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Treatment for Chapped Hands

I am a male massage Therapist and have been for just over 4 years. I have always had problems with my hands drying up and cracking quite often. I use special soaps whenever possible but if I use standard hand soap my hands dry up very fast. I constantly have dry hands that get open cracks on them.

I have had to wear gloves at times while performing massages due to my cracked hands and not wanting to get or cause any infections.

Any suggestions as to what therapy to try and bring about good healing to my hands?

Help!

Joe

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Darcy Neibaur on October 6, 2009 at 2:24pm

Young Living Essential Oils is great. They have great hand and body lotions that are full of essential oils. Personally I use the lavendar loition and love it. You can explore at youngliving.com.

Permalink Reply by Joan Annunziata on October 6, 2009 at 3:55pm

Hi Joe,

Here is something easy to find and pretty affordable. Burt's Bees hand repair creme with cocoa butter & sesame oil, and Burt's Bees hand creme with beeswax & banana. Put the hand repair creme on at night and then put on cotton gloves and ware them while you sleep. During the day use the Burt's Bees beeswax and banana creme. Do this for a week and you will see an improvement.

Permalink Reply by Natasha Whitfield on October 6, 2009 at 4:34pm

To all who suffers from chapped hands:

Besides from being a Massage Therapist and Esthetician I am also an Independent Mary Kay Consultant. There is a wonderful hand treatment that is called Satin Hands. This includes an extra emollient night cream, hand scrub and hand cream. It does wonders. Check it out at www.marykay.com/nwhitfield8

Permalink Reply by Alex Frigino on November 11, 2009 at 4:32pm

PS. Chlorine in the water is also a prime suspect...

Permalink Reply by Marilyn St.John on November 11, 2009 at 5:20pm

Just as an aside, please also be aware that internal parasites can be a cause of skin eruptions on the hands, including difficult cracks. Speaking as somebody who has been there and tried literally everything mentioned here so far, it's worth mentioning if yours doesn't respond. My nutritionist diagnosed mine with simple muscle test technique and gave me wormwood-- which I took for almost ten months. My hands cleared right up, cracks never returned. I'm told the "cause" can come from just about anywhere, but I suspect horses, which I have had all my life. It goes without saying, giving massage was really, really inconvenient!

Permalink Reply by Joseph Enriquez on November 11, 2009 at 7:35pm

Thanks Alex,

I guess I have some research and purchases to make.

I will keep you posted.

Joe

Permalink Reply by Darcy Neibaur on March 8, 2010 at 5:24pm

Great Idea Samantha. Thanks for sharing this information. It sounds great.

Samantha J. Bennett said:

Sorry just saw this discussion.

But Simple and cheap!

Make sure you hands are dry! Just take some of your massage oil (grapeseed or whatever you have), pour a little into the middle of your hand, then add some table salt until it makes a scrub...scrubing your hands well with it. Once you're done just rise off with water and mix with soap to completely wash your hands. It'll leave them feeling soft and rehydrated. Works well on elbows, knees and the feet too! Esp.ly during the winter monthes.

Permalink Reply by Sandy Cuzick on January 31, 2011 at 11:54am

Hi, Joe, I'm thinking you should get more oils in your body. Use extra virgin olive oil on your salads and perhaps take Omega 3 oils. Treat the CAUSE, not the SYMPTOM.

Good luck!

San

Permalink Reply by Joseph Enriquez on February 2, 2011 at 5:00pm

Hi Sandy,

Thanks for your response. I have actually been trying to get to the root of the cause in the last 6 months by visiting an Naturopath. I am working Adrenal rebuilding with vitamins including Omega 3's and a boat load of others vits. I know that it is systemic but still not totally for sure what. I seems that cortisone makes a fantastic difference but I don't want to live on those shots every two months. This does prove that it is inflammation related. Now to figure out an alternative that will give me the same results.

Let me know if you hear of anything.

Sandy Cuzick said:

Hi, Joe, I'm thinking you should get more oils in your body. Use extra virgin olive oil on your salads and perhaps take Omega 3 oils. Treat the CAUSE, not the SYMPTOM.

Good luck!

San