help what should i do about ds1 hands ?

[cheeryface]

for months and months now ds1 (12) has had really dry, sore, cracked skin on the palms of his hands. sometimes it's really bad and the cracks are on his fingers and palms.

it hasn't improved despite slathering it in either aveeno cream or nivea and also using betnovate which he had a while ago for a patch of excema.

today he has been gardening with his gran and got them really cracked and loads of dirt in too. i have had him soaking then in the bath but no matter what i try i can't get the muck out!

any suggestions please ?

Epaderm is very good. What about getting him some cotton gloves and putting LOADS on at night, then the cotton gloves. During the day, doublebase is good, sinks in better. Also try washing with epaderm, rather than soap. But maybe he should see GP if it's that bad.

2nd the GP here, they must really bother him

Ouch, poor thing. I'm not sure but just thought about betnovate. Its strong ish so I was always told only to use it thinly and for no longer than seven days else it thins the skin. You prob know anyway but thought Id mention it. Poor thing. Sounds like you have done what you can really. Moisurise it and maybe get some of those special gloves to put on after to keep the cream in against the hand longer. Like when you have to wet wrap you could use that vaseline type cream called epaderm but very greasy, you'd need the gloves on over night

Sorry was so slow typing lol! My thoughts exactly Madlentileater!!

He really should see a doctor tbh.

It is very possible he has a fungal infection and needs treatment with something like fucidin / fucibet. The doc can tell if this is the case easily by shining UV light on the hands - if the cracks glow then he has a fungal infection. Often with fungal infections the cracks on the hands are whitish (when not covered in soil ). It can be hard to get rid of - I speak from experience . Normal hand creams, emoliants, betnovate etc will have no effect really other than softening the skin very temporarily after much application.

The only way I have found to remove soil from badly cracked hands is to soak them in the bath and then scrub with a soft nail brush and soap - sounds harsh but the skin is so hard anyway with these things I doubt it will hurt. Might be best to invest in some gardening gloves if he is going gardening again - not much fun in hot weather though.

thanx, where would i get soem cotton gloves from ?
i think i will take him to the doc after school tomorrow, they really are a mess now after working at the allotment with granny !

i would take him to a doc and see if they have anything useful to say.

if not, i would try that foot stuff with the urea... whats it called? flexitol! yes... suposed to be good for all manner of skin problems.

cotton gloves are in the chemist.

i'll go and get him some tomorrow then and ring the docs too...never out of that place recently...

i get that in the winter i find the only thing that helps is vaseline rubbed on a few times a day

Second the GP advice, accompany that with a visit to a reputable homeopath so that the cause of the problem can be addressed. Sometimes application of external creams may suppress the rash but not targe the origin of the problem.

Second the GP advice, accompany that with a visit to a reputable homeopath so that the cause of the problem can be addressed. Sometimes application of external creams may suppress the rash but not target the origin of the problem.

Ooops!! Typo correct in second version

I would also recommend seeing the doctor.

I suffer with contact dermatitis and I can be in agony some days with dry, cracked and bleeding hands. As mentioned already I would also recommend moisturiser and cotton gloves at night. One that really works for me is Hemp cream from the Body Shop (I get my gloves there too!).

Bless, I feel for your son, it can be very painful. I'm sure the doc will prescribe a good cream though.

Oh, one more recommendation, latex gloves!! I use these for everything from cleaning the house and gardening to shampooing my DD's hair! They're not the nicest of things but they do save your skin a bit.

i have some dressings in the cupboard, would it be an idea to put cream on and cover them whilst at school tomorrow do you think ?

bit worried about the muck and germs thats prob in the cracks too

Sorry NoLongerMyFirst post but you need to be careful with Latex as many people with Excema have an allergy to latex. So much so that food manufacturers can't let there staff wear them on the peoduction lines anymore!

Definately see the GP, but cotton gloves and let him do the allotment with Granny, just with cotton gloves under gardening gloves.

To clean v.dirty hands without soap put a teaspoon of olive oil with a teaspoon of sugar into the palm of your hand and then 'wash' your hands to gently scrub them clean. If you don't have sensitive hands/cracked skin you can use salt instead of sugar.

Oh yes, very good point callmeovercautious.

Please ignore my recommendation of latex gloves!