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I realize this is not directly related to Fine Home Building, —- but this hurts.
I am a weekend doityourselfer. My fingertips are cracking and splitting all the time. No blood, just painful cracks!
It takes days at the office to recover from a weekend of building fun!
What do you professionals do?? I have tried various lotions and use gloves most of the time. Is there some superduper lotion out there, or some other fix??
Thanks very much,
Rick
Replies
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I try to use gloves ALL the time, instead of most of time - it makes a difference. Lotion-wise, I'd start with Vaseline Intensive Care - not because it's the best, but because you can get a vat of it at Costco for cheap and it may well suffice. It is also great before doing automotive repair. Get all the pores in your skin filled with lotion and the dirty oil and grease can't get in. You just wash the car grime off the surface. Or eat a super-size MacDonald's fries and all the dirty grease magically goes away, removed by the hot vegetable oil (and deposited into your stomach).
Do you work with alkaline products (drain cleaner or any masonary products)? The alkalis may be dissolving all the fats out of your skin leaving it very "dry" looking. If so, you gotta use plastic gloves and be very careful not to let bits of mortar or mortar dust get in the gloves. See my response to the Knee Pad Discussion for a horror story.
-David
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Try a product called Bag Balm which should be available at the drugstore or healthfood store. It has solved your type of problem for me for years. The bag refers to cow teats which is what it is used for by the farming communtiy!
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When my hands get bad I grease them up with Nivea, Eucerin, or Bag Balm as
b Bob
notes. Then I put on a pair of surgical gloves. Of course you probably only want to try this while watching TV or sleeping.
Next morning your hands will feel like new - maybe even better.
*Bag balm is also available at sewing centers. They have other creams also.
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Let me join the Bag Balm chorus.
Happens to me in the winter. Deep cracks, red at bottom. Usually there is a thick layer of callus. I sand it down with a paw file and slather on the Bag Balm.
Remember, if it's good for cows, it should be good for you. Cows get much better medical attention than most humans. :-)
Always nice to have a carton of latex exam gloves for painting or doing nasty things or wearing over balm.
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Oddly enough my drywall supplier has a display of bag balm, too. But not the latex gloves.
*By all means gloves are the easier method of prevention, but an old painter once told me to use olive oil, it also helps remove some of the paint-thinner scum.
*I wanted to join the chorus and echo thebag balm and Eucerin claims.A friend actually handed in a science projectwith bag balm being the winner for the bestproduct for re-hydrating dried skin. She hadeven included several prescription (expensive)products. I use both, and also have had excellent results with Eucerin cream.Creams tend to "soak in" better than oils andI also recommend application and socks if thebottoms of your feet are suffering from winter dryness.
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haven't used bag balm but have used neutrogena-paul harvey said it was good and I believed him. It is ok and is water soluble so easy to wash off if I have to take a contact out etc. Also bandaid(oops trade name!) with antibiotic creme-by the way favorite bandage is 3M comfort strips. I do a lot of wire twisting and small parts working on with right hand thumb and index finger and they are worst affected.And gloves of course at all times possible. But best of all is a week or two of watching spring training in Tuscon Feb-Mar will almost clear up all hurts. Sun, beer and sittin on yur keister does wonders sometimes.
*As to the bag balm, I would suggest that you DON'T use the latex/rubber gloves! Try using a light cotton disposible type instead. The latex will cause sweating where the cotton will allow air to get in. My mother was raised on a farm and she always had Bag Balm in the house. It works real good.Russ
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I realize this is not directly related to Fine Home Building, ---- but this hurts.
I am a weekend doityourselfer. My fingertips are cracking and splitting all the time. No blood, just painful cracks!
It takes days at the office to recover from a weekend of building fun!
What do you professionals do?? I have tried various lotions and use gloves most of the time. Is there some superduper lotion out there, or some other fix??
Thanks very much,
Rick
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Another one for Bag Balm. And it is an antiseptic. I'll choose it over all others. Apply at night after everything is done. Don't try driving or hammering at the keyboard with it on.