Dry Hands
Dry hands are a common problem along with flakiness, itching, and a feeling of tightness. Hands also feel rough to the touch. In order to treat dry skin on hands properly, it is important to understand what is causing them.
Causes of Dry Hands
– Low humidity: Your hands become dry when the humidity in your environment is low. In winter, low temperatures and low outdoor humidity draw moisture from the skin. In summer, high temperatures and low humidity can also dry out your skin. People who live in dry climate regions may face this problem of dry hands throughout the year. Indoor heating and air conditioning can also lower the humidity level of the indoor air.
– Sun exposure: Prolonged exposure to sun can evaporate the moisture from the skin, making your hands dry and damaged. UV rays also causes age spots on your hands.
– Improper hand washing: Use of harsh soap and hot water can strip natural moisture from the skin. Washing your hands or using hand sanitizers too often also causes the skin to become dry.
– Frequent exposure to detergent and household cleaners: Like soaps, detergent and household cleansers contain chemicals that can remove natural oils from the skin surface, leading to dry hands.
– Dehydration:Â Dehydration is the loss of water in the body and can cause dry skin. Drinking too much alcohol or caffeinated beverages and eating too much foods high in sodium can dehydrate the skin and body.
– Allergic Reactions:Â When your hands contact with a substance that you are allergic to, they may become dry, red, and inflamed. These reactions lead to contact dermatitis. Common causes of contact dermatitis are cleaning products, metals, poisonous plants, cosmetics, detergents, soaps and latex.
– Medical Conditions:Â If you hands remain dry despite the use of lotions and creams, you may have hand eczema. Eczema is a chronic disorder of the immune system that causes red, itchy, and dry skin.
– Age: As we age, our skin produces less sebum. Hormonal changes after menopause also cause dry skin.
Dry Hand Remedies
– Avoid using a harsh soap and hot water to wash your hand. Instead, use a mild or pH balanced soap.
– Apply hand lotion. Applying hand moisturizer after each wash is one of important hand care tips. At night, coat your hands in heavy moisturizer or Vaseline and cover them with cotton gloves. Leave overnight.
– Apply sunscreen on the hands before going out in the sun.
– Keep yourself hydrated. Drink 8-10 glasses of water daily. Drink extra water during winter and summer. If you live in a dry climate, drink even more water. In addition, limit caffeine and alcohol intake. Drink one extra glass of water for each cup of coffee or black tea you have.
– During winter, increase the amount of moisture in your home by using a humidifier.
– Always wear gloves in winter to protect your hands from cold weather.
– Exfoliate your hands. Exfoliation will help remove dead skin cells on the surface of your skin, allowing hand creams or lotions to penetrate deep into the skin. Sugar scrub is one of effective homemade hand treatments to treat dry hands.
– Wear gloves when you have to contact with chemical substances such as cleaning and dishwashing products.
– If your dry skin is caused by eczema, consult a doctor. Treatment of hand eczema also involves lifestyle changes, frequent moisturizing, and applications of topical hydrocortisone cream.
I have always had dry skin on my hands and they get really sore with little nicks on them because they are never out of water!!!! I have been using a hand cream for the past six months called Hand Angel. I like it because it seems to have healed the skin on my hands and I don’t really suffer with sore hands any more. I also use this in conjunction with a natural balm called salveation which I puton on my hands a couple of times a week before retiring to bed. I wear mits on top of this balm as it is quite messy. My hands are really smooth now, still signs of wear and tear(I am almost fifty) but the difference is there to be seen.
Forgot to say – these are by mama nature.