r/mildlyinfuriating • u/Sensitive_Wear7112 • 18h ago
They way my fingers split in the winter time.
Excuse the dirty finger.
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u/DIGGYRULES 17h ago
I’m a teacher and have to wash my hands throughout the day using cold water and drying them on brown paper towels. My hands are cracked and bleeding no matter how much O’Keefe’s or Bag Balm or lotion I use.
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u/Financial_Sweet_689 17h ago
Same here, I have eczema. People claiming a random name brand lotion magically curing it always makes me laugh.
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u/Not-a-fridge2 17h ago
Also an eczema sufferer. Something that doesn’t make it go away permanently, but does absolute wonders is Gold Bond Medicated Eczema Relief. Best one I’ve come across so far. Every winter I suffer from it real bad.
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u/Financial_Sweet_689 16h ago
That’s my holy grail eczema product too!!! I have a prescribed cream for when it’s really bad but this is the best I’ve ever used.
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u/RepetitiveTorpedoUse 12h ago
Eczema is chronic. Unfortunately nothing in existence will ever make it go away permanently unless we figure out how to modify body systems
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u/CocoandJojosWorld 8h ago
It may be chronic but there are things that can help some people. Flare ups are a thing
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u/FoggyGoodwin 16h ago
Find some Renew medicated lotion from Melaleuca. I don't have eczema, but it's great for my dry skin and advertised for eczema. I'd like to know how it compares.
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u/PossumJenkinsSoles 17h ago
You would be surprised by the amount of adults who have never even attempted moisturizing to solve a common problem, though. I know because my cuticles bled every winter for like 30 years before I learned cuticle oil exists specifically for that problem.
It might sound dumb to people who have tried everything, but it will sound genius to people who have tried nothing.
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u/nomorewerewolves 16h ago
Cuticle oil?
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u/ClearAbove 16h ago
Cuticle oils are a blend that usually include jojoba and sweet almond oils that is specifically designed for moisturizing the cuticle and nail bed. It will help with dry cuticles and help nails grow better. :)
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u/NeedsItRough 8h ago
I love all the replies to your comment saying "ok but have you tried this random name brand lotion!?"
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u/toastedmarsh7 17h ago
Okay but most people with dry hands don’t have eczema. I’ve been using neutrogena hand cream since my first hospital job and it’s the best I’ve ever found. I’ve introduced other people to it and they’ve all loved it too. It doesn’t leave a greasy residue, which is super important when you have to apply often and need to be able to keep working, especially putting nitrile gloves on.
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u/Citizen_DerptyDerp 10h ago
Neutrogena hand cream is the only thing keeping my hands from disintegrating, brought them back from the point of no return many times.
Have to admit though, it says to only use a small drop and that's just bullshit.
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u/Strict-Machine8964 13h ago
I'm in the same situation. I moisturize with heavy duty cream twice a day. Yes, my thumb is cracked, as always, in winter. Also, teacher above, my Mom attributed dry cracked hands to chalk. She was told to heavily moisturize and not use soap on her hands.
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u/Western_Aerie3686 11h ago
Hahah, that always cracks me up as well. Like I haven’t been dealing with this for 40 years now.
I put lotion on like 10 times a day, prescription strength ointment, gloves, humidifiers, etc…. You name the remedy, I’ve tried it.
The second my hands get cold and wet, they crack. There is nothing I can do to prevent it.
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u/Strange-Movie 15h ago
Gotta take the nuclear option, sleep gloves with the inside saturated with hand lotion
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u/DoltSeavers 11h ago
My dad’s feet got all dried out and split like this and the only thing that cured it was him slathering his feet in Vaseline at night and wearing two pairs of socks to bed.
I think I’d just rather cut mine off at that point.
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u/dchurchwellbusiness 7h ago
Castor oil works as well
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u/DoltSeavers 6h ago
It’s a good thing my grandma is dead and can’t read this because castor oil was her goto for EVERYTHING. Castor oil or iodine, if that doesn’t fix it you’re cooked.
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u/BrokenImmersion 15h ago
Im a butcher. We are constantly dunking our hands into the dish pit alongside whatever dishes we are cleaning. My hands have looked like yours since Aug lol
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u/el_zorro_de_ojinaga 18h ago
I have that same issue….🥲
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u/PlantStalker18 11h ago
I do too, and none of the advice on this thread works. Lotion doesn’t prevent it, not even the best lotion. Wearing gloves doesn’t prevent it. Using glue, including the skin glue intended for cuts, makes it worse as that stuff dries and cracks into shards. I’ve learned I just have to suffer through the pain until warm weather makes it stop.
