Surely to hell there is something that will help my hands!!

[tartandreams]

Mostly posting for traffic, but I'm getting really fed up of the state of the skin on my hands.

I can get this dry, horrible, sore skin anywhere and it usually flares up on my neck, face and hands. Have been prescribed creams that clear up my neck and face, but not my hands.

My fingers feel like they are burning, it's awful, so sore and ugly

I think you have baker's itch.
It's a condition, caused by flour and yeast.

@FabulouslyFab sorry you are 'horrified'. my hands don't peel, bleed, flake or anything at all like that. they are just dry, cracked, red and really, really sore. they make me uncomfortable not only physically but mentally, because they really are a sight. so cheers for that

my hands are very very clean, I wash them A LOT. nappy changes, before making food for my daughter, after using the toilet, after cleaning the worktops ect to remove any cleaning products from my hands. all this is before we even get close to baking!

I messaged the GP and have an app on friday with a nurse there that specialises in skin problems, so fingers crossed for that! In the meantime, I'm wearing gloves ALL the time, when washing, cleaning, used gloves earlier to chop an onion because that stings like a bitch! also going out tomorrow so will have a look for some of the suggestions on this thread!

going to be buying bar soap too, for all those that have suggested! I use liquid soap, one in the kitchen, one in the bathroom, I didn't realise that using bar soap could make a difference!

Coconut oil

Bar soap dried my skin out very badly. I feel so itchy after using it. The only one that makes me feel clean and not dried out is the dove moisturizing bar. But I'm sure people can recommend some better ones that I've not discovered yet!

My mum had hands like yours and had steroid creams from the doctors, but it really didn't improve them much.

She changed the soap she used to wash her hands - a Dove bar. Immediately, her skin improved and they are now normal. Try changing the products you regularly come into contact with, even if they advertise themselves as being suitable for sensitive skin.

@tartandreams have you tried aloe Vera gel from the chemist to clean your hands instead of or after soap? Mine get like yours from constant washing them. The aloe Vera will help with any infection. Then use either the hemp cream from body shop or lush "dream cream"

As soon as I ditched all scented hand washes and plug in fragrance things my hands got so much better. I only wash my hands when absolutely necessary and only with cold water.

Kiehls Hand Cream is AMAZING. As a nurse this was a godsend. It's not cheap but well worth it

Take omega 3 type supplement - fish oils or flaxseed oil. Help from the inside

I have terrible problems with sore, dry, bleeding skin all over my hands sometimes. Have tried loads of creams including steroid creams but the best ones by far are by Weleda - Weleda Skin Food of Weleda Pomegranate Hand Cream. You can order them online from Weleda but they are often on sale in health food shops and Boots and Waitrose carry some Weleda items too.

Also - avoid handwash lotions which are the work of the devil for sensitive hands. The best soaps I have found are the 15p- a-bar vegetable soap from Tesco or Bayliss and Hardy organic children's bath/shower which I use as handwash.

Good luck and hope you get it sorted out soon.

That looks like contact dermatitis. Have you gone on a product elimination to see what might be causing the flares?

My mum swears by Australian body care tea tree cream for just about everything.
Diprobase and some cotton gloves in bed at night night help. Looks sore, hope it's better soon

All that hand washing makes me feel sore already.

You definitely need to be wearing gloves for the baking. Guess you'd use the thin sort people do in food shops? It's not about being clean it's about not leaking body fluids or skin flakes into the food. And also being able to use whatever you need on your hands and keep it on without worrying about that getting into the food too.

Is offspring in disposable nappies? I always found those horribly drying on my hands too. May sound bonkers but using a few washable nappies made a difference for me, we didn't manage full time but just when convenient to give my hands a break. Or again, gloves.

If possible for food hygiene (gloves!), when you do need to wash your hands don't use soap. I used to have slightly diluted aqueous cream in liquid soap dispensers. Though oilatum bars mentioned by a previous poster sounds interesting too. Whatever non soap thing works for you.

There may be an infection or something that needs treating but it's going to be hard for anyone to say while you're giving it no chance to heal with all the washing.

