Extremely dry hands - pics attached

[holdolls]

My hands have been severely dry for the past 7/8 months. I've been to the gp a few times and have tried multiple creams as well as the strongest steroid available on prescription as well as countless hand creams that you can buy over the counter but absolutely nothing is helping and it might sound silly but it is seriously getting me down and I feel like it's affecting me too much. I feel like the skin is just permanently damaged at this point and I can't feel things very well certainly not in the same way I can on the other hand (which is fine, it's just my right hand). I am now waiting for a dermatology appointment but it's been months and I haven't heard anything so I am a little worried that they haven't accepted the referral or something. Just wondering if anyone has had anything similar or has any advice about it or anything I can try. The amount of cream I'm going through is crazy. I really don't think that it's something I'm allergic to because I am using the same products as I have done for years.

Sorry should have said it's mainly the tips of my fingers as you can see in the pics aswell as a few patches on the base of my hand, the the fingertips is what I'm absolutely fed up with.

Have you checked yourself for diabetes? I don't mean to alarm you, especially since you have already seen a doctor about it.

You poor thing. That would really get me down. My hands looked like that ages ago when i first moved to a hard water area. You haven't moved have you?

Are you drenching your hands in thick cream, like Nivea blue tub, at night and putting socks on them? I use socks, i suppose gloves exist for the purpose!

My hands get very dry from over washing (nursing) to the point that they bleed. I find Diprobase on overnight and white cotton gloves to sleep in is good. Body shop hemp cream comes a close second!!

Just remembered, i was always dry skinned, but i dried out even further with menopause. So hard to keep them moisturised, but thick creams that aren't water based really help me. The watery ones seem to suck moisture away from my hands somehow!

That help cream is lovely @Spudina !

Stop using anything that lathers up on your hands.

Wash your hands with an emollient cream as a soap substitute.

Wear gloves when washing up or shampooing hair.

Stop using hand sanitisers.

Apply 50:fifty ointment thickly at night and sleep in cotton gloves.

Apply a plain emollient cream every hour you are awake, or if at home, wear the ointment and gloves like at night.

I have diprobase as it's what I use on the rest of my body but doesn't do anything for my hands, also got hydromol which hasn't helped either. They're so sore all the time. The gp never mentioned anything about antibiotics, to be honest the last one I seen was kind of like 'what do you want me to do about it?' Since I've tried a good few creams from them now.

I've had the same problem for two different reasons:

1. I used undiluted Fairy for a few weeks and it was too much for my hands: I got a cheaper one and bought a CICA hand cream.
2. When I eat dairy I get really itchy and both my hands and feet end up super dry and looking like this: I try to stay away from dairy, particularly milk, and it sorts itself out.

Bodyshop hemp hand cream is brilliant for very dry skin.

Avoiding SLS sorts my friends hands.
It's in many liquid soaps and shampoos, but might be worth trying?

I really don't think that it's something I'm allergic to because I am using the same products as I have done for years

You can become allergic to things you never used to be allergic to or perhaps some ingredients have been changed.

Oh you poor thing :(

Have you tried aqueous cream? I can't claim my skin issues are as bad as yours but it's the only thing which helps. I use it instead of soap too, also helped my brothers eczema when nothing else was working.

I'm afraid beyond that I'm not sure there's anything any of us can suggest apart from requesting your gp chases up your referral.

Diprobase is useless tbh.

I wash my hands a lot and this is gloopy and amazing to use on hands. They do actually do a hand one but I just keep buying this.
www.amazon.co.uk/Dermatonics-Suitable-Diabetics-Hydrates-Moisture/dp/B09MR5PF5N/ref=sr_1_6?crid=2PW751LGLBITJ&keywords=dermatonics+heel+balm&qid=1655237762&s=beauty&sprefix=Dermatonics+he%2Cbeauty%2C74&sr=1-6

This is also amazing. It has healed deep cracks in my thumb within a couple of days before now.
www.boots.com/okeeffes-working-hands-jar-96g-10224416?cm_mmc=bmm-buk-google-ppc--PLAs_HeroCompare--Hand_Body-_-UK_Smart_Shopping_Skincare_Hand_Body&gbraid=0AAAAADrIajWIN2wXgNFjDS8e2I2idWM6B&gbraid=0AAAAADrIajWIN2wXgNFjDS8e2I2idWM6B&gclid=CjwKCAjw46CVBhB1EiwAgy6M4nlYAP0d7pFUjszjD1iVyn2vCDxNQLuZtC1w4xD-6Iby9R6NtXTgpBoCU6YQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

I agree, but I'm allergic to it. DH works outdoors and likes it though.

@holdolls OP - it could be an allergy. You can become suddenly allergic to products you have used for years, or they can change the formulation. Your hands look a bit like the contact dermatitis a friend of mine had, she was a hairdresser and had to give up her career because of it.

Good point. Do anti histamines have any impact? Guessing prescription strength might need to be tried.

Agree this looks much like contact dermatitis. Look at images of hands on Google rather than the crap stock image the NHS website seem to be using.

It doesn't matter if you're using the same products as before - companies change ingredients all the time.

What do you do for a living? Do you come into contact with any soaps, cleaning products, acetone etc?

I agree with using aqueous cream to wash with instead of anything that foams. We have patients with very severe skin conditions and that can really work. As can 50/50 cream. Hope they get better soon OP.

Sorry to add to the list of hand creams to try, but I have had success with P'ure papaya skin food ointment. You only need a tiny bit overnight and it works wonders.

You are not being silly at all! My hands get very bad as i have to wash my hands alot at work. Have recently started using Cerave healing ointment. Probably use it around 3 or 4 times per day. Hope you find a solution!

I’m chiming in to agree, you can develop allergies to things that you tolerated previously.

I wash with Dermol. Nursem unfragranced hand cream works well - I apply a thin layer to start, then a thicker layer and let it sit on the skin for as long as you can (for me 20+ minutes) then rub in to hands, rubbing the excess cream onto forearms and elbows. I’ve also used a paraffin bath successfully, thin ish layer of moisturiser and then dip into wax, let it dry and sit for a while.

I was thinking of antihistamine cream, but I'm not sure whether you are supposed to put it on broken skin, which yours certainly is. And it looks so sore.

Probably a daft question, but have you ruled out an allergy to latex or lanolin?

Even dafter question - do you have any pets?

I would also second the body shop hemp cream. Apply at least once a day (I do at night so has 8 hours to be on my hands) but more in winter.
My hands get terribly dry, flaky and then crack and bleed and that cream is the only thing that solves it. Do have to apply it religiously though.

Ouch that looks really nasty.

Have you tried Working Hands in the green tub?

No idea what’s in it but that stuff is gold. I warn it will sting to start with. Lather hands in it then surgical gloves a couple of sizes larger to protect the cream but not be also be loose.

Once the severe cracking and open wounds are gone I would use hylauronic acid to repair the skin barrier. You can get it pure and quite cheap from The Ordinary.

From a gardener who has had to repair many a fucked hand 🤣

It's contact dermatitis imo. Something you're are using, even if you have used it for years is making your fingers stroppy.

Only bentovate (?) Worked for me and using disposable gloves for general day to day stuff to help them heal worked.