Thin skin on the hands of older people due to the characteristics of age, which makes adjustments to the functioning of the body

Many people suffer from problem skin. The dermis can crack and tighten not only in the face, but also in other parts of the body. A common problem is dry hand skin. Often people do not know how to deal with this problem; it causes a lot of trouble.

Cracks and dry hands

The epidermis functions as a protective barrier that protects human internal organs from the negative influence of the environment. In addition, it is a barrier to many bacteria, infections and pollution. You need to take care not only of your facial skin - the skin of your hands also has frequent problems, such as dryness, chapping, redness, cracks, etc.

Dry skin

Signs

Typically, the upper layers of the epidermis begin to disturb during cold weather. It is then that protective creams are obtained that nourish and moisturize them. But it is easier to prevent a problem than to deal with its consequences. How to recognize dry epidermis on your hands? The main signs of dry dermis are:

Peeling. This is the first sign of dry dermis. The skin of the face, neck, décolleté, and hands begins to peel off especially often. At this stage, you can easily overcome the problem of dryness by using only moisturizing and protective creams.
Tightness. After peeling appears, if no action is taken, the dermis begins to tighten, causing discomfort. Deep wrinkles appear on the hands and palms, and the fingertips cease to feel objects. This stage indicates that the epithelium lacks hydration and vitamins. Ignoring this symptom can result in even more problematic consequences for a person.
Redness. This symptom indicates that the dermis is already very thin. Red spots on some parts of the hands can be either an allergic reaction to something or a reaction to a lack of moisture, respectively, elasticity. When elasticity is lost, some pain begins to be felt when trying to clench your hand into a fist or straighten it. Also, my hands start to itch and get hot.
Peeling skin. It is formed by microcracks in the epidermis, which are not yet deep enough for blood and ichor to appear, but are already quite painful when moving the fingers and hands.
Cracks. A fissure is a smooth break in the epidermis. It can be of different lengths and depths. Cracks appear especially often on the skin of the fingers. In these places the dermis is the thinnest and most unprotected.

Causes

For your information. The skin on the hands is cracking, the cause and treatment are determined by a dermatologist.

The causes of dryness can be different. The most common is contact of unprotected hands with chemicals intended for washing dishes, furniture or plumbing. These products greatly dry out the upper layers of the skin, which loses its elasticity. After the loss of elasticity, which is signaled by tightness, the dermis begins to crack.

The second reason for cracks and dry skin on the hands is cold, windy weather. In such weather, it is recommended to wear gloves and use moisturizers and protective creams, as the wind blows moisture out of the pores.

Another reason for loss of elasticity is a lack of vitamins. In the autumn and spring, when the body most needs vitamin supplements, it is recommended to consume B1 and PP. It is also recommended to drink these vitamins when losing weight, since the very first thing the body loses when losing excess weight is water.

Hand skin problems may be due to poor quality water. If you wash your hands every day under chlorinated water, this has a very negative effect on the skin of your hands. This is especially true in adulthood.

Also, the causes of dry skin can be many diseases of human internal systems. Even metabolic disorders can lead to the fact that vitamins in the required quantities no longer reach the epidermis. Bad habits also have a negative impact not only on the skin of the face, but also on the skin of the hands in particular.

For your information. Diseases can be considered as the cause of dryness. There are many dermatological problems that leave their impact on the skin of the hands. These could be fungal diseases, psoriasis, dermatitis, etc.

Another reason may be genetic predisposition. In this case, the fight against dry hand skin is permanent.

For example, this simple recipe will help make your skin soft and elastic:

Mix olive oil and kombucha infusion in equal proportions, lubricate your hands with the mixture every time after washing and doing housework, and at night after lubricating, you can put on cotton gloves.

Just a couple of days after starting to use this lotion, small cracks and roughness of the skin disappear.

Dry hand skin is a very common phenomenon, despite the fact that there are numerous and varied hand care products on the market. It is only at first glance that one gets the impression that the skin of the hands is quite rough compared to the skin of the face. In fact, the skin of the hands is much more vulnerable: it has practically no sebaceous glands, and it contains 5 times less water than the skin of the face. Of course, she requires special care!

