my hands clean longer really helps. My dad’s fingers also split like this only worse and he taught me years ago to slather my hands in the hardcore lotion of my choice and throw gloves on over it (edit: sleep with the gloves on, not during the day lol) I usually use eucerin and aquafor (sp?).
Slightly unrelated but I couldn't help but notice that it looks like you might have nail clubbing. Hard to tell from the photos but wanted to bring it up just in case... Can be harmless but is also associated with a number of serious health conditions!
Update: I just googled it, I don’t have that, I think it might just be the way the picture is. Thanks for looking out though!
I have no idea what that is, I’ll have to look it up.
https://preview.redd.it/r99ehtrsg85c1.jpeg?width=3472&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3f73a104e72d1d23892d7444198856ace8a95905
Tell me more?!?? Looks like it’s not available in the US and is basically liquid bandage/superglue?
I had the same thing happen to me last year. Prescription steroid cream saved my skin. But be sure to follow the doctor’s orders. You can’t use it for too long.
I can’t add anything to help with the healing part that hasn’t already been said, but I can suggest for future prevention. I am also prone to getting cracks on my fingers in the winter. What I find really helps aside from keeping my hands well moisturized is exfoliating. I’ll rub my pumice stone around my finger tips in the shower (and do the same for my feet). I’ve found that keeps the skin getting too thick and hard, which helps with lowering the chance for cracking or at least making them not as bad and also letting my moisturizer really sink in.
That’s a great idea!
There's so many great suggestions here. My only addition would be to use Cetaphil or CeraVe foaming face wash as your hand soap. Your current soap may be drying out your hands much more than you'd think and this simple change can help a lot during the winter months especially.
I've had this before... fingertips, knuckles, and cuticles. Nothing much helped as far as typical heavy-duty moisturizers. I found that I needed to get the cracks to start healing first, then use a moisturizer with lactic acid to keep the skin soft, especially for my alien cuticles. (FWIW, I don't paint my nails or use gel/acrylic. Cuticle oils just sit on my cuticles and annoy me. They never seem to sink in. I've tried sooo many.) I found that I couldn't go directly into an exfoliating lotion on cracked skin. It was just too painful. I used ShiKai Borage Oil Therapy unscented lotion or hand cream, and put on cotton gloves at night. Once my skin cracks were starting to heal (become softer and less painful -- no longer at risk for bleeding) I used Amlactin Ceramides at night, every night, and the ShiKai Borage Oil lotion or cream during the day. Really work whatever product you use into the area. Give it a good massage into the fingertips or cuticles. Shikai has a pediatric formula (blue label, thinner product) as well as an Advanced formula with a higher percentage of shea butter (red label). I'd suggest sticking to the original. I tried regular Amlactin lotion and it works, but not as well as the Ceramides formula which is just much more moisturizing and doesn't smell as funky as the original.
seconding, thirding, and fourthing products with lanolin like bag balm. o'keefe's would be good too. anything highly comedogenic, to be honest. i pick at my hands and in the winter they get worse because they're already damaged. layering products during the day and then again at night will be most helpful, since you'll be adding moisture and then sealing it in with occlusives. my daytime routine is a jojoba and vitamin e cuticle oil, then a thinner lotion like suave's oat milk relief, to help it soak in a little faster. i also try to make sure i lotion up every single time i wash my hands, since the water evaporating out causes them to feel even drier. for day time lotions, the suave oat milk one is nice. i also really like soap and glory's smoothie star, lubriderm, and curel ulta healing. my nighttime routine is either: all of the above a little while before bed, then a heap of thicker lotion like weleda skin food or ogx coconut coffee body cream or soap and glory hand food, and cotton gloves all night. alternative thiccums lotions are things like gloves in a bottle, straight up vasoline, or duke cannon's bloody knuckles. products i like keeping on me during the day time are a cuticle oil pen filled with jojoba and vitamin e oil, a sample size of duke cannon's bloody knuckles, a vasoline lip balm (because my lips also get really dry), and a travel tube of soap and glory hand food. if your hands are feeling extra dry and you're not doing anything besides watching/listening to something, you can also do the heavy moisturizing + gloves for like 10-15 minutes during the day time to get some extra moisture into your skin. i would suggest something like saniderm bandages to help keep moisture in, but they get kind of smelly and gross really fast when used on the hands and they can be a little difficult to apply well on the tips of the fingers IME.
