Painful split edges - any solutions?

[luv2cook]

The tips/edges around the tip of my nailbed of several of my fingers are split, cracked, whatever and extremely painful. It hurts to type. yesterday when i went to work, two of them actually bled. I went to work this a.m. and they're still painful. Tomorrow I have to work all day, and I am just dreading it. It's painful. I use my hands for a living, so it's not like I can avoid the issue!

I've tried Neosporin the last couple nights - i even woke up in the middle of the night and put more on and rubbed it in. It's NOT helping.

It's painful to do just about anything -- from cooking, to unbutoning my pants, zipping stuff up, you name it. i cannot believe that such a simple thing could be so bad!

Do any of you have any solutions to stop this? I just want the pain to stop post haste!:(

[sneezles]

That sounds awful! Can you wear gloves at night? Put on a thick layer of vaseline (maybe a base of neosporin first) and then sleep with the gloves on all night.

[LA98]

Ouch! I would try that Liquid Band-Aid stuff to try and close them up and let them heal.

[luv2cook]

I did try the gloves for a while, but I felt like I was taking it off when i was putting the gloves on.

Liquid bandaid. Hmmm. never thought of that. My DH thought soaking in salt water...but that seeems to me it would make my skin even drier.

this is how pathetic it is, I have a hard time lifting the lid to the toilet seat! how pathetic is that????:rolleyes: I would leave it up, but I don't want my youngest cat falling in!

[Beth]

Does it seem to be a dryness problem? Try Vaseline -- the old fashioned petroleum jelly, or a cuticle conditioner (I'm understanding that to be what's cracked). Burt's Bees make a good lemon one that comes in a little flat tin container.

Does the skin burn or itch? If you wash your hands a lot and they arent' getting dry, that area around the nail could hold water longer -- leading to either dryness or a possibility of a yeast or fungal type infection. The moisture you try to add with vaseline or lotions could make that worse. An athlete's foot or even a yeast infection medication could help.

If the above fail to help within 2-3 days, I'd see a doctor.

[LaraW]

I second the idea for the Burts Bees stuff. I think its called Cuticle Cream or something.

Instead of gloves, could you use cotton socks? Then you wouldn't have to worry about getting your fingers into the fingers of the glove.

[Cookin4Love]

Burt's Bees Cuticle Cream--absolutely. It also does a great job of healing up sore noses if you've had a cold.

[hollysmom]

Could this be an infection or fungal? I recently lost a nail to a mystery ailment that was cleared by either antibiotics or nystatin (not sure since I did them simultaneously)

Not sure if one of the 'lidocaine' based sprays would give sufficient temporary relief through repeated applications to get through a long day of typing - but worth a try - bactine, lanacaine, etc.



SSM

[funnybone]

I get this in the winter and more so when my hands are exposed to water. This year has been better for me, thankfully. I use crazy glue to seal the cuts until it heals and it works fine.

[luv2cook]

Does the skin burn or itch? If you wash your hands a lot

you know, they really hurt/burned, I guess, after I washed my hands a min. ago but then it faded away...

this sucks, I tell you.

i found some Monistat cream so i'm using that until i go to the store in a bit. rubbed it in and it didn't burn or anything.

I will be so embarrassed if I have to go to the doctor for this!

[hollysmom]

It's all this rain - we're all starting to mildew around here.

SSM

[luv2cook]

yeah. i've probably got something called dirtycaritis -- every time I open my trunk, my hands are filthy!

[minnie99]

I have this problem also and I use liquid bandage which does help me.

[mmbedard]

I have the same problem in the winter. I know that mine is caused by the dryness and exposure to water ... and, it is extremely painful. I try and put some type of antibacterial cream on the cut, then cover it with a bandaid overnight so that it stays moist. I also try and keep my hands dry and keep putting moisturizer on my hands.

I also noticed that I mainly have the problem when my nails are very short. Being a personal chef, that is most of the time, but, for instance, over the holidays when I wasn't working and my nails had grown out a bit, I didn't seem get the splitting.

Good luck; I hope you get some relief soon.

[LakeMartinGal]

I have this problem also and I use liquid bandage which does help me.Me, too. They have a special thing out for skin cracks. If this doesn't clear up, a visit to the doc may be required for an anti-fungal med...:(

[cherylopal]

I swear by liquid band aid- need to keep those cooties out! I also switch to a very moisturizing soap. I bought the new dove one for work where I wash my hands constantly- again to keep cootie free. I also am constantly rubbing lotion in and I love the almond Burts Bees before bed. My MIL gave me a tube of Avon super moisture something or other feels like vaseline but is great before I walk the dog or drive to work. The more I moisturize, use moisture rich soaps and wear gloves the less I get those nasty splits. I tried telling DH that this doesn't happen to me in Florida..... :D

[mmbedard]

... I tried telling DH that this doesn't happen to me in Florida..... :D

What a coincidence! I tell my husband the same thing :D Finally got through to him - I am leaving on Feb 4th for a month! :cool:

[luv2cook]

Ok. I'm taking everyone's advice! Antifungal 2nite; before bed, Burt's; tomorrow, liquid stuff. THAT should cover it.