Household chemicals

Our hands come into contact with water every day, as well as with various means for washing dishes, washing and cleaning various types of surfaces. Over time, an allergic reaction may begin to various chemical components. Signs include dry and cracked hands, red pimples, and sometimes fluid-filled blisters. Basic precautions can help protect against such problems. Let's look at them:

Every time after washing your hands, dishes or laundry, try to dry them thoroughly.
For all types of work related to household chemicals, as well as when washing and peeling vegetables, protective gloves are used. When latex or vinyl ones are not suitable, it is recommended to pre-lubricate the skin with silicone hand cream.
In case of inflammation of the cuticle, it is treated with iodine.
Hygienic lipstick will help you get rid of the consequences when your fingers dry out and crack. The ends are lubricated with it. It will help the cracks heal faster.
It is advisable to get rid of low-quality household products at the slightest sign of irritation and inflammation of the skin on your hands. Some people think that laundry soap is a good substitute. This opinion is wrong. The alkali contained in it corrodes subcutaneous fatty tissue.

Why does the skin on my hands dry out?

The answer to this question is very simple. When the water-fat balance in the upper layers of the skin is disturbed (water ensures the elasticity of the skin, and fat retains moisture), and, I must say, it is not at all difficult to upset this very balance, the skin loses its ability to retain moisture. Dehydrated skin is more easily damaged - cracks and invisible scratches begin to become inflamed, and the skin becomes rough and begins to flake. If such skin is not taken care of correctly, then a small problem risks turning into a big problem. And proper care for dry hand skin is only possible if the cause of the water-fat imbalance is found.

Dry hand skin - causes

One of the most common causes of dry skin is poor nutrition and lack of vitamins A and E. This is especially true in winter and early spring - such a seasonal lack of vitamins is called vitamin deficiency. A balanced diet and quality products will help solve this problem. And the skin of your hands can be further helped by rubbing oil extracts rich in vitamins into your fingertips.
Another possible cause of dry hand skin is dysbacteriosis. To make an accurate diagnosis, you need to consult a specialist. Not every problem with the intestines is dysbiosis, but any malfunction in its functioning negatively affects the condition of the skin. Clean gut means healthy skin.
Unfavorable weather - prolonged exposure to the scorching rays of the sun dehydrates the skin, and wind and cold make it rougher and more susceptible to various damages. Also, climate change can cause dry skin on your hands. If the air in the house is too dry, this is also one of the reasons for this problem.
Prolonged contact with household chemicals and synthetic detergents. They break down and remove fat not only from household items, but also from hands. Modern home cleaning products have a very adverse effect on the skin. Therefore, it is recommended to carry out all housework with rubber gloves.
Excessively hard water also does not contribute to the softness and smoothness of the skin of the hands, so prolonged contact with tap water can be harmful. Even soaps and detergents for the body and hands do not always have a beneficial effect on the skin: their too frequent use can cause dermatitis and allergic reactions, so as when washing, the top layer of the epidermis is destroyed. If you do not dry your hands thoroughly after washing, then when the remaining water evaporates, it dries out the skin of your hands.
As we age, the skin loses its natural ability to retain moisture and repair itself. Therefore, over the years, caring for dry hand skin should be even more caring and attentive.
Often the cause of skin problems is an individual reaction to a cream or other hand care product. This is why it is so important to find “your” remedy. And the quality of the cream and how well it suits a particular skin are not always directly proportional to its cost and the popularity of the manufacturer.
Unreasonable diets and uncontrolled use of various weight loss drugs can also cause a variety of skin problems. Some chronic diseases, such as thyroid diseases, can provoke skin diseases. The skin of the hands often loses its natural moisture during pregnancy due to a predisposition to anemia.
Dry skin can be caused by various skin diseases and infections: allergic dermatitis, eczema, and other fungal infections can cause unhealthy skin. In this case, it is necessary to accurately diagnose and fight the cause. In rare cases, dry skin can be a birth defect.[/box]

Caring for dry hand skin should be comprehensive: eradicating the cause of this problem (to do this, you need to find out exactly what prevents the skin from retaining natural moisture) and eliminating the consequences - that is, procedures are used that moisturize and nourish the skin itself.

Women's problem

The skin on them is significantly different in structure from the skin on the face. On the surface of the hands, the subcutaneous tissue is thin, mobile and contains a small number of sebaceous glands. They are completely absent on the palms. The problem of oily skin typical for the face will never be relevant for the hands. Dry skin on the hands and increased sweating of the palms are the main causes of concern.

If there is a problem, then you need to look for a solution. To find the right one, you need to understand the reason.

Our skin constantly breathes, of course, not to the same extent as the lungs. The cover protects the body and helps maintain a constant body temperature.

