Hands can get chapped when washed and exposed to air—warm or cold. While no single treatment delivers a quick and permanent cure, here’s help to safeguard your skin’s natural moisturizers and keep hands healthy all year from Barbara R. Reed, MD, Clinical Professor of Dermatology at University Hospital Denver, and dermatologist at Denver Skin Clinic.

• Use gentle hand cleansers such as Cetaphil, Cerave, or Aquanil. Reason: Soap and water eliminate natural moisturizing agents and contribute to drying.
• Wear gloves in the kitchen and when working with chemicals. Reason: Handling (not eating) tomatoes, onions, potatoes, fish, seafood, and citrus fruits may irritate the skin and increase dryness. Likewise for paints, polishes, disinfectants, and abrasives.
• Regularly apply lubricating cream or ointment such as Cetaphil, Vanicream, Eucerin Plus, Cerave, Curel, Aquaphor, or Vaseline. Reason: Applying the cream many times daily (preferably every time your hands get wet) can be a nuisance, but it helps.

So you did all that, but you’re still having chapped hands? First, apply cream. Then, slip on damp cotton gloves. Finally, cover hands with latex gloves or a plastic bag, and wear for a few hours during the day or at night. For significant redness, try an anti-inflammatory cream such as Cort-Aid or Cortizone several times daily. Last resort: see your doctor.

Help for Dry Hands The Saturday Evening Post

Give your skin the respect it deserves with these simple precautions:

1. Eat well. Indulging in fatty and sugary foods affects your skin as well as your waistline. “Consuming unhealthy foods can fill you with empty calories, which leave your skin with fewer nutrients,” says David Butler, M.D., professor of internal medicine at the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine. “Watch what you eat, and also remember to take your vitamins. Taking a multivitamin can supplement unhealthy food choices that lack nutrients.”

2. Move more; stress less. Schedule 20 to 30 minutes of exercise every day. “Stress increases circulating glucocorticosteroids that can lead to hormonally-driven acne flare ups,” Dr. Butler says. “Exercise reduces stress and can prevent breakouts.”

3. Drink up. “Cold and dry winter air can dehydrate your skin and leave it dull looking,” Dr. Butler says. “Remember to drink at least 64 ounces of water every day to keep skin supple and flush out toxins that can leave your skin looking drab.”

Finally, treat your skin gently. To retain the oil your skin needs, use mild soap, shave carefully, wash with warm water, and pat dry.

Healthy Skin Tips for the New Year The Saturday Evening Post

Barney
Alabama

Post contributing editor and dermatology expert Dr. C. William Hanke replies:
“Older adults often bruise easily because of gradual changes that take place in the layer of fat just below the skin surface. As a person ages, this layer diminishes and the skin becomes thinner and less flexible. The loss of fat also decreases the skin’s cushioning effect.

“These changes, along with skin damage from sun exposure, cause blood vessels to break more easily. Applying topical emollients such as Vaseline or other over-the-counter ointments and minimizing soap application and hot showers may help combat skin dryness and prevent easy bruising.

“Older adults are most susceptible to bruises on the forearms, hands, legs, and feet. Sometimes the bruising will spread down the body in the direction of gravity. A bruise on a leg will usually take longer to heal than one on the face or arms. Most bruises are not a cause for concern and will go away on their own.”

About Bruises The Saturday Evening Post