Oh and if you combine by putting on a moisturiser then gloves then washing up it really helps it to soak in I find.

Bar soap might be an improvement but I'd seriously consider the Moo Goo milk wash until you heal. Then try the bar soap.

@Apileofballyhoo apologies if anyone has already said, where would I be able to buy the moo goo?

@thirdfiddle thank you for your reply! I've just bought a 150 pack of thin, clear gloves for cooking and baking, I don't usually have to actually touch much baking ingredients, as it's all measured/mixed ect by spoons and a mixer, and cupcake batter ect i use an ice cream scoop, BUT last week I did have a lot of icing to colour, in various different colours one after another and after each colour I was washing my hands so as not to transfer colours, so it took its toll.

they aren't usually quite as bad as this, but it's always there, sometimes worse than others!

I've got gloves for washing up now and being strict with them, not just using them for washing up but for cleaning the worktops ect. I will need to get a separate set today for cleaning the bathroom.

As I said below, I have an appointment tomorrow with the nurse at the practice that specialises in skin problems, so hopefully that gives some answers! I'm talking everything you are all saying on board, because it's getting to be a nightmare. My hands used to be so soft and now they are awful and rough!

This is what you need, put them everywhere:
www.amazon.co.uk/Oilatum-Soap-Bar-Sensitive-Skin/dp/B000LNG1RC/ref=asc_df_B000LNG1RC/?hvlocphy=20342&linkCode=df0&hvptwo&psc=1&psc=1&hvnetw=g&hvadid=310172312551&hvpone&hvlocint&th=1&hvpos=1o1&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl&hvqmt&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&hvtargid=pla-424168770229&hvrand=12258341459555171750

Pharmacies. www.weldricks.co.uk/brands/moogoo?

moogooskincare.co.uk/stockists

It doesn't seem to be in boots or superdrug or Holland and Barrett. I'm in Ireland and nearly all the independent pharmacies seem to stock it. That Weldricks place I linked to has a discount on at the moment.

My hands went really bad after I had a baby too. I hope you get sorted! Another product we swear by in our house is Pure Potions Skin Salvation Moisturising Ointment - it's like a pale green Vaseline and you can get it in Holland and Barrett. It seems to work miracles on DS - he can't tolerate any SLS in liquid washes, just like his Mammy! He has his own Child's Farm wash at school. He also had terrible eczema type thing on his face until we found the Pure Potions. Months of torture that steroid creams didn't touch. Pure Potions made an improvement overnight! It didn't have the same miraculous effect on my hands at all, much to my disappointment, although if his hands get dry it does a brilliant job on them overnight. So I guess some products are personal.

You might find La Roche Posay Cicaplast cream helpful too.

I have problems with my hands too. It helps if I wear nitrile gloves for doing every day cleaning or picking up at home. I also put moisturizer on after every time I wash my hands.

When really bad I mixed my own moisturizer out of heavy duty moisturizer plus aquaphor plus aloe vera gel. Wore with gloves overnight.

I get this with liquid handwash switched to bars of soap and I'm fine now. Sounds like your GP might need to give you something initially though.

I second @emliz plan of attack. Keep hands clean and dry. (As much as possible.) Avoid scented products. I would also avoid steroid usage and suggest elocon as it is an autoimmune suppressant and it is a godsend. (It sorted out mine and my daughter’s perioral dermatitis which we’d had for YEARS as a result of steroid ointment usage).

Only thing that helped my DP was light treatment. Don't understand it but it worked.

DH has suffered with similar for years, has had all the prescriptions, tried all the creams.

He started taking 50mg of Zinc a day and his hands are the best they have ever been. They are still dry and sensitive, he still wears gloves for everything and moisturises numerous times a day - but they are actually healing, no more painful cracking and bleeding. I don't think he will ever not suffer but it's a million times better than it was.

Zinc is known to help promote cell renewal, reduce inflammation and regulate immunity.
A common side effect of a zinc deficiency is dermatitis.

I have OCD so wash my hands a lot, there was a point where i couldnt even bend my hands otherwise they would split. The only thing that really helped was boots intensive skin softner for feet.