Dry Hands? Tips For Winter Skin

Having dry hands in the winter is the last thing anyone wants to deal with. Hands can turn red, chapped and rough in the cold months of winter. There are several causes and treatments for dry hands. Understanding the reasons why hands get this way is a helpful part of preventing dry hands.

Reasons for Dry Hands

Genes: Everyone has what is called a skin barrier, this barrier protects the skin. Some people have a weak skin barrier which causes them to have symptoms of sensitive skin. This weak skin barrier causes dry skin to appear in the winter months. Having a strong skin barrier means hands are less likely to get dry and chapped in the winter months. There is no way to control what type of skin barrier you have. It is passed on through your genes from your parents.

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Frequently Washing: When hands get washed frequently, they tend to get dry and irritated. This happens because washing strips away the natural oils from the skin on hands. Everyone has to wash their hands but over washing should be avoided. When washing your hands try to avoid the skin that is on the back of hands. This skin on the back of the hands is much thinner than the skin on the bottom of hands. The skin on the bottom of hands comes in contact with more germs than the skin on the back of hands.

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Not Washing Off All The Soap: When washing hands be very diligent to wash off the entire product, you are using. Any leftover product will dry out the skin on your hands.

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Hand Sanitizer: Everyone wants to prevent germs and coming down with a cold or the flu, thus using additional hand sanitizer in the winter months. Most hand sanitizer is made up alcohol which kills germs. Using too much of this product will dry out hands. Once the skin on the hands is dried out, it will be painful to keep using the product on the dry skin.

Heat: In the winter months there is less humidity in the air, and everything in the air is drier due to this. Most people spend more of their time inside during the winter months. Heating your home in the winter makes the air drier inside which can dry out skin. Going from inside to outside all winter with temperature changes negatively influences skin.

Prevention is the key to avoiding the discomfort of dry hands during the cold, winter months. Some people think by drinking more water you can prevent dry hands altogether, but this is not true. Water helps to moisturize the skin, but it alone will not prevent dry, cracked hands. Moisturizing hands before you get any symptoms of rough, irritated skin on your hands is a key habit to avoiding this problem. Another great tip is to wear gloves if you know you will work in water for long periods of time. Wear gloves if your hands are exposed to the cold, or you have a history of getting dry hands. Something else that is an easy fix is during the winter months use a hypoallergenic cleanser instead of soap with detergents or dyes in it.

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Exfoliating the skin on your hands will help to regenerate new skin cells and get rid of the dead skin cells at the same time. Most of us do this for our face, but we neglect our hands. The skin on your hands is thin just like the skin on your face, so it needs pampering. If you have not taken steps to prevent dry hands, there are many ways to heal the skin on your hands. Several products will have your hands feeling like new again, and small habits you create can remedy this problem.

Tips to Heal Dry Hands

Moisturize with lotion as soon as you get out of the shower or after you wash your hands.
Use good quality hand cream or lotion.
Wear gloves.
Give your skin a break from the harsh elements.
Use a humidifier.
Avoid hot water, try to use lukewarm water instead.

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Products to use for Dry Hands

There are so many products out there it is hard to choose the right one to heal your dry hands.

This list will help narrow the search:

Glycerin-rich hand creams will hold the water onto your skin without feeling heavy or greasy.

Oatmeal based creams or lotions are a good choice. Oatmeal calms the redness and irritation of dry hands.

Some product names that dermatologist suggest are Neutrogena, Aquaphor, Vaseline, Aveeno, Cetaphil, and Dove to give your hands a boost. At night, layer your hands with Aquaphor (Aquaphor is a multipurpose ointment used to heal the skin) or Vaseline and cover your hands with cotton gloves or clean socks. Covering the hands is important because it will lock in the moisture to heal the skin, as well as preventing the ointment from getting all over your bed sheets and clothing.

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Dry hands do not have to be a part of your winter routine. Take steps to prevent your skin from falling into this trap every cold season. Dry hands should not stop you from enjoying the cold, winter months. Get out there and have fun!