What to do about skin fissures in your hands

If your skin is red, dry and cracks and tears have started to appear, you most likely have extremely dry hands. This can be uncomfortable and painful to say the least. Read how to prevent this from happening below. 

What are fissures in your hands?

Skin fissures are cracks and tears that occur when your skin is very dry. This usually happens in winter when it is cold outside and the heating is on inside. Fissures often appear in the places where you have few or no sebaceous glands that can regulate the moisture and fat content in your skin, such as your fingers, hands or your feet. If your skin feels tight, is flaky or you have cuts or wounds, dryness is most likely the reason. The skin around the fissures may be red and swollen or it may itch or feel very painful. One wrong move can cause your skin to burst open…again. Ouch! 

How do the fissures form in your hands?

Your skin is an armour for external influences. It keeps out harmful dirt, mould and bacteria that try to enter your system. Our skin consists of many layers of sebum and grease. At the same time, the skin makes sure nourishing minerals, proteins and moisture are transported inwards. Once the layers of sebum and fat from your skin dissolve, the moisture balance in your hands is no longer regulated properly. Moisture can easily dissolve and this causes dry skin. The cracks in your dry hands are also known as fissures and they can be extremely painful.

How can you treat fissures in your hands and fingers?

Hydration is key and that means: moisturise! Your skin recovers fastest when you sleep. Therefore, apply a thick layer of moisturising recovery cream before going to sleep. Herome’s Cure For Chapped Skin softens chapped areas and ensures that cracks and wounds in your hands heal quickly. Ingredients such as avocado oil, aloe vera, collagen, panthenol and hydroprotect have a calming, restorative, skin-protective and skin-renewing effect. The next morning your skin will be soft and hydrated. Also apply Cream For Chapped Skin to the backs of your hands twice a day and massage the cream in well. This hydrating and moisturising hand cream with shea butter, aloe vera, vitamins E and B5, lanolin, bisabolol and allantoin stimulates wound healing and increases the resistance of your skin.

Preventing chapped hands and fingers

The natural protective layer of the skin on your hands and feet is very sensitive to external influences. Here are some tips to prevent dry skin:

• Don’t wash your hands with hot water. Heat dries your skin out. It is better to wash your hands with lukewarm water and a pH-neutral soap.
• Always use a nourishing hand cream after washing your hands to keep the skin soft and hydrated.
• Cleaning products and dishwashing soap can also dry out your skin so try to use gloves when cleaning.
• Do not turn on the heating on the warmest setting and stay away from the fireplace. Dry air dries out your skin quickly so use a humidifier in the house if the rooms get very dry.
• Drink plenty of water to maintain your fluid balance.
• Ageing skin quickly loses its ability to retain moisture. Therefore, use a hand cream against skin ageing. Herome’s Hand Cream Extra Anti Aging activates cell renewal and protects against skin ageing with SPF-15. It also keeps your skin nice and soft.
• Hydrate your hands several times a day with a nourishing and moisturising hand cream. 

More tips and advice on hand care

Would you like to read more about hand care or hand hygiene? We have written several articles to help you. Check out all our blogs or go straight to our hand care products for silky soft hands. Don’t forget to take a look at our Youtube Channel, Instagram and Facebook for more tips and advice to give your hands the best care.