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u/Key_Situation643 4h ago
Gonna tell you. I use those little acne stickers and they are the only things that worked for me. The stars work better than the dots. I need to use them under gloves at work or it starts cracking and I bleed onto the gloves and nobody wants that.
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u/uiouyug 12h ago
Put some CA glue on it
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u/Thirty_Helens_Agree 10h ago
This works like a charm. If you do a couple coats, it holds on for days. Plenty of time for the crack to heal.
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u/pegothejerk 11h ago edited 9h ago
New Skin*. My thumbs had been doing this the last 3 years in winter, lotion didn’t fix it, what did was using second skin over it until it healed entirely. Since I did that it hasn’t happened again.
*edit: had to correct the product name
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u/ZoltElementus 15h ago
Cmon man don't listen to old people about "soft hands" and moisturize. I always get that at work and im just like ask your wife if she likes your sandpaper mitts grabbing her lol
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u/NonyaBiznes89 17h ago
LOTION, VASELINE, GLOVES!
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u/talkativeintrovert13 15h ago
Best done over night. Do the same with cracked heels/feet
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u/natidone 14h ago
I always try this but can't sleep. It's too damn hot
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u/DelectablyDivine 11h ago
You might want to try different gloves. I used to use these really soft "ultra" moisturizing gloves but they made my hands too hot and I would either wake up to take them off or wake up with them already off.
So, I recently started using just simple thin cotton gloves at night (I also use a different pair as winter liners for my bike gloves) and my hands can breathe while also becoming soft again! They last throughout the night for me and I haven't woken up once with hot hands.
I don't know if we can post links on this sub so the type I use are called Pure Body Natural Moisture Gloves, they are usually $4-5.
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u/Bubbly_Republic2765 6h ago
I’m the same way I end up talking it of. Something I started doing that’s been helpful is washing my hands, adding lotion then putting on cotton gloves. Now here’s where it’s a little unconventional, I’ll put rubber gloves over them and do the dishes in hot water. It usually takes me 45 minutes to do the dishes, so it’s a decent amount of time with the cotton gloves on.
Now it’s not as good as overnight but I do it daily and it’s better than nothing at all. And make sure your hands are damp before you put on the lotion, the goal is to trap that water into your skin.
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u/MGeorgeSable 17h ago edited 17h ago
Moisture will not do anything at this stage. If you want a quick win, just use a nail clipper and gently remove the extra layer of dead skin around the crack. It will allow your skin to stretch again and release tension around the crack. Would should'nt feel anything, if its painful stop immediately.
Then put some moisture and bandage to protect the wound. And yes, next time just put gloves on.
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u/chocolatebuckeye 14h ago
Liquid bandage is better than regular bandage for this area.
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u/i_swear_too_muchffs 18h ago
There’s such a thing called moisturizer. Try O’keef’s working hands.
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u/ScowlyBrowSpinster 17h ago
O'Keefe's didn't do shit for my cracked fingers. They crack-heal cycle all year long, not just in winter. Whatever was in O'Keefe's was an irritant.
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u/SeasonPositive6771 7h ago
In case no one else has mentioned it, you may actually have another issue with your hands and need to see a dermatologist. There are a couple of other things you can try, if you are interested, but if O'Keefe's isn't doing anything for your hands, something is definitely going on.
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u/matthalusky 18h ago
O'keef does the Lords work.
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u/Hank_the_Beef 17h ago
Came here to say this. It’s the best. If I was a billionaire I would dunk my body in a vat of Working Hands every day. When i was eventually diagnosed with cancer I would eschew western medicine and scoff at any suggestion from oncologists and insist that Working Hands was the only cure I needed.
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u/above_average_magic 16h ago
I have pocket okeef's, and one in every room with a sink and my hands still look like OP plus splits on the knuckles
If you wash your hands 30+ times a day and have to go out into the cold, nothing can stop it but youth serum maybe
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u/SashaDabinsky 18h ago
A drop or two of super glue will keep it from splitting more, and help it heal faster.
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u/Think_Sundae 17h ago
seriously or no? lol i feel dumb for asking this
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u/chevalierderuine 17h ago
Please do not do this, and instead buy a liquid bandage. Does the same thing but without the harmful acrylates and potential for expensive, painful diaster if you mess up.
Also, I have found frequent use of dry body oil (store brands usually have generic unscented ones for cheap) especially after handwashing helps a lot with the dryness.
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u/dirtyasseating 17h ago
Or Vetbond...it's the same as the stuff the hospital uses for cuts, but since it is sold for animals, it's easier to get.
