My poor screaming overwashed hands!

[Kimburly]

I guess my skin is just hypersensitive but my hands are frequently screaming red and burning! It is definately from washing so much because there becomes a demarcated redness at my wrists. It is clearly the worst after 3 12's. Does anyone have any suggestions? I don't want 80 year old hands at 30! We are not supposed to use anything except the hospital provided lotion at work for infection control reasons, but that stuff is worthless. I use Eucerin before bed, but I can't walk around during waking hours with Eucerin slathered all over my hands! any suggestions from similar sufferers would be greatly appreciated! :)

[maggie7]

Philosophy "Time on your hands" works great for me if I remember to put on before bed. I've also kept a "chapstick" just for my hands, which works well.

[BadBird, BSN, RN]

I can't wear the gloves with powder in them, they just tear up my hands, try switching to non powdered gloves and see if that helps. I also bring my vaseline intensive care lotion .

[nursedawn67, LPN]

Alcohol gel makes my hands rough and flaky too. i try to avoid it. When at home I slather a good lotion on my hands and then dip them into a parafin wax bath, apply platic bags over that and sit for about 30 minutes....helps with the dryness, any joint achyness and is soooo relaxing.

[kae rn]

A tip I learned from another nurse's dermatologist for cracked skin is to use superglue. I have tried it and it works. Usually one application last 24 hours with handwashing. I usually reapply. Allows my skin to heal from the inside. Kind of like 2nd skin, but much cheaper.

[BellaTerra2002]

Before you go to bed, put on Rex Eme creme. Can be found in pharmacies. Expensive but GREAT hand creme.

[NurseWeasel]

Use superglue... how? All over? Only on the cracks?

[funnygirl_rn]

Originally posted by BadBird

I can't wear the gloves with powder in them, they just tear up my hands, try switching to non powdered gloves and see if that helps. I also bring my vaseline intensive care lotion .

I can't wear the gloves with powder in them either...causes a red itchy rash. Another thing that I do besides what all the posters mentioned is wear a pair of cotton gloves at night. Helps retain the moisturizer I slathered on & helps heal my dry cracked hands. If you don't have any cotton gloves, grab a pair of cotton socks. May feel odd on your hands, but will help retain the moisturizer at least. I find Neutrogena hand cream works pretty good. I do like Cornhuskers lotion & bag balm too. Good luck.

[Sekar]

I use superglue to seal the cracks on my hands, particullary my thumbs. They crack right above the nails and extend almost to the pad. The cracks just won't heal if I don't seal them with superglue. Three days of applying superglue and the cracks heal right up.

As for stopping the cracking and peeling, which I only get during the winter, nothing much seems to help except for a product called "glove in a bottle" that I got at Lowe's. It puts some kind of coating on the skin that lasts 24 hours. It was designed for painters to allow them to easily clean paint from their hands. Works like a champ!

[boggle, ASN, RN]

NO ONE understands chapped hands like nurses do!! Youguys have some great suggestions for relief here.

I have found it's not just the frequent handwashing that does my hands in. It's the incomplete "hand drying" I do as I rush off to the next patient or task. Once my hands get irritated, just the touch of those paper towels (more like sand-paper towels in my facility) make my hands hurt. It's all downhill from there.

I definitely will try some of those skin protector/ barrier creams you have mentioned.

Thanks everybody, you are the greatest! :)

[P_RN, ADN, RN]

Neutrogena creme is great. Also get some cotton gloves like band members wear and put them on over the creme at night. Cost about $4.

[rebelwaclause, ASN, RN]

All the above is great.

Keri Lotion or Vitamin A & D is a bit greasy, but works good with a pair of those overnight cloth gloves and is relatively inexpensive. I've seen the gloves in Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, and other drugstores. They help deep condition your hands by keeping the moisturizer from drying out too quickly or rubbing off on your sheets. Its the same theory as vaseline and socks overnight when wearing sandals the next day. It does wonders!