BTW, I found some liquid stuf that's made just for cracks!

[ewatkins]

Crazy Glue is the only thing that works for me! I get this every winter-- it's the dryness.

[FruitsAlive]

FWIW, I always use orajel when my hands get like this.

[cherylopal]

What a coincidence! I tell my husband the same thing :D Finally got through to him - I am leaving on Feb 4th for a month! :cool:

Lucky you!!

[luv2cook]

That stuff for cracks doesn't work - not even close! FYI. So don't waste your money on it. I'm thinking I'm trying crazy glue next. I guess I might have to give up my solar nails, too. I think that may be exacerbating the problem...sigh...

[cookinator]

I get this too. When you say CRAZY GLUE you mean regular old stick-your-fingers-together crazy glue? (Why have I spent a small $$ on all these creams/gels/oils/vitamins/you-name-its??)
So a dab of crazy glue right on that nasty end of the nail slice of raw finger?

Thanks!

[Kay Henderson]

I have the same problem in the winter. (Not sure its precipation related. It hasn't rained or snowed in weeks here and is very dry.)

Yesterday, my hairdresser noted that my hands looked terrible. She recommended Bag Balm, saying that's what she and her partner use, since their hands are in water so much. I must say her hands look great, and I am going to try it.

I found it at the Vermont Country Store here (http://www.vermontcountrystore.com/shopping/search/searchresultsmain.jsp?fresh=1&searchType=advanced&iMainCat=0&iSubCat=0&attribute14=0&attribute15=0&attribute16=0&RS=1&keyword=Bag+Balm). I am going to order some and give it a try.

Kay

[Peeps]

Yesterday, my hairdresser noted that my hands looked terrible. She recommended Bag Balm

Bag Balm is very similar to Burt's Bees Hand Salve, both are like super concentrated vaseline. Their Res-Q Ointment is also great for cuts and cracks. Both happen to be on sale right now at the Burt's Bees Outlet (http://www.burtsbees.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10101&catalogId=10751&categoryId=11723&top=Y).


I did try the gloves for a while, but I felt like I was taking it off when i was putting the gloves on.

I know, it feels that way but it really actually does help seal in the moisturizer (and keeps it from getting all over your sheets). I notice a huge difference when I use the gloves in how much more moisturized my hands feel.

[LaraW]

BTW, you can buy Bag Balm at Walgreens (at least you can at my Walgreens).

[funnybone]

I get this too. When you say CRAZY GLUE you mean regular old stick-your-fingers-together crazy glue? (Why have I spent a small $$ on all these creams/gels/oils/vitamins/you-name-its??)
So a dab of crazy glue right on that nasty end of the nail slice of raw finger?

Thanks!


That's it - it seals the cut and it won't hurt.

[cookinator]

Great! I work in the garden and this would be a way to keep the dirt out of those 'cracks'. Thanks!

[ChristineVA]

This is the first year this has ever happened to me (and I'm 43!). Anyway, mine started right after Thanksgiving. I noticed that both my index fingers were KILLING me and I think that I had my hands submerged in water so much that day, they just got dry and raw. It took me two weeks to get those fingers cleared up and then some other fingers started hurting.

The difference is that mine just hurt--I can't see any real cracks or bleeding--just very dry skin around the nail. I also notice that my hands hurt worse after the weekend (when I do most of my housecleaning DESPITE wearing rubber gloves).

What has helped for me is to rub a little white vinegar on them twice a day (in case there is a fungal component). Then I keep them moisturized all day. On the worst days, I put vaseline on the affected areas and then seal it all up with one of those waterproof, clear bandaids. They will at least last a few hours. I go through about 3 of those bandaids per day, per finger. Heavy moisturizing with the bandaid seems to be the best cure.

[LakeMartinGal]

That stuff for cracks doesn't work - not even close! FYI. So don't waste your money on it. I'm thinking I'm trying crazy glue next. I guess I might have to give up my solar nails, too. I think that may be exacerbating the problem...sigh...I'm concerned that, if the stuff for cracks didn't work, you may have a nail fungus... How are you doing, now?

[luv2cook]

I've got two that are still not good, but they seem a touch better,not much...thanks for asking. I think I'm going to try the super glue...

[cookinator]

I think someone mentioned this but I also put plain old vaseline on thick then slide my hands into loose socks and sleep in them. That helps a lot!

[cherylopal]

That stuff for cracks doesn't work - not even close! FYI. So don't waste your money on it. I'm thinking I'm trying crazy glue next. I guess I might have to give up my solar nails, too. I think that may be exacerbating the problem...sigh...

I'm not sure if this is what you were talking about- but I bought some Nexcare Skin Crack Care Friday night and liked it. It seems to be a slightly more durable liquid bandaid. Not as intense as crazy glue (which I did try last winter and found worked great) but maybe, well, how to say this, mentally I had a hard time putting crazy glue on an open sore but using the skin crack care didn't bother me. I haven't looked at the list of ingredients which I should do..

just wanted to say it's another tool that seems to work.

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_CA/Nexcare/Home/Products/SkinCare/SkinCrackCare/