Cuts/dry hands

Ruby777

Newbie
Messages
2
My hands are really rough & dry. Every few days cuts appear, making my fingers very sore. I was putting this down to the cold weather we have been having,but am now wondering if this is diabetes related? Any one else had this problem?
 

coco4

Well-Known Member
Messages
751
Hi Ruby 777 I thought it was just me. I couldn't understand it because I made sure that I always wore gloves whenever I was out in the cold, but I have terrible cracks around my fingers and the backs of my hands are all chapped, very sore and bleeding.
 

VR6 Nut

Member
Messages
7
Hi, I have the same problem, and so did my mother. I have found using Aqueous Cream, available from Boots and Sainsburys very effective at reducing the dryness and the cracking of the skin. It gives the skin moisture, reducing the dryness and cracking. A large tub is under £5.00. I have had it on prescription when I have had bad eczema attacks. If you have a good GP you will probably be able to get it on prescription.
 

WhitbyJet

Well-Known Member
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1,597
Neutrogena Norwegian Formula handcream is heavy duty yet is non greasy and it really does heal any cuts and protects from further damage.
 
Messages
17
Type of diabetes
Type 2
As a nurse I swear by l'occitain shea butter hand cream. Its kind of expensive but a large tube hss lasted me ages.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using DCUK Forum mobile app
 

ewelina

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,354
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
I also have a problem with dry skin. I use E-45 and I think it does the job very well
 

))Denise((

Well-Known Member
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1,580
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Still get dry skin but the splits in my fingers don't happen now I have my BS under control. Used to use Germolene New Skin to stick the splits together.
 

MCMLXXIII

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,823
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
The wife suffers from Eczema on the hands and occassionally uses a hydrochrortisone cream.
Awful stuff, appears to thin the skin so causing more harm than it's worth in my opinion.
The Body shop do a Hemp based intensive moisturizer and it is excellent, natural and really works,
Diabetes is well associated with circulation issues, therefore a good Omega 3 supplement is a given really, Oily fish or if you're vegetarian Flaxseed, :)
 

twinkle1980

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Messages
106
caroline19822005 said:
As a nurse I swear by l'occitain shea butter hand cream. Its kind of expensive but a large tube hss lasted me ages.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using DCUK Forum mobile app


I love this stuff too! And their pure shea butter.

However for immediate relief try the old fashioned vaseline with cotton gloves at night... the difference in the morning is amazing, even if you have a strange night wearing gloves.
 

LaserMum

Well-Known Member
Messages
72
Type of diabetes
Type 2
I have this too! Not just my hands either - legs are awful, arms have dandruff! I even have trouble using any touch screens because of the electrical discharge through my dry skin. Creams seem to work initially but have to keep applying them many times a day otherwise my hands start cracking and bleeding. Doctor just says to use E45 or similar. He doesn't link it to diabetes.
 

noblehead

Guru
Retired Moderator
Messages
23,618
Type of diabetes
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Neutrogena for dry and cracked hands and Flexitol Heel Balm for the feet, both excellent products and come highly recommended.
 

LaserMum

Well-Known Member
Messages
72
Type of diabetes
Type 2
I seem to be allergic to neutragena - even the hypoallergenic stuff. It makes my hands feel like they're burning. :(
 

viviennem

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,140
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
Dislikes
Football. Bad manners.
If all else fails - ask your chemist if s/he can get you natural pure lanolin - straight off the sheep! Apply it thoroughly before bed, and sleep in thin cotton gloves.

A butch male archaeologist friend of mine used to get really dry split hands when digging, and he swore by this method. The only downside is that you smell like a sheep :crazy: :D

Viv 8)
 

JanetS

Active Member
Messages
35
Hi, thought I'd put in my suggestions.
An article in this week's Daily Mail health section gave me food for thought. The writer suffered from this and said it could be an ingredient in liquid soap, namely methylisothlazolinone. EU regulations apparently now permit higher concentrations of this stuff in soaps, foundations, eye shadows, moisturisers, shampoo and conditioner, baby wipes and bubble baths!! Seems there's no escape from it.

Be careful of some emollients, check the labels.

I have now stopped using liquid soap (and I have a carrier bag of the products from M&S, probably now useless!), because I can't stand these painful splits. I also have a red itchy patch in the palm of my left hand, probably where I wash my hair.

So what I do (because I wash my hands so much), is use a latex glove when going to the loo, use up liquid soap to clean it, then use a bar of soap to wash my hands afterwards. TMI probably, but hope the idea helps.

For cleaning, I have gone back to using baby bath (again, check label), and/or Cetraben (get your GP to prescribe if you get free scrips). As a frequent typist, I find it so difficult when many of my fingers are affected. I get through so many plasters and I also use the microporous tape as quite often they bleed. Use rubber gloves wherever and whenever possible if washing up.

Hope this information is of use.
 
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coco4

Well-Known Member
Messages
751
That's very interesting I have been using liquid soap for the past 6 months after getting fed up with bars of soap sliding off sinks etc. This is about the length of time I have noticed the sore cracks around the tips of my fingers :evil:
 

GraceK

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I don't often suffer from dry skin or cuts etc, but I developed a thick patch of rough skin on one of my knees. A friend of mine recommended something called Snowfire which comes in block form in a push up tube a bit like a lip balm only larger. I tried my usual E45 creams and lotions, Savlon, moisturisers but nothing worked until I used the Snowfire. I only used it twice on the patch of dry skin and it disappeared.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Snowfire-216334 ... 154&sr=8-1

When my Dad had dry cracked skin on his hands due to cement mixing etc., he used to rub glycerine into them and sleep in a pair of gloves or put socks on his hands.
 

JanetS

Active Member
Messages
35
Another product to avoid, if you have eczema, is aqueous cream! This has sodium laurel sulphate in, which is an aggravant. There is a layer of fat on the outermost part of the skin, and this detergent thins it over time, making the eczema worse.

My sister used to suggest it to Dad (some years ago), and yet she then heard about this problem. Oops! A reason I've never used it.
 

JanetS

Active Member
Messages
35
My manager suggested Melrose (a push up stick). So far not found that it helps. I think I need to return to my GP and get more advice.

Spent ages yesterday looking for shampoos and shower creams that don't contain that M product. Finally settled on baby shampoo and Radox. Anything else was so expensive.
 

World Hereafter

Well-Known Member
Messages
89
Type of diabetes
Type 2
yep, been getting extremely dry and cracking skin on fingers and also lips recent months (never had previously so I know it's not just the cold weather!). Started using Atrixo and Vaseline to try and solve it, is helping a bit. Vaseline was recommended by Rheum Nurse as cheap and "just as effective" as Bio Oil or expensive moisturisers!