The skin of the hands is the first to absorb all negative environmental factors. This is the main reason why your hands get dry. Temperature changes when moving from indoors to outdoors, windy weather, bright sun, frost. The first blow is taken by the skin on the hands and face. Hands come into contact with water more often than any other part of the body. They occur with cosmetics and detergents 20 times more often than on the face. Vitamin deficiencies and poor nutrition can be diagnosed by the appearance of your hands. Dermatitis and allergic reactions most often affect this part of our body.

Eliminating the causes of dry hand skin

Everything in the human body is interconnected. What we eat, what lifestyle we lead, what we breathe, and even what and how we think - everything affects our health and well-being. The “litmus test” of health is the condition of the skin; it is the very first of all organs and systems to respond to problems that arise.

No wonder there is a saying: “tell me what you eat, and I will tell you who you are.” Proper balanced nutrition is also a kind of care for dry skin. In the winter-spring period, we can recommend including more dried fruits in your diet. Prunes, dried apricots, raisins, especially in combination with natural honey, will supply the body with vitamins and microelements so necessary at this time. Fish dishes also have a beneficial effect on the skin.

It is worth paying attention to the amount of water consumed during the day (coffee and black tea do not count). Of course, this amount is individual, but the total volume of liquid that an adult should drink per day is at least 2 liters. To ensure normal water exchange, you need to move a lot - moderate exercise, walks in the fresh air will make your skin healthy, soft and radiant.

Dry hand skin can be caused by a lack of vitamins A, E, D and calcium. To ensure that the body does not experience a lack of calcium (this element plays an important role in skin health), it is useful to take crushed eggshells, mixing them with lemon juice or natural apple cider vinegar. It is in this form that calcium is best absorbed. Of course, the eggs must be of high quality, preferably rustic; before crushing the shells, they must be thoroughly washed, boiled and dried. In summer it is useful to arrange a 3-day carrot diet. For 3 days, eat grated carrots for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Just be sure to add fats - vegetable oil or sour cream, this way carotene is absorbed better. At the end of the third day, you can eat boiled potatoes with a slice of bread. Then you can return to your usual diet. Such “fasting days” will help cleanse the body of waste and toxins. Vision will become sharper and skin condition will noticeably improve.

If you drink 1 tsp of unrefined olive oil, this will help compensate for the lack of vitamins D and E. The course of taking the oil is 9 days.

What to do to save dry skin?

Having noticed the first signs of excessive dryness, it’s time to move on to vigorous action. First you need to review your diet. The daily menu should include vegetable oil, fish and nuts rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Almonds and walnuts are especially useful. Those who do not like fish should take fish oil capsules. Vegetables will help increase the amount of potassium and sodium that retain water in tissues: Brussels sprouts and cauliflower, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, broccoli, carrots, green beans. You need to eat at least 500 g of vegetables per day in the form of salads dressed with vegetable oil. It is worth including vegetable soups in the menu, replacing strong tea and coffee with herbal infusions and skim milk.

When doing housework, be sure to protect your hands with rubber gloves. Before putting them on, you can lubricate your hands with any rich cream or sprinkle them with talcum powder. To ensure that gloves do not interfere with work, it is important to choose the right size. The most convenient are latex products with a cotton non-woven lining inside: they do not stick together, and your hands in such gloves will not be too wet.

Tips for caring for dry skin

It is better to choose a mild soap for washing your hands because it balances the balance of moisture and oil. It is important that there is no detergent left on your hands after washing - this can lead to irritation. It is better not to overuse the amount of soap - it is unable to distinguish natural skin oil from dirt deposits and removes both. And, of course, you should never clean your hands with acetone or any other solvents.
All jewelry must be removed before washing your hands. To improve blood circulation, it is useful to wash your hands with warm water and rinse them with cool water. You should always dry your hands thoroughly so that your hands do not become chapped - you need to be especially careful about this in the cold season and in windy weather and do not forget about mittens and gloves in winter. And when it’s sunny outside, it’s wise to use sunscreen on your hands.
Caring for dry hand skin is , first of all, the prevention of dryness, so a moisturizer should always be at hand.
About once a week it is useful to cleanse the skin of your hands with a scrub, for example, like this: 1 tbsp. l. salt (it is best to grind sea salt in a coffee grinder), 1 tbsp. l. any vegetable oil - better than olive or flaxseed. Rub the scrub into the skin of your hands with a cotton swab. Here's another recipe for a homemade hand scrub: mix 1 tbsp. l. sugar with olive oil, rub the resulting mixture thoroughly into your hands. Then rinse with warm water and apply nourishing cream to your hands.
Don't neglect rubber gloves! At first it will seem that working in them is inconvenient, but your hands will always be protected from the harmful effects of detergents and powders. Just before or after cleaning, you need to remember to apply nourishing cream, some kind of oil (butter or vegetable - it doesn’t matter) or unsalted pork fat to your hands, since wearing rubber gloves when the skin “does not breathe” is also not the most useful time for hands But, as we know, one chooses the lesser of two evils.

