Remedies for Dry Hands

Have you ever looked down at your hands and noticed dry conditions? Nearly every person has dry hands at some point in life.

Water, wind and pollution give rise to dry hands. Mature women see dry hands a lot because of changing hormones too.

In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know about dry hands. From causes to remedies, dry hands don’t have to be commonplace in life.

What are Dry Hands?

Dry hands are a reaction to the environment, which translates into rough and flaky skin. They might have a white appearance as dead skin pulls away from the lower layers.

Dry conditions mean that the skin is lacking oils that it normally generates on its own. When a person has dry skin, it has particular characteristics.

Do you know what dry hands really look and feel like? Look at these basic features so that you can qualify dry hands whenever they seem to appear.

Scaly

The first sensation that comes to mind with dry hands is a scaly characteristic.

The skin has natural layers that overlap on a cellular level. Healthy skin has oils that essentially bind these tissues together. People with dry hands, however, lack those binding oils. The skin starts to bend and warp in those dry areas, which creates a scaly texture.

Rough

Dry hands feel rough. This sensation is also due to the scaling that’s occurring at the cellular level. Touch the hands of someone who has healthy skin versus another person with dry skin.

Shaking hands with the person who has dry skin will feel like a piece of paper is rubbing against your skin. There’s no moisture to soften the touch.

Cracked

Cracks in the skin occur when the dryness reaches a critical point. The skin has roughened up and tiny fissures occur along these scaly areas. With continued dryness and environmental effects, the cracks will widen and potentially bleed.

Bleeding

Dry hands can bleed when cracks are deep enough to impact tiny capillaries. If the dry conditions have gotten this far, mature women need to prioritize healing right now.

Bleeding means that the body is vulnerable to germs entering the bloodstream. Because the hands touch the environment in a very intimate way, infections are entirely possible.

Pain

Pain will accompany bleeding so consider this condition a serious one, especially if it continues without treatment. When dry hands are a regular occurrence, pain will accompany the condition. It can range from an irregular ache to acute issues where cracks arise.

People with dry hands will often pick at the skin, which leads to further pain. Dealing with the dry skin and reversing it is the normal pathway to a more comfortable life.

Do you know what causes dry hands in the first place? Understand the fine details surrounding dry skin. With a little education, you can spot dryness problems before they worsen.

Common Causes of Dry Hands

Every mature woman wants soft and supple hands. Dry conditions are frustrating and embarrassing! It’s time to examine the common causes of dry hands. If you can avoid these scenarios, you might have picture-perfect skin.

Occupational Hazards

Did you know that habits at work can impact the dryness levels in your skin? Think about nurses, doctors, hairstylists and cooks. All of these professionals offer a service to their clients, and clean hands are a must.

Constant scrubbing and immersion in liquids creates dry hands. As the temperature drops, less moisture can permeate the air.

Cold Weather

Winter is a prime time for dry hands. They’re often exposed to the elements, whether you’re working or enjoying a leisure activity. It makes sense that cold days coupled with the wind will create dry skin.

Housekeeping Habits

A woman’s home may look spectacularly clean, but her hands are extremely dry. Wearing rubber gloves is the best way to avoid this scenario.

Your hands don’t want to be exposed to chemicals on a regular basis. Putting a barrier between the hands and liquid cleaners will encourage healthy skin every day.

Lack of Water

The skin doesn’t depend solely on lotion or air humidity either. Everyone needs to drink plenty of water throughout the day. Being hydrated on the inside means that the body can use it for the skin.

It should appear firm and supple when you drink about eight cups of water every day. Some people are just genetically prone to dry skin. Researchers have found certain genes that control hydrating proteins in the skin.

Genetic Tendencies

When those genes mutate, dry skin occurs. It often follows a person throughout his or her life.

Medications

Certain medications for acne or aging might produce dry skin. The medication doesn’t have to be topical either. Oral medications can impact the skin so that dry conditions persist.

Removing the medication from your daily routine may be the only way to remedy this situation. When you suffer from dry hands on an irregular basis, extra lotion at the end of the day may by your solution. However, chronically dry hands aren’t normal.

In fact, severe dryness might point to an underlying condition that requires some attention. Familiarize yourself with the problems associated with dry hands so that you can carefully deal with the issue.

Problems Associated With Dry Hands and How to Treat Them

Your hands are probably the busiest parts of your body. It’s no wonder that there are many issues that can persist on both the back and front sides of the hands.

Explore the most common issues with dry hands today. There are treatment options that can range from DIY choices to prescription medication.

Be proactive about dry hands so that they don’t persist over the years.

Eczema

Researchers are still trying to understand why eczema happens in the first place. This ailment occurs to nearly anyone with patchy, scaly and dry conditions across the hands.

Treatment: For occasional bouts with eczema, lotions that are designed for this ailment are optimal. Use the lotion for as long as the dry conditions continue.

Home Remedies: There are dozens of reasons why eczema occurs. Try to narrow down your triggers, such as keeping your hands isolated from chemicals and water by wearing gloves. Allergens may be an issue too so be aware of any cause-and-effect scenarios that result in eczema.

Dermatitis

This ailment is closely related to eczema. In fact, these terms are often used interchangeably. Dermatitis is characterized by scaly and swollen conditions on the hands. It can be mild or severe.

Treatment: A doctor can prescribe items, such as corticosteroid creams or oral antihistamines, in order to reduce the inflammation associated with dermatitis.

Home Remedies: Creating a barrier on your skin by moisturizing after every hand-washing session is critical to recovery. The skin doesn’t have enough oils to keep up with a normal balance. The extra moisture through lotions and creams can help you solve this painful ailment.

Xerosis

Xerosis is simply dry skin for the older generation. Mature adults don’t have the same oil production in their skin as younger people. Dry conditions are the result.

