Help! I did something stupid

[Pligru6th]

Years ago, I bought some of those Italian exfoliating clothes on Amazon after seeing them recommended on here.

For some unknown reason I can't remember now, I used them on my hands. Since then I have had hundreds of microcuts on my fingers which have not healed. I have attached a picture. When my skin is hydrated they are not visible, but will still hurt if I put any kind of cream on them or, god forbid, eat any citrus fruit.

Is there any way to heal them? Will they now be like this forever? I think it has been 2, if not 3 or 4, years.

Any advice very welcome

Thanks for all the useful advice and ideas to try.

Yes, as a PP described they are exfoliating mitts, mostly meant for legs. I did have flaky dry skin on hands at the time so thought I'd try it on there (think I used it dry instead of wet) and that's when the more painful cuts feeling started as it is quite abrasive.

But you are right, it may have triggered it but its now something else keeping it going. I'll stop OKeefe for now in case there is something in it I am reacting to.

So interesting to hear iron deficiency can do this. I was only prescibed a month of supplements then had a blood retest last week. Ferritin is at 7, but because hemoglobin has gone back up to within normal following the supplements (literally by 1!), it was marked as "satisfactory, no follow up". So I was going to request a call anyway and will mention the hand issue along with worsening fatigue. It's just a bit of an uphill battle! Nails are peeling and cracking too.

You have eczema.

Use an eczema cream. I have found Lucas paw paw cream (which contains petroleum jelly) will protect your skin while it heals.

You could start with a steroid cream to get the inflammation under control and work on healing your skin from there.

Cillit Bastard Bang spray did something similar to my hands once - E45 cream sorted me out in a few days but go show your pharmacist and see what they recommend.

Could be fungal. Anything weird like this Savlon is my go to.

Then after that Hylauronic acid to help the skin barrier restore and lock in with lanolin or Keefes.

Also take steps like wearing gloves when you clean etc. Sudacrem is a miracle cream and I'd have used it similarly to how a pp mentioned but it won't cure eczema or dermatitis so you need some medical advice.

It’s much more likely you have an allergy to something you use every day. Detergents such as washing up liquid or a hand cleaner are your most likely culprit. Do you use gloves when cleaning? Latex is a common allergen that can develop over years of use and since some of the related plants also cause a reaction anything containing aloe Vera can trier it.

4 of my family members ended up with hands like this after using Cussons Creations hand wash. One had bought the Moon and Stars one, we all loved the scent so we all bought it. My hands just went noticeably dry but was fine after I stopped using it for a while. Two of them still have sore, cracked skin like yours, nothing has worked. One has it but it's abit better and not as bad. The fourth person manages it with hydrocortisone(?) (the otc steroid cream) and has to use Aveeno Daily Moisturising Body Lotion, the one with the dark green lid, not any of the others work as well.

The worst ones have been to the doctors and it still hasn't been fixed. All this to say, be careful what you're washing your hands with. I don't buy liquid soap at all now. Going to share all the suggestions on here with my family too so thanks for making the thread and I genuinely do hope you manage to get yours better.

@Pligru6th would liquid glycerine work?? Maybe put it on overnight as it really soaks into the skin x

Yes, E45 can be used for that. But it's quite expensive, and I use body lotion because I like something with a little bit of fragrance to give me that "soap" feeling! Basically anything that has some oils in it that wash off will do.

I had my iron supplements stopped after scraping back into the range. The prescription supplements were really hard on my stomach. I have started taking Active Iron. There are two tablets, one a gentle iron and one B vitamins. It is supposed to be gentler and tailored for women.

not Med professional so do seek GP help but could be contact dermatitis (eczema triggered by certain things). I have it. See GP about this and your iron levels and tiredness. Don’t make excuses that it was your fault or they are busy etc, as these are important medical conditions that you need to have help for and it’s so important to look after yourself! It’s totally not your fault with the gloves!! Take care op and let us know how you get on. X

Salcura bioderm spray. Its all natural but you will need some emollient to put on after as its not that moisturising. It healed 20 plus years of severe dermatitis on my hands in 4 weeks. My hands were so bad I cried every time I needed to wash them . It really is good stuff. It'll take 2 to 4 weeks for a noticeable improvement but its worth it

Get to the GP they will recommend the best treatment for what is probably dermatitis. They can check your bloods too.

Good luck op

Hi OP, I see you mention fatigue, and I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned possible thyroid issues, specifically hypothyroidism? I developed similar dry skin all over my body including my palms, splitting nails, fatigue (and other symptoms such as feeling cold all the time). Bloods showed an underactive thyroid which I now take meds for. All the symptoms disappeared within a couple of months.

You need a referral to a person quaified to diagnose and help you or you could be in danger of aggravating your skin further. Your GP will refer you to a dermatologist. Any skin problem that has gone on for this length of time is a chronic condition and over the counter remedies are unlikely to help.

It surprised me to know there is such a thing as 'Athlete's Hand' - same deal as the sore, flaky fungal infection on feet.
If the exfoliating cloth scraped off the protective skin layer it's quite possible the upset balance let a fungal infection in.
I had this myself last year. It really hurt to cook, clean, wash my hands etc. and they were really sore and flaky.
GP gave me 6 weeks of anti-fungal medicine (oral tablets) which cleared it.

My dad had hands like this and no amount of moisturiser helped. GP said he had a fungal infection when he finally went years later

Whilst waiting to see your GP, I would use a tallow cream - it's all natural made from beef fat, and your skin will love it. It's also anti-fungal and anti-bacterial. It works really well on skin complaints (like eczema, acne, psoriasis etc) and of course soothes dry cracked skin. I, and my whole family only use tallow for the past 6 years.

b12 and iron deficiency, maybe even low thyroid.

Use lanolin (nipple cream) and gloves overnight for now, but go to docs.

Ask for blood tests
Ferritin/iron
B12
Vitamin d
Full thyroid panel

My hands are constantly like this and I've never used exfoliating cloths. I've tried using every had cream, the only one that helps a little is the cocoa butter one but the doctor just says drink more water. I drink a crazy amount of water, it makes no difference. I wash a lot of dishes at home though with a family of 5 so I think its mainly that. I hate washing up gloves though, but I should use them!

I'll post a link because it may be useful to others, too.
Try to not use emollients with "aqua" in. Use this link to help you with respect to a medium and heavy emollient (start with medium and work up)
Also, try to use Dermol 500 (anti-microbial) when washing your hands.

https://nhssomerset.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/Emollient-Guidance-May2024.pdf

Just consider the possibility that you might be allergic to one of the substances you are putting on your hands originally intended to help.

I was imagining clothes with sandpaper inside that rubber your skin as you walked 😂

Me too ! I was wondering what on earth are exfoliating clothes 🤔

Using an exfoliating cloth once doesn't leave with you peeling skin for years. I suspect this is coincidence and what you've actually got is some form of dermatitis or eczema. Just go to the doctor.