Environmental factors

Wind, frosty air, heating and dry indoor air have a negative impact on the hands and face. The skin on your hands dries, your face turns red and begins to peel. In winter, in order to soften irritated and dry skin, it is necessary to replace the day cream with a more nourishing and oily one. Without forgetting the precautions.

Apply the cream thirty minutes before going outside. This is the time during which it will have time to be absorbed and begin to fulfill its protective role. Otherwise the effect will be the opposite. Cosmetologists suggest replacing hand cream with cosmetic oil. It creates a film that performs moisturizing functions and helps protect against wrinkles. Must be used at least twice a day. Cleansers are replaced with softer and more delicate ones.

Summer heat and intense ultraviolet radiation require a different approach to the problem. In summer, hands get no less dry, but problems with pigmentation and blemishes are also added. To care for your hands, use light moisturizing fluids, supplementing care products with creams with SPF protection. It is always advisable to have thermal water on hand. Split systems and air conditioners dry the air in the room just as intensively as heating systems.

Several home remedies for dry hands

You can soften rough skin on your hands with the juice of one lemon mixed with egg white. Or use the following ointment: juice of one lemon, flaxseed oil, yolk and a little honey.
If you wipe your hands with a piece of fresh cucumber, the chapped and flaky skin of your hands will look healthy again. A good way to complete this procedure would be to use homemade lotion; to prepare it, you just need to mix lemon juice and glycerin in equal proportions.
If the skin of your hands is cracking, then a curd mask will help. After its impact, your hands will become soft and velvety. 100gr. combine cottage cheese with 1 tsp. olive oil. Apply the mask to your hands; you can cover it with gauze if the cottage cheese is a little dry and the mask is not very elastic. After 20 minutes, rinse with water and enjoy the result.
A good remedy for softening and moisturizing the skin of your hands is a mask with baking soda. Take a teaspoon each of soda and fine salt, mix with sour cream and lemon juice - you will need 1 tbsp of both. Apply to hands for 15-20 minutes.
If there are no wounds or deep cracks on the skin, you can try using regular mayonnaise as a hand mask. You need to rub it into the skin and put on cotton gloves on top. After half an hour, your hands will be soft and tender.

Taking care of dry hand skin is not difficult; from the variety of recipes and tips, you can certainly find something that will help in each specific case. A little patience, a little effort, a little confidence in victory - and the reward for your efforts will be gentle, velvety, shining hands like beautiful white birds!

Fingers turn white and go numb
Hand massage (from A to Z)

Causes

The reasons why the palms of the hands become dry are the impact of external aggressive factors on them or the presence of certain health problems.

Use of household chemicals and other external factors

The skin on the palms may crack and peel for the following reasons:

Using aggressive detergents from the household chemicals category without protective gloves. This is due to their irritating effect on the skin.
Frequent use of antibacterial gels and hand creams. They destroy the protective layer of the epidermis, which leads to increased dryness.
Contact of palms with construction mixtures, solutions, dust generated during repairs. From such an impact it can crack. Quite often a severe allergic reaction develops with the appearance of rashes and inflamed areas.
The use of low-quality care cosmetics - creams, lotions, gels.
Exposure of the skin to high or low temperatures, wind, sun.

Internal reasons

Peeling on the surface of the palms is often observed in people with dry skin after contact with water or other external irritants.

The appearance of this problem in children and adults can also be caused by certain pathological conditions of the body:

Skin infection due to fungal infection.
Poor nutrition, which leads to a deficiency of vital vitamins and minerals.
Development of dermatological diseases. Dry skin can be caused by psoriasis, eczema, dermatitis, and scabies.
The presence of serious systemic diseases - diabetes mellitus, thyroid dysfunction.
Hormonal changes in the human body. Often problems with the epidermis occur during pregnancy or menopause.

Skin peeling may occur after antibiotic treatment.

Dehydration

A person should drink at least 1.5 liters of water per day. If this is not done, then a water deficiency will form in the body. All reactions: chemical and biological, occur using water. Violation of the water balance leads to their slowdown, and this affects the functioning of all organs, including the skin. It is necessary to strictly monitor the body’s water balance and drink the required amount of clean still water per day. Lack of water has a bad effect on the condition of the skin and hair. Dry skin often leads to peeling.