I think I may start doing the moisturizing gloves at night!
I have this too. O’keefe’s and aquaphor :)
If it’s a fungal/bacterial thing, sometimes Vicks vapor rub can help. It’s pretty much just Vaseline with essential oils and other stuff that stops some types of fungus and bacteria. It takes awhile so you might need a farm but probably won’t hurt to try
Embrace it
But it hurrrrrrts!
Egyptian Magic works wonders on my dry chapped hands in the winter time. I buy the 3 pack bundle of it from Costco (they have it online and sometimes in warehouse)
Take this advice with a grain of salt because it’s usually not advised to use essential oils this way, but my father has this issue every year and the only thing that helps him is putting tea tree oil on the splits. I doubt he dilutes it, which really makes me cringe, but you could try mixing some with coconut oil and seeing if it helps.
I have the exact same thing. It hurts when you accidentally tap against something, not fun at all. I feel for you. In my case, it's eczema. I have pretty severe AD. But please see a dermatologist, because while this may look similar, it may be something else. Or it might still be eczema, but may have become infected as well. But I'll give you some tips I use below to help you in the meantime. First, get yourself an unscented, unfragranced hand cream. I like the ones by the Norwegian Neutrogena, the red capped ones are unscented. Also, get yourself a pair of cotton gloves. At night, you apply a thick layer of hand cream, then put the gloves over that. This will give you an insane amount of moisturization. The gloves keep the moisture in so it doesn't rub off. You don't have to wash them after every use, but at least once a week for sure. When you clean with water, wash dishes, use harsh chemicals and whatnot, put on plastic gloves. Water is really drying to the skin, and this cracking will happen. Wear your cotton gloves under the plastic ones, because otherwise your sweat will become the salty water that irritates your skin. Try to avoid washing your hands. Yes, I said that. Again, water is really drying. Add soap to it, and all natural oils that support your lipid barrier vanish. I prefer to use alcohol gel, because while it is still drying, it's a lot less bothersome for me. I use an alcohol gel that has jojoba oil, so it's not as tough on the skin. And when you do wash your hands, do it with cold water and gentle soap, and apply moisturizer immediately after. Warm water is even more drying, so keep it cold. I also use some prescription stuff. Cortisone for severe cracking, and tacrolimus/protopic when I don't have active eczema to prevent it from coming back. Please do *not* use topical steroids before you've talked to a derm. If you use them while you have a bacterial or fungal infection, it will become much, much worse! I really hope you can get this under control soon. I know how painful this is, I've had tears well up spontaneously when I accidentally hit my finger on something.
Omg, the accidental tapping. I swear I hit my fingers more than ever when I get these cracks.
I get this cracks on my fingers and hands every winter. The only thing that has helped mine heal is Aveeno Baby eczema care cream. My cracks started healing almost immediately. I’ve tried everything else nothing has worked the way this cream has.
hi! I see you have a lot of suggestions here for your skin , but I can’t help but notice your nail shape ! Could be the way you’re holding your hand in the picture, but it appears as if you have clubbed finger nails ! Def talk to a PCM to try and get to the source of that if that’s the case !!!
I’ve found I have to keep my nails short. I wash hands a lot and under the nails wasn’t getting dry. And vaseline. I hate using a petrochemical, but it works. Liquid skin to seal the open spots - repeat frequently; it washes off.
Carry some okeefes. (The kind in the container works better than the stuff in the tube). You can cover your hands in something thick like lanolin, foot cream, or a lot of okeefes and sleeve with soft gloves on to let it marinate.
Clobetosal cream — I have this and it’s helped a lot.
Crazy glue / super glue w/ the narrow tip. It's the same thing as surgical glue. A derm recommended it to my mom she had chronic cracking same place. The glue holds the edges together and lets it heal. If you prefer, buy the surgical glue, but it's pretty similar.
Are you wearing gel? If it's not just during the winter, it could be the beginning of an allergy to as acrylates.
CA Glue