Tips for Cacked Fingers and Hands?

[boyst]

I had found this which is not much more then I did not already know, but I am having a great deal of problems with my fingers splitting open this year.

 

http://imgur.com/Y7m8k,Oyi0H (click on the second picture there if you want to see'm. I have 5 of 8 finger tips split and both thumbs. I have been soaking them in warm water 30 minutes a night, covering them in cream and gloves while I sleep, too.

 

If anyone has any solid advice, please share. I use my hands a lot, and they're important to me - I have had'm as long as I can remember!

[bills44]

Bag Balm?

[boyst]

Bag Balm?

got it.

I mix that, Eucerin medicated hand cream and some special hand sealer my GF found in a big bunch of goo then slip on the manicure gloves for the night. I have to wear nitrile gloves on top to keep from getting things dirty or oily.

[Just Jack]

Stop working so hard and become a nancy boy.

[boyst]

Stop working so hard and become a nancy boy.

boring.

[Acantha]

Seems like your doing what you can. Are you wearing gloves while you're working?

[boyst]

Seems like your doing what you can. Are you wearing gloves while you're working?

I'm using a hammer a lot, and post hole diggers, pliers, fencing tools, a tamp, shovel, errr, you know farming stuff, so I can't use a glove all the time. But, I kept one on the left hand today since I didn't need that as much, made a good difference. I was bleeding out of the cracks a ton, but no puss or oil anymore seeping out like it was.

 

Disclaimer - graphic content to follow:

 

I had to pull a calf out. Calf was turned sideways a little, so I had to go in there and fix it. I had got down and felt it, pulled on the hooves, only to discover that because the momma then laid down it turned the calf...and my hands were ripped open and medical supplies were 1/4 mile away. no gloves...frack.

 

[Marv's Neighbor]

Seriously, have your Testerone level checked. I don't know how old you are but once you hit 40 it may be a possibility.

[Mr_Blizzard]

Try to stay hydrated too

[DDD]

You have hand eczema. Avoid frequent hand washing and hand sanitizers. Apply a moisturizer like aveeno or cetaphil every hour to repair the skin. A prescription cortisone cream from your doc would help too.

[UConn James]

 

I'm using a hammer a lot, and post hole diggers, pliers, fencing tools, a tamp, shovel, errr, you know farming stuff, so I can't use a glove all the time. But, I kept one on the left hand today since I didn't need that as much, made a good difference. I was bleeding out of the cracks a ton, but no puss or oil anymore seeping out like it was.

 

Disclaimer - graphic content to follow:

 

I had to pull a calf out. Calf was turned sideways a little, so I had to go in there and fix it. I had got down and felt it, pulled on the hooves, only to discover that because the momma then laid down it turned the calf...and my hands were ripped open and medical supplies were 1/4 mile away. no gloves...frack.

 

 

You don't wear gloves all the time for that stuff?!

 

What, because they're not tactile enough? I sometimes work with stone in various construction stuff, and that's a problem I have with ones like these http://www.lowes.com/pd_184240-76744-LO9131_4294763928__?productId=3111013&Ns=p_product_avg_rating%7C1&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNs%3Dp_product_avg_rating%7C1&facetInfo= . These regular leather gloves are very unwieldy... like trying to pluck a stray hair with a pair of kitchen tongs.

 

Try a pair like these. I use 'em all the time. Tight fit, surprisingly durable, and the rubberized grips are really handy for even fine motor task stuff.

 

http://www.constructiongear.com/dewalt-rubber-work-gloves.html?utm_source=googlepepla&utm_medium=adwords&id=54438971730&utm_content=pla&gclid=CNKNkYiGxLQCFYuZ4AodGSkAiA

[mead107]

Super glue the split and it won't hurt as bad.

[Beerball]

If anyone has any solid advice, please share. I use my hands a lot, and they're important to me - I have had'm as long as I can remember!

Rub some dirt on it.

[Nanker]

Winter's dry humidity takes a silent toll on skin and airway passages.

You're outside a lot from what you say in your posts.

 

To the above salient advice of others, I might add: Try elevating the humidity level in your house if you can. Boiling a large pot of water on the stove if you don't have a humidifying system installed will help. Buy a couple of house plants - they help stabilize the RH and also keep you mindful of the humidity issue.

 

Oh, and Bacitracin or Neosporin (which contains bacitracin) on the wounds. Keep them covered and wet with that till they close. Though how you can do that and continue the work you do, I don't know. Keep a tube with you and apply it frequently, maybe. Do the smart thing and get the type that also has a bit of pain killer in it. I think it's lidocaine, but not sure on that. It could serve you well. Good luck, and cheers to the beautiful calf you helped bring into the world!

Edited December 31, 2012 by Nanker

[Beerball]

Winter's dry humidity takes a silent toll on skin and airway passages.

You're outside a lot from what you say in your posts.

