I need help! Apparently I have inherited my mom's gene for cracking/sore hands in the wintertime. I have tried lots of lotions including Eucerin, Vaseline intensive care, etc. I know this is just going to get worse due to all the handwashing I'm doing as well.
I am noticing the beginning of the dryness starting again, and I really really don't want a sore mess this winter. Not to mention the fact that I don't want yucky hands around sick patients.
Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.
I use the Nivea cream when i'm at home. We'll see how it works this winter, since i'm 'washing' my hands in a whole new way (scrubbing with a brush before cases).
For bedtime,The paraffin machine is a worthy investment! I have mine plugged into a time, since it takes over an hour for the wax to melt from a solid form. I have the timer set for two hours before i go to bed. I rub Palmer's Cocoa Oil onto them before i dip. Leaving the wax on for 10 minutes, then peeling it off.
At work the lotion i use is Vaseline's Water Resistant. I needed something that works, yet doesn't leave me with hands so greasy that i couldn't open anything. And that stuff works well.
Oh..that sounds heavenly!!!!!! Do they make those things big enough for feet too!!!! Oh prrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh..that sounds heavenly!!!!!! Do they make those things big enough for feet too!!!! Oh prrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, there are some that are long enough to dip your feet as well! But be sure to set the temperature down a bit for them - they're much more temperature sensitive than your hands. I recommend the plain fragrance-free wax that typically comes with the parrafin spa, if your skin is currently in bad shape.
I slather my hands and feet with Aquaphor each night and cover with cotton socks/gloves. It really does help heal up minor skin breakdown - we even use it in the NICU on our micropreemie's tortured skin.
Also like the Miracle Hand and Miracle Foot repair lotions. Yes, they're $10 a tube, and yes, they're cheesy "As Seen On TV" products...but they really do work well.
I've always had trouble with red, cracking skin. Right now I'm getting nasty rashy looking areas, especially at my wrists. I'm using Glove Potion Number Nine from the Bath and Body shop at night (cotton gloves too). On my days off I keep a little tin of Badger Balm, and apply frequently. I usually have 3 days off between shifts, and the badger balm generally has me healed up in time to do some more damage. I'm allergic to most lotions and soaps so have to be extra careful. My facility is heavy on the latex and doesn't allow any soaps or lotions on the floor except what they supply. I'm bringing my own gloves from home much of the time. You might want to try using non latex non powder gloves. One of those wonderful sounding paraffin spas is on my wish list.
But, right now, I've not found a single product that beats my Badger Balm. You can find it at most "Natural Foods" or hippie type stores. There's also a Heavenly muscle rub, and a "sleeping balm" that works wonders on husbands, kids, and nurses whose minds are too busy to sleep after a long shift. ;-)
My feet are 8 1/2, and they fit. I'd say that any bigger than a 9 and they wouldn't though, depending on the brand of machine you have. Mine is a Remington that i bought when they first started selling them at Wal-Mart. It came with it's own wa, but i didn't like the citrus smell.
I bought lavendar-scented wax at Sally Beauty Supply
I started having issues with dry skin for the past couple of winters. When my skin is dry/irritated it doesn't tolerate scented lotions. I've been using a product the 3M rep left with us last year called Cavilon. It helped some but I was still having problems. Then our unit started promoting/pushing/insisting on using hand sanitizing gels instead of traditional handwashing after the last CDC recommendations. This was actually great for me, my hands for some reason loved the moisturized hand gel we use, or maybe it was the vastly decreased handwashing.
I've found something better since my last post...Curel Ultra Healing. It's much better than the Aveda I was using, in my opinion...and a heck of a lot cheaper. You can get an 8oz bottle of it at Target for under $3.
I've found that Eucerin is the only thing that works well for me. I also use it on my 4 yr old, as she gets the dry flaky skin during the winter months as well.
It's "nurse hand" season. Palmer's cocoa butter works well, and if you have cracks already, you can paint them with clear nail polish. It seals the wound and allows it to heal faster. It hurts/burns when applied, but it is the only way I've found to let them heal.
Antikigirl, ASN, RN
2,595 Posts
Oh..that sounds heavenly!!!!!! Do they make those things big enough for feet too!!!! Oh prrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!