Tiny cracks/cuts on my fingers! Dry Hands! Too much handwashing ! OOooww! Help !

Nurses General Nursing

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My hands are absolutely SORE ! I was showing a co-worker my hands and asked her , "What do you think is causing these little tiny cuts on my fingers? and Hands??"

She said it is because my hands are so dry. The soap dispenser at work is very harsh.

Anyone carrying around a soap squirter from Home?

I must wash my hands 40 times in 8 hours...maybe more.

What kind of hand cream are you all using?

Anyone else got this problem?

My hands hurt/sting/burn////

I think I might start wearing gloves 4-5 hours out of eight.

I see lots of nurses who walk into EVERY patients room putting on a pair of gloves. They never take them off.

Until they leave the room. And they do not wash their hands.

They return to the desk or med room and do whatever chore it is they were doing and put on another pair of gloves when in the pts. room the next time.

Maybe this is best. Especially for me. Handwashing would be a hard habit to break. But I know I am at risk with all these broken area s on my hands.

What do you all do?

And which lotion/cream is best to buy?

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Personally, I use Vitamin E lotion...seems to help..have also tried St.Ive's Intense healing...hope you find something that helps!

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I use Neutrogena hand cream. Seems to speed the healing process for me. I also put super glue on the tiny cuts I get around my cuticles before I go into work. Stings pretty bad- but one less path for pathogens to enter. We have alot of Hep-C patients and I tend to be very vilgilant about protecting my skin.

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Best/fastest way to heal & moisturize dry hands in my experience has been to slather on a lot of good lotion (especially with Vitamin E in it) at night & wear a pair of socks on your hands while you sleep. There are "moisturizer gloves" that some places sell that you can wear instead, but they feel kinda weird to me.

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The CDC claims that nothing takes the place of handwashing, although gloves are a necessity lots of the time. I take 400 i.u. of Vitamin E PO qd, use medicated lotion at work. When I sleep I put on vaseline then socks over my hands (well, I have not done this in a long time. Maybe the Vit. E is working!)

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Dry hands always seem to be worse in the winter months for me. My wife is constantly offering lotion for my "crocodile hands."

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Since your hands are allready cracked and bleeding I would suggest that you go to your local drug store and purchase "Eucerin Cream". It is a bit expensive but it is a very good moistureizer and is medicated to help treat cuts. There are a number of Eucerin Products but what would work best for you is the hand cream that comes in a little tub. Also, purchase some cotton gloves, slather the Eucerin cream all over your hands and put on the gloves at night while you sleep or if you are ever just sitting around the house reading a book or watching TV.

If you are unable to find gloves, socks on your hands will work in a pinch.

I had very bad dry skin on my hands and cracks and bleeding cuts at my knuckles from working outside during the winter time. My doctor recommended this product and within a day the superficial cuts were pretty much healed up. A day or two later they were completely healed.

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i also use Eucerine cream for my hands. the best stuff ever. i have to use it for my daughters eczema-it works great:) i use the hand cream during the day- it almost seems pointless since i wash then apply and next thing you know i'm washing again and over and over the process goes, but my hands don't crack. i then use the thick cream in the jar at home- feels a little greasy at first but only for a few min.

i hope that you figure something out that helps you- when i worked in texas as a CNA- they gave me a spray that i applied over my hands and let dry on. it would be good for about ten hand washes, unfortunantly i can't remeber the name. the hospital supplies it. take care:p

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Seconding (tripling?) the Eucerin. I bought the Walgreens knock-off brand and found it works just as well. I put some on before starting and again about halfway throught the shift. I'm happy to share but keep it in my locker and use a plastic utensil to dispense it (it's in a tub, not a squirt bottle).

I have more problems in the winter, and can tell if my skin stings afer washing that I need to reapply.

1 Votes
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

neutrogena has an awesome very thick formula that lasts and lasts, too.

if this does not clear up, see a doctor.

and NO i would never recommend wearing gloves in place of washing hands. i do not think that is sufficient and IMAGINE how the patient feels if you wear gloves during your entire contact w/her/him. I do not think that is the answer.

1 Votes

I hear you sister,

actually, I think I'm having the best year ever for my hands. But they are always chronically chapped in Winter.

Some things that might help (nutty but they help me)

1. Do not expose your hands to cold winter air (but you're a Texan, right? Maybe this doesn't apply to you)

2. Crazy glue works very well to glue those cracks closed that keep opening up and bleeding every time you wash (really!).

3. Swipe a tube of barrier cream (TripleCare by Smith and Nephiew works well) and reapply liberally every time you wash.

4. Get yourself your own stash of powderless gloves. You may have a glove allergy here. Talk to you Occupational Health Nurse about getting you some milder stuff to wash you hands with at work. You have the right to ask for this in the name of staff health and safety.

5. I find Aveeno Intense Relief Hand Cream is the best I've ever tried.

6. Lac-Hydrin or Urimol lotions are very good as well. Another tip use the stuff you use to exfoliate your face once in a while on your hands when you're at home. Softer, healthier skin is less likely to chap.

7. Apply GlaxalBase to hands and wear cotton gloves/socks on you hands while you sleep.

8. If at all possible stay away from that evil alcohol waterless handwash. Alcohol is very drying.

2 Votes

Oh I know what you mean...

I use a regimen of Neutrogena lotion and then whenever I am sitting anywhere - like at the cpu - or watching TV...

I always keep Palmer's Cocoa Butter around - I know they say it works great for stretch marks but - it has vitamin E and I use it on my dry lips and hands especially before bed....

It smells nice too - sorta chocolatey....

2 Votes
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