Thread: Lizard lady hands, yeccch!

Ack, it's been cooler here in Oregon and the humidity has plummeted to boot. My hands are so dry that they do in fact resemble lizard paws (claws? talons? feet?). Nothing I've tried has worked: Bag Balm, grape seed oil, heavy duty lotions, chapstick, etc., etc. Help! It's only a matter of time and they'll start cracking and bleeding (not attractive).

cruel makes a formula for older women, ...it work well on any really dry hands.its like a "past mentalpause" formula

Always looking for recommendations on this front. I have psoriasis so my feet/hands are always scaly and cracking. But it has been way worse these last few weeks in Oregon I must agree.

Have you tried the thing where you put on hand creme (the more heavy-duty the better; L'Occitane or other shea butter-based type is good) and then put on gloves before you go to bed at night? I've found this to be helpful.

Cornhuskers lotion is supposed to be good. I haven't tried it, though.

Cornhusker lotion is great. I have also done shea butter. Lots of shea butter. The real key is to constantly be putting some kind of lotion on. Every time you wash your hands, every time you think about it, before you go to bed.

Also make sure that you have enough fat in your diet as well as being hydrated from the inside out! the fat thing was something discovered by people who were doing zero fat diets in the early 90's.

Oh, and try a milk bath! Decadent and self indulgent, but fun!

{{{HUGS}}}

Originally Posted by JeanneLF

Have you tried the thing where you put on hand creme (the more heavy-duty the better; L'Occitane or other shea butter-based type is good) and then put on gloves before you go to bed at night? I've found this to be helpful.

And for your feet (yes this is weird but trust me), put on tons of the greasiest lotion you can find, wrap your feet loosely in saran wrap, and put socks over them. At night of course. Don't wrap so tightly that you cut the circulation off. In the morning, jump in the shower and pumic away.

Diaper Rash Ointment, like A&D. My doctor told me to use this on my hands because they get so dry and scaly they will crack and bleed. It works great!! I do it at night before bed since it doesn't smell all that great.

Aquaphor is another really really heavy ointment that I often use at bed time. My hands crack like a mutha, too. It sucks.

Originally Posted by Doozer

Ack, it's been cooler here in Oregon and the humidity has plummeted to boot. My hands are so dry that they do in fact resemble lizard paws (claws? talons? feet?). Nothing I've tried has worked: Bag Balm, grape seed oil, heavy duty lotions, chapstick, etc., etc. Help! It's only a matter of time and they'll start cracking and bleeding (not attractive).

I have the same problem! AZ is drier than a bone when we're not in the monsoon season. I use Burt's Bees Coconut Foot Creme - it's less than $13 and basically it looks like some put an oily yellow delicious smelling petroluem jelly into a toothpaste tube (comes in a cardboard box though).

Lather your hands in this and put gloves on them overnight and it should work like a charm. I swear by it!!..g.:

Seconding (or thirding?) shea butter. I use unrefined shea butter as an all round moisturiser for really dry skin, and it works very well.

Duh, I should have remembered Aquaphor...I use it on my kids when their skin gets dry! I totally forgot about the glove thing (that should get an interesting look from my husband). :D

When I was in the military one of my room mates was an African American girl with really bad dry skin. EVERY SINGLE NIGHT she had a routine where she rubbed down with Palmers Coco Butter (not once but three times and night) and slept with socks over her hands, arms and elbows. If she didn't do this regularly you could tell. She was "ashy" as she called it. It worked for her.

Any fat emollient cream works great!
After exfoliating hands,put on a thick layer and sleep with cotton gloves on.

When I worked as a nailtech,
I recommended paraffin dips for the extra dry customers.

Still do them on myself when winter comes to Sweden-
try one at a salon or buy a small home unit:)

Dip daily for better skin and relief from aching joints. - Homedics Paraspa Deluxe Paraffin Bath - Epinions.com

For me, it doesn't really matter what kind of moisturizer it is - it matters how often I put it on. Once our winters hit (deep-freeze temperatures and bone dry), my hands and feet turn to sandpaper. I find that when the dryness first hits, I need to apply moisturizer every three or four hours or else the sandpaper comes back.

And to complicate matters, I hate moisturizer. I hate the way it feels, the way it smells...I've never found a variety that I like, so I have to mentally trick myself into using the stuff.

If I'm spending a day at home, I'll keep a jar of thick moisturizer or body butter close by and reapply very, very frequently. It's like a full day of deep moisturization, and does a LOT for fixing the sandpaper. Plus, it definitely reduces the need for more moisturizer later on during the week.

For deeper penatration try wrapping clear plastic (Saran wrap) around the dry area after applying a good lotion, then relax or keep busy on Bhuz a while, and then rinse off. It was done to my lower legs with a moisturing mask last week during a pedicure and it worked wonders. I then tried it on my husband's itchy arm after exfoliation and it helped him.

I'm serious, try the diaper ointment. It works on chapped raw diaper rashed baby butts so it does wonders on my hands. I have tried everything else and nothing compares to it.

Originally Posted by halftruths

For me, it doesn't really matter what kind of moisturizer it is - it matters how often I put it on. Once our winters hit (deep-freeze temperatures and bone dry), my hands and feet turn to sandpaper. I find that when the dryness first hits, I need to apply moisturizer every three or four hours or else the sandpaper comes back.

And to complicate matters, I hate moisturizer. I hate the way it feels, the way it smells...I've never found a variety that I like, so I have to mentally trick myself into using the stuff.

If I'm spending a day at home, I'll keep a jar of thick moisturizer or body butter close by and reapply very, very frequently. It's like a full day of deep moisturization, and does a LOT for fixing the sandpaper. Plus, it definitely reduces the need for more moisturizer later on during the week.

I hate moisturizer, too. You put it on and then what? Pet the dog? Nope. Cook? Ew. Fold laundry? Ummm...I hate it that I feel like I don't want to touch ANYTHING.

the Burt's Bees coconut creme is amazing, but it definitely has more of a "foot-oriented" texture to it, in that it stays moister longer

my dad, who works outdoors for his job, uses Burt's Bees hand salve. It has a really nice scent, dries quickly, and seals in the moisture--it almost makes your hands waterproof in a way. It also lasts forever--I got him the tin 2 Christmases ago, and there's still a lot left, even with me swiping some when I visit :)

Hand Salve - Burt's Bees

Originally Posted by stardancer

I'm serious, try the diaper ointment. It works on chapped raw diaper rashed baby butts so it does wonders on my hands. I have tried everything else and nothing compares to it.

I'd recommend Smith' Rosebud Salve - it's for chapped skin and diaper rashes, smells awesome, and has lovely retro tin packaging.

Rosebud Perfume Company: Home of Smith's Rosebud Salve: Products

...I swear by Udderly SMOOth Udder Cream.

Yes, it was originally invented to be used by dairy farmers to put on cow's udders so that they did not get dry and cracked from harsh milking conditions. But now they make it for human use.

Here's the link: Get Udderly SMooth

Originally Posted by phillyraqs

I'd recommend Smith' Rosebud Salve - it's for chapped skin and diaper rashes, smells awesome, and has lovely retro tin packaging.

Rosebud Perfume Company: Home of Smith's Rosebud Salve: Products

I LOVE Rosebud Salve-lips,hands,feet,elbows,knees-
It´s really working!

Putting on Rosebud Salve before bed,
then sleeping with thin cotton gloves is great for dry hands.