Treatment: Avoiding wet conditions throughout the day by wearing gloves is the best answer to xerosis. The natural oils in the skin might catch up when there’s no water or soap impacting the tissue.

Home Remedies: Don’t use antibacterial or alcohol-based soaps or chemicals in the household. These items simply compound the dryness issues on the hands.

Winter Cracks

Cracks on your knuckles are common during the winter months. Prevention is the best course of action.

Treatment: Thick creams and oils spread across the cracks are a good idea, especially if you apply it at night. Your sleeping periods are prime times for healing.

Home Remedies: Use a humidifier in the home during the winter. Putting more moisture in the air will improve you chances of avoiding cracked skin.

Bleeding

Your skin has lost it’s ability to be flexible as cracks develop into bleeding conditions. This scenario occurs when the hands aren’t treated as they should be with an ailment involved.

Treatment: Speak to your doctor about underlying causes to the bleeding. Initially, the professional will suggest antiseptics and bandages to encourage healing.

However, the original cause of the cracked and bleeding hands must be treated to stop further damage.

Home Remedies: At night, rub oil or lotion onto the hands. Wear comfortable gloves on the hands. Sleep with the gloves on. If you try this strategy out each night, the chapped and bleeding hands can improve.

There may come a time when you’re wondering about the seriousness of an ailment. Should you head to the doctor’s office? Understand what’s normal and why women should visit the doctor in some cases.

Could Dry Hands be a Sign of a Serious Ailment? When to See a Doctor

It’s a fact that dry hands can be a sign of a serious ailment. Dry skin is a side effect to many issues within the body. Do you know if you should contact a doctor? Consider these details before you grab the phone.

Menopause’s Effects

Mature women deal with a lot of effects from menopause, including hot flashes. Did you know that a drop in estrogen might bring on dry skin? In our latest article, “Top Tips for the Hair and Skin During Menopause“, you will learn about skin and hair care during menopause.

Speak to your doctor about solutions. Hormone therapy might be a solution for some women. Aside from drinking plenty of water, your body also requires fatty acids found in foods for moisturizing the skin.

Fatty-Acid Deficiency

If your dry hands won’t go away with thick creams and overnight treatments, examine your diet. Fatty acids found in nuts, fish and seeds are crucial to skin health.

The tissue uses the acids to moisturize itself from the inside out. If you can’t figure out a proper level of fatty acids in your diet, your doctor can help with a solid balance.

Underactive Thyroid

Your thyroid is a gland that offers hormones to the body for tissue development. If it’s not putting out enough hormones, your skin responds with dry conditions.

Dry skin prevails on the hands as well as other locations. Your doctor must diagnose an underactive thyroid. There isn’t a cure for thyroid problems, but they can be managed with the right treatment.

Being aware of the body’s changes over time can help you determine if a doctor’s help is warranted. Regardless of your medical history, every woman should see a doctor if personal care doesn’t solve your dry-skin issue.

Skin Discoloration or Prolonged Swelling

You might have chronic issues with skin discoloration or prolonged swelling. These concerns aren’t normal. At the very least, they should be acute problems that subside with regular moisturizing.

Now that you know when you should head to the doctor or not, it’s also a good idea to expand your knowledge on dry hands.

How can you prevent dry hands? Read on to make your itchy hands a thing of the past.

Tips and Tricks to Prevent Dry Hands

Preventing dry hands is the smartest way to treat your body. No one wants to deal with scaly or painful hands! Follow this hand-care routine in order to fight off dry hands. You can see a difference after only one session.

Wash Properly

Your mom may have turned on the scalding water to wash your hands as a child, but that habit isn’t the greatest one for dry hands. Use lukewarm water with a moisturizing soap. The water’s temperature makes a huge difference in your skin’s health.

Dry Gently

Pat, don’t rub, your hands dry. Use a soft, cotton towel for every drying need. Your hands may be slightly damp after patting, which leads to healthier skin.

Spread on the Heavy-Duty Moisturizer

Use a petroleum-based moisturizer after washing the hands. These products are thicker than the standard lotions and creams, which will trap moisture against your skin.

Lotions and Creams Throughout the Day

Between those hand-washing sessions, use everyday creams and lotions on the hands. They’ll support the petroleum-based moisturizer that may be still on your skin.

Argan-Oil Solutions

If you’ve never heard of argan oil, it’s becoming a phenomenon among people with dry hands.

Spread this oil onto your hands twice a day. Massage it into the cuticles too. Wearing it overnight is a great way to absorb the nutrients found within argan oil.

This Moroccan-based oil is full of vitamins that can nourish and calm your skin. It’s full of anti-inflammatory properties.

By choosing a mixture of different products, including argan oil, your dry hands have a daily solution. Keep up with the efforts so that a normal balance returns to the skin.

Don’t forget that using argan oil requires careful attention to its purity. Always look for argan oil that originates from Morocco. It should have a golden hue that seems to shine within the bottle.

With argan oil as a reliable product in your medicine cabinet, dry hands can be prevented. Simply keep up with your hand-care routine to see the difference over time.

If you want to know more about argan oil’s overall benefits, read our comprehensive guide here.

Infographic

Check out this infographic for the key points about dry hands that you can share with your friends.

Conclusion

Did you know that there was so much science behind dry hands?

In this article, you learned all about dry hands, why they occur and what to look out for. It’s even possible to treat dry hands at home.

The best way to deal with dry hands is to avoid them altogether. Use preventive techniques in order to keep up with healthy skin.

Every mature woman’s hands will go through dry spells. Use these tips and tricks to safely calm those dry conditions once and for all.

Have you tried any of these remedies for dry hands? Be proactive and share your thoughts with other women right now.

Try argan oil for dry hands today! Any other tips will only complement this natural oil’s features.