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Prevention of cracking and dryness

What is recommended to do to avoid dry and cracked hands:

maintaining cleanliness of hands and proper washing, thorough wiping of moisture;
daily rubbing of moisturizing and nourishing creams with glycerin and paraffins;
using gloves when performing household chores;
In winter, it is mandatory to wear mittens; hypothermia (frostbite of the skin) is not allowed;
daily consumption of at least 2 liters of water;
Do not wipe paint-stained hands with chemical solvents;
do not use highly acidic detergents;
use of multivitamin complexes;
establishing a diet and daily routine;
It is recommended to carry out medicinal baths once a week as a preventive measure;
healthy sleep is very important for the health of the epidermis of the hands;
It is advisable to use a humidifier at home.

Dryness and cracks in the skin of the hands occur quite often. A high-quality care package and the use of medications will help you cope with them. To avoid such problems, it is better to take preventive measures. In case of particularly severe peeling and cracking, when no remedy helps, you should contact a dermatologist or cosmetologist, they will help determine the causes and choose the right treatment.

Folk remedies

You can get rid of rough, rough and cracked skin and make it soft and attractive with the help of special folk recipes.

Baths

Baths to normalize the condition of the skin on the surface of the hands can be carried out using the following products:

Camomile tea. Two tablespoons of medicinal plant flowers should be poured with a glass of boiling water. The mixture should sit for 20 minutes. The liquid is filtered and diluted with a small amount of clean water. It is recommended to take a chamomile bath before bed. The duration of the procedure is 20 minutes. After the bath, dry your hands with a soft towel and apply olive oil to their surface. Chamomile has an anti-inflammatory, antibacterial effect, moisturizes the skin and relieves irritation.
Saline and soda solutions. This procedure helps get rid of dry skin and strengthens it. In a liter of warm purified water, you need to dissolve 70 g of soda and 15 g of regular or sea salt. Place your hands in the resulting mixture and hold for 20 minutes, after which they are washed under the tap.

What helped me with dry hands and chicks in the winter season, and what didn’t?

First of all, I decided to find out if there are special creams for treating chicks. Imagine my surprise when it turned out that such funds actually exist, and their prices vary from 30 to 2000 rubles. I’m not a rich girl, so I immediately refused to buy expensive creams, especially since I was convinced long ago that expensive does not mean effective.

When choosing the right cream, I used my favorite trial and error method. This is what I ended up with.

Universal cream “Florena” (with chamomile)

Country of origin: Germany. I bought this cream because its blue metal jar resembled my mother's favorite Nivea. I liked the pleasant smell of chamomile and thick consistency. The cream is intended for very dry skin, softens, moisturizes and soothes it.

The only drawback: it should be used regularly, all winter. Once you stop for a while, the skin becomes covered with pimples again after some time. I conclude: it softens, but does not heal.

Cream from the famous Russian one with grape seed

I have used cosmetics from this company more than once, but apparently some of their products are more successful, and some not so much. The protective cream with grape seed clearly failed: the texture is rough, viscous and sticky . You smear it on your hands and it feels as if it’s not even a cream, but some kind of plasticine. I tried it only twice and realized that the only place for it was in the trash can.

Neutrogena cream “Norwegian formula” (France)

Price 200 rub. for 50 ml. The cream moisturizes well, is quickly absorbed, soothes the skin and heals small cracks.

But what I didn’t like at all was the protective film that forms on the skin. The cream has no smell at all, which is why my husband, who has allergies, really liked it. The product is not cheap, but I continue to buy it exclusively for my husband.

Velvet hands. Winter care (Russia)

Despite the “frivolous” price (only 30 rubles), the cream effectively eliminates dryness and removes the feeling of tightness. The reason is its remarkable composition: almond oil and provitamin B5, better known as panthenol. The cream provides reliable protection in frosty and windy weather. Tested by me!

Protective cream “Mitten”

Manufacturer Organic Shop (Russia). I liked the cream for its ideal combination of price (80 rubles per 100 ml) and quality. Pleasant sweetish smell of ginger and delicate structure. This cream, like soft mittens, reliably protects the skin of your hands from chapping. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seemed to me that the cream also has a warming effect.

It turns out that at the moment, there are two creams that really save me. I stopped looking for something else. Why, if both the price and the result obtained completely suit me.