 

To the above salient advice of others, I might add: Try elevating the humidity level in your house if you can. Boiling a large pot of water on the stove if you don't have a humidifying system installed will help. Buy a couple of house plants - they help stabilize the RH and also keep you mindful of the humidity issue.

 

Oh, and Bacitracin or Neosporin (which contains bacitracin) on the wounds. Keep them covered and wet with that till they close. Though how you can do that and continue the work you do, I don't know. Keep a tube with you and apply it frequently, maybe. Do the smart thing and get the type that also has a bit of pain killer in it. I think it's lidocaine, but not sure on that. It could serve you well. Good luck, and cheers to the beautiful calf you helped bring into the world!

I hope he wears rubber gloves when birthing those cows. All that bacteria with open wounds not good.

[BuffaloBud]

Just a note about Neosporin. Dermatologist has told me every time that I have a biopsy to use Vaseline - not Neosporin. Because of the growing strength of germs and the resistance to anti-baterials.

[Richmond_Bills]

Try Aquaphor....works like magic

[boyst]

I forgot about aquafor, it is really good for the face. If extremely cold and I expect to keep firewatch over cows - I coat my face in Vaseline

 

I try not to use neosporin unless its a surface scrape. If I use covering I use hydrocolloid bandaids. They are amazing. http://www.soap.com/p/band-aid-activ-flex-adhesive-bandages-regular-255611

 

I did not have the opportunity to get any gloves before checking the calf, but sprayed Blue Coat antibiotic spray on my arms as well as coated myself in hand santizer.

 

Not sure on the eczema. I will have to look in to it.

 

If Mt. Dew, Red Bull, and Amp help me stay hydrated then I am doing good. I drink a lot of water, too. Especially in the evening.

 

I do not understand the testosterone reference - I will look in to it.

 

Thanks guys, if anyone else has tips, share'm. I am taking a slow day. Going to eat my cinnamininininin rolls and go out here in a few to try to get a lot done!

 

I use a humidifier in my room, it helps a lot!

 

Super glue is too late to help.

 

I wear the Mechanix Wear line a lot for gloves, including the Impact Pro line, both the top level kind and the winter armour ones.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_206396-46572-206396_0__?productId=3824141&Ntt=winter+armour&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNtt%3Dwinter%2Barmour&facetInfo= Tractor Supply has a brand they carry that is pretty good - Yeti Gloves, I like, too. I some times put a pair of cotton gloves beneath them

[Acantha]

I'm using a hammer a lot, and post hole diggers, pliers, fencing tools, a tamp, shovel, errr, you know farming stuff, so I can't use a glove all the time. But, I kept one on the left hand today since I didn't need that as much, made a good difference.

Honestly, I think you can get used to using gloves for all of those things. I used to never wear gloves because, you know, real men don't wear gloves! Tore my hands open plenty of times and was quite callused up. I didn't have too much trouble with cracking, but I mostly lived in very humid places, so that might have helped.

 

Anyway, my employer got real serious about following proper safety and wearing gloves came with that. I hated it and fought it for a while, but after getting reamed a few times finally started wearing them all the time. After my stubbornness got out of they way, I got used to them very quickly, and the difference in my hands is ridiculous. After a couple of years all of my injuries have healed and my hands are as healthy as anyone's.

 

I guess the moral of the story is that you can't beat the hell out of your hands all day and expect them to hold up. You can either treat them right all the time or just "man up" and deal with the pain. I can't make any guarantees of course, but I'd bet that if you make a point of it, you'll get used to not only wearing gloves, but having them on you all the time so they're available when you need them.

[boyst]

Honestly, I think you can get used to using gloves for all of those things. I used to never wear gloves because, you know, real men don't wear gloves! Tore my hands open plenty of times and was quite callused up. I didn't have too much trouble with cracking, but I mostly lived in very humid places, so that might have helped.

 

Anyway, my employer got real serious about following proper safety and wearing gloves came with that. I hated it and fought it for a while, but after getting reamed a few times finally started wearing them all the time. After my stubbornness got out of they way, I got used to them very quickly, and the difference in my hands is ridiculous. After a couple of years all of my injuries have healed and my hands are as healthy as anyone's.

 

I guess the moral of the story is that you can't beat the hell out of your hands all day and expect them to hold up. You can either treat them right all the time or just "man up" and deal with the pain. I can't make any guarantees of course, but I'd bet that if you make a point of it, you'll get used to not only wearing gloves, but having them on you all the time so they're available when you need them.

I wore gloves all day today (almost). Didn't really do much where I had to be gentle with'm, I buried some cable, ran some high tensile, and braced posts with barb wire. Took off the left to bottle feed a little extra to the calf. As soon as I kneeled down in the dark, well, not so fun.

 

Guess I just never have worn gloves much consistently and never tried, figured I should give it a try. Definitely much better on the hands, plus it wes warm and some moisture in the air.

 

Thanks guys!