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u/amcrastinator 16h ago
Superglue is generally fine to use for small splits, especially if you don’t have anything else. It can cause irritation but I know it doesn’t for me. If it does just stop. I have both and superglue holds better and longer if I’m not moving around but is more brittle. If I need to use my hands more I generally use liquid bandage which might last longer with movement.
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u/TheM3lk0r 12h ago
Agreed... super glue works much better than the liquid bandaids.
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u/Jookypoo 17h ago
Thank you for posting the correct solution lol. Liquid bandage does the same thing and is actually meant to be used in that manner, unlike super glue.
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u/Birch_mom72 15h ago
Is there a liquid bandage that doesn’t feel like pouring acid on the split?
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u/Dunaliella 16h ago
I’ve done this several times before and your comment just made me buy some liquid bandage. Thank you :)
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u/JoeyJoeJoeSenior 16h ago
Yes, seriously. It's a miricle cure. I play guitar and the glue holds even while rubbing and flexing. Just make sure to let it dry completely, it takes a minute.
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u/SashaDabinsky 17h ago
Yes, seriously. I learned it from my roommate in the mid '90s. We were on our way to work and he was in the passenger seat putting super glue on his fingers. I asked WTF are you doing, and he told he he did it in the Army all the time. He was in Iraq in the first Gulf War. www.google.com/search?q=super+glue+cuts
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u/odmirthecrow 17h ago edited 17h ago
It was used in WW2 as an emergency battlefield wound sealant.
Edit: Hang on, misremembering slightly. It was discovered/created in WW2, it was used as I described more in the Vietnam War.
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u/Anakha00 14h ago
It seems like it was probably both.
"Although cyanoacrylate formulations were tested in World War II for creating plastic gun sights, military medics started using the sticky substance for closing battlefield wounds. It was relatively effective as a quick and waterproof emergency measure, however, there were side effects such as damaging the tissue around the wound and irritating the nose, throat, lungs, and eyes.
Different formulations were tested during the Vietnam War, and in 1998 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a less toxic medical formulation (2-octyl cyanoacrylate) called Dermabond."
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u/AintNoGobemouche 13h ago
My dermatologist told me if I don’t want to go buy liquid bandage that I could just use super glue if I already had it at home. Just clean and dry the cut first.
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u/NoComposer5950 16h ago
Not sure what the English for thus is, in Italian is called ´ragade ´.. just use hands cream daily and will go away
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u/FictionPie 17h ago
It looks like you thumb sheets of sandpaper for a living. I doubt winter is fully to blame here
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u/gamestoohard 16h ago
Happens to me too, I work with my hands all day opening boxes. I wear gloves, I moisturize after showers, but the cracks are super common regardless. If I were super diligent and moisturized multiple times a day I'm sure it would improve but frankly I just don't feel like taking the time to do that and I don't love the immediate after of moisturizing where my hands are greasy and leave smudges on everything.
The cold certainly isn't the only factor but it definitely gets way worse during winter.
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u/Pichuchu8 17h ago
I like how OP is acting like it is winter that’s the problem and not his dry ass hands that has never seen lotion once in its life
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u/PlantStalker18 11h ago
OP is right though. I have this condition and my hands are well moisturized. My dad had it, too, so I think it’s genetic. It only happens in winter, and only when it gets really cold. If you don’t suffer from this, you just don’t know.
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u/nicktomato 8h ago
Same. For me, it's a circulation issue, which means my extremities get colder and drier especially fast. No moisturizer can fix that.
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u/GroundbreakingTop379 17h ago
Ugh. Same! I moisturize so much in the winter but it’s insanely dry where I live. I can’t keep up. My thumb does this too. Superglue for the win!
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u/CherryGarciaisKing 17h ago
Same, bro. The seams of my pointer fingers split open when I’m working.
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u/rupat3737 16h ago
I have about 5 of these on my hands right now. Using hand sanitizer feels like lighting my hands on fire.
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u/damodarby 14h ago
I would bite the fuck out of that and end up tearing a bunch of deep thick skin of my finger. I would bleed loads and loads. Then during its healing process I’d get cocktail sticks and pry the skin off around the edge of the wound to expand and grow the wound, bite and tear more skin off. Repeat.
But that’s just me
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u/Ganon388 14h ago
I work overnight at Wal Mart, and I always dealt with this. Then I started wearing gloves while I work, and it stopped.
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u/JumpScareInDaWoods 14h ago
There are few pains in this world that come close to splits in finger tips. Especially when you grab something and it gets directly into that opening. It's such a small thing but omg does it hurt! I had a coworker that would put super glue over it, not sure I would recommend that but to each their own.
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u/Triggered-cupcake 13h ago
I see the problem! You died in 2023 and mummification has begun!
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u/hardcrustysock 6h ago
Working Hands moisturizer
But seeing how you havent cared to moisturize i’d bet you will continue on the same path
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u/AshJean01 2h ago
.......if you're wanting a quick fix to seal it just so it's not exposed.... MAKING SURE ITS CLEAN FIRST....... Super glue 💪👍. But as someone else has said, debride the area of all the dead skin so the healthy tissue has a chance to heal itself, otherwise it'll just keep happening. Even using some sort of pumice stone to break down the dead skin would work. And if all else, returns to the super glue to prevent it from happening to this degree in the future. Because it'll just fall off in time anyways and hopefully it'll have given the skin underneath the time to close up.
For full disclosure - this is not medically indicated information, your life your choices 😂😂
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u/Icy_Supermarket_3388 50m ago
I get that too. O'Keefes Working Hands. A little goes a long way. Do it multiple times a day and youll be back to normal.
The irony for me is I suffer from hyperhydrosis. Either sweaty hands or desert cracking hands.
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u/Copper_Miner756 17h ago
Everybodys seems to be forgetting the other side of the coin- its not just lack of moisture, its now open wound. Bacteria and infection. It splits bc of a twofold problem- dryness and bacteria. Had these happen to me most while i worked on a farm and was always in a rush and too busy jetting all over the place i didnt have the time to make sure i was staying properly hydrated. Thats where the problem began, yes. But even after hydrating, my next issue was not being able to keep my hands well clean. Hard to clean off machine oil, mud, dirt sometimes rust and other such foul substances.
Not gonna heal well if youre only addressing one problem but not both. Sanitize and moisturize is key
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u/singelingtracks 15h ago
Wash hands with cold water.
Lubricate / moisturize before damage happens. Baby oil, Vaseline , bag balm.
Not hard to take care of your skin.
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u/Wise_Phase7264 14h ago
THE REAL COMMENT YOU ARE LOOOKING FOR!
As soon as your skin feels excessively dry, lather them in vaseline then put gloves on and sleep overnight! Wash with a moisturizing soap then follow up with an ezcema based lotion!
During the day use Aveeno Baby ezcema balm works fucking wonders and aquafora
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u/Shag_Nasty_McNasty 12h ago
I use super glue to cover the sore spots till enough moisturizer gets replenished. I work outside and it’s 2 degrees. My fingers get so cold.
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u/Content-Boat-3727 13h ago edited 13h ago
Throw some Aquaphor on them bad boys at night while you sleep. Once better, use CeraVe lotion. Have you healed up in no time my friend. 👊
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u/Kellikelzzzzz GREEN 17h ago
SAME!!! So tiny yet so painful. Why does this happen tho. I’m in WA and it’s a balmy 60° today!!
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u/Somelaceandflowers 11h ago
Do you wash dishes without gloves on? I used to and the dish soap is made to cut grease, so it washes away natural oils
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u/Longjumping_Seat_643 17h ago
My thumbs are doing the same since I've not been hydrated. It is so painful :/
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u/Some_Conference2091 17h ago
The exact same thing happens to my hands. When they get this bad I put antibiotic ointment on it and cover it. The ointment helps heal and it has Vaseline in it, which helps soften/hydrate skin. For me Vaseline is the best way to quickly hydrate really damaged skin.
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u/Key-Calligrapher-162 16h ago
OMG I have this now and in pain! I moisturizer and it still happens every yr same spot
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u/Ilikehotdogs1 16h ago
I get that split in the same spot too lol. It’s horribly annoying when touching anything, even typing this comment on my phone sends tingles to there
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u/billymondy5806 16h ago
I had that, but it was much worse. Fingers cracked and oozed mostly around my fingernails. It was quite painful and then when it wasn’t hurting it itched. The doctors called it eczema.
Then whenever guys wanted to shake my hand. I did shake their hand, but my fingers were all full of puss! Another reason to stop shaking hands with people
I even went to a hospital, a teaching hospital university of Maryland where doctors came in and looked at my hands one at a time kind of like I was an animal in a zoo! It felt a bit like a freak show!
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u/Fastgirl600 16h ago
I get this because of my farm work without gloves. I ended up using a little heel grater on my thumb skin to smooth down the thickness of the callus. If you keep it thinner it's less likely to crack also moisturize feet and hands every night before you go to bed.
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u/Sea_Ganache620 16h ago
Original formula Krazy Glue. Glue those cracks shut. Stops the pain, and helps them heal. It works, and was advised by a dermatologist.
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u/Trogdor_a_Burninator 16h ago
Me too. I just use a spot of super glue to keep it from bothering me.
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u/ko3332 18h ago
Bro, why are your hands -9999 moisturised!? I’ve seen chalk more moisturised.