Dry Skin

Cracked Skin on Fingers, Tips, Causes, around Nails, Thumbs, Vitamin Deficiency, Fungus

Cracked finger nail skin causes

A look at the cracked skin on fingers, tips skin, causes, around nails, thumbs, won’t heal, vitamin deficiency and the fungus.

What Causes Cracked Skin on Fingertips

Cracked skin on fingers causes
Cracked skin on fingers

Cracked skin on fingers might be brought about by several medical conditions which includes:

  • Anhidrosis (reduced or even the loss of sweating) in diabetes, it is a chronic disease which affects the body’s ability to make use of sugar for energy
  • Atopy (it is an allergic skin reaction)
  • Dermatitis (which is a skin inflammation which has several causes)
  • Diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage brought about by high blood sugar levels that is associated with diabetes)
  • Eczema (itchy, scaly skin)
  • Excess body weight (extra pressure being exerted on the heels can lead to the skin to crack)
  • Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)
  • Ichthyosis (which is a hereditary disease that is characterized by scaly skin)
  • Inadequate moisture content that is supplied to skin
  • Psoriasis (a skin disease that leads to itchy or even the sore patches of the thick, red skin with silvery scales)

Nonmedical causes of cracked skin

You can as well get cracked skin on fingers from undergoing excessive exposure to the external factors which includes:

  • Abrupt change in the temperatures (hot to cold or cold to hot)
  • Cold weather
  • Excessive exposure to the hot water or harsh chemicals leads to cracked skin on fingers
  • Forced-air heat
  • Walking barefoot

Cracked Skin on Fingers

Cracked skin on fingers and also the dry hands can be brought about by a number of reasons which includes environmental factors like the cold weather, frequent hand washing as well as the exposure to chemicals which dry the skin.

Since exposure of hands and fingers to some of the causes are very much unavoidable, steps are able to be taken to assist prevent hands from drying up and fingers from getting cracked because of the dryness

  1. Use Protection for Hands – When work exposes hands to the chemicals and also the irritants that dry up the hands, then make sure that you use gloves that are made of rubber or even the latex before handling the chemicals to ensure no cracked skin on fingers.
  2. Do not attempt to skimp on Washing – Although water is able to strip most of the moisture from hands, washing is also a crucial hygienic practice that assists to prevent contraction of colds, flu or any other contagious medical conditions. Wash gently by use of warm water, steering clear of either hot or even the cold water. If the top of fingers are dry, then just scrub the palms.
  3. Avoid use of Harsh Cleansers – Soaps as well as the cleansers contains very harsh ingredients, especially the types that are deodorizers, foaming or contain strong fragrances having ingredients that are able to dry up the skin. Opt for the gentle cleansers that assist to moisturize the skin.
  4. Use Moisturizers – Make moisturizing of the hands a very regular habit, more especially every after washing of the hands. Choose moisturizers that have ingredients like petroleum jelly, lactic acid and urea, and also glycerin to help protect from cracked skin on fingers.

Cracked Skin on Thumb won’t heal

If you are having chapped hands, then you are required to protect them from any further irritation.  This implies wearing of the rubber gloves when the touching irritating things such as dish soap, house cleaners and also some of the foods such as the tomatoes, citrus etc. A good rule is that for contact with things that would be very harsh to use to the facial skin, you require gloves to touch them with the cracked skin on fingers.

Normally hands can handle it due to the fact that healthy hand skin is a good barrier, but the chapped skin is usually broken. Harsh chemicals are able to get through chapped skin, thus irritating it like putting lemon juice on a cut. The chapped hands just won’t heal unless you protect them until they are fully recovered.

This implies that you require to make use of the gloves until the skin is fully back to normal and also at least a week or more. This is very inconvenient so it’s better to just take good care of the hands before they can be able to be chapped through washing by use of gentle soaps, regularly moisturizing and also not over using of the hand sanitizers.

  1. Hand Washing
  • When you wash hands lather only the dirty side of the hands unless the thinner skin that is on the back of the hands has also gotten dirty or has come into contact with the germs. Washing assists to get rid of the cracked skin on fingers.
  • Be very much sure that you rinse the hands well as the soap residue is very much drying and will irritate the skin.  Pay special attention to the space that is between the fingers where soap residue normally hides.
  • It is recommended that you use only mild glycerin bar soaps, or even the liquid soaps that has a lot of added glycerin. Options that are available include Avalon Organic Botanicals Glycerin Hand Soap and Neutrogena products: Fresh Foaming Cleanser as well as the Extra Gentle Cleanser.

There are also several natural bar soaps that are either from glycerin or haven’t had the glycerin gotten rid of (which is the problem with most of the soaps) like Whole Foods 365 Vegetable Glycerin Soap (a great deal which is about $2 a bar).

Remember that, the more that a soap foams, the more likely it is to be harsh on skin. Also, adding oil to the harsh soap doesn’t stop the soap from being harsh on skin.  The absolute favorite natural and also glycerin rich hand cleanser is the ‘’All Natural Foaming Liquid Hand Soap’’.

  1. Hand Moisturizing
  • Moisturize the hands using a good quality hand cream immediately after the toweling dry.  It requires to be non-greasy so that you won’t mind making use of it during the day.  The favorite is the Dry Skin Hand Cream, which can be used all day long. Moisturizing of hands can prevent cracked skin on fingers.

Don’t even bother to apply hand cream if you haven’t just gotten the hands wet.  It makes the hands to just feel greasy and it won’t work to moisturize the skin as the moisturizers lock in water that the hand skin just soaked up during the washing.

  • Apply the cream to the whole hand, but more especially at the back, which has thinner skin and is also likely to chap.
  • Wipe off the excess cream from the palm side so as to keep from getting it on everything and also having a slippery grip.
  • The most effective non-greasy hydrating ingredients that are available are glycerin and lanolin.  During the day, you can be able to find a product that is non-greasy.

At night give the hands a therapeutic hydrating treatment that has a rich and also a heavy product.  To do this, soak them in warm water for about 10 minutes, towel dry then use a generous layer of rich, super-therapeutic ointment such as the Bag Balm (which has lanolin from the wool).

Cover them using cotton gloves so as to lock in the ointment and then wear the gloves overnight. If the wool allergic try pure shea butter (that is found in the skin care section of the natural food store) or ShiKai’s Borage Dry Skin Therapy.

Cracked Skin on Fingers around Nails

Cracked finger nail skin causes
Cracked and dry skin around finger nails

The hands do the walking through irritating substances and also situations thus cracked skin on fingers and around fingernails. Dry skin around the fingernails that is in form of scraggly cuticles or even the rough fingertips, might be more than just an aesthetic annoyance if the cracked skin lets in the harmful bacteria. Take care of the skin whether you’re braving a chilly day, scrubbing a floor or even scrubbing your hands.

Drying Elements

You’re likely subjecting the hands to all manner of torture in the course of a day, whether you’re clinging to a cliff on a rock climb or even plowing through a sink that is full of dirty dishes. Constantly exposed to dirt, detergents as well as the nasty weather, cuticles are able to be dried out even more by the constant hand-washing that are necessary to get rid of the germs that can lead to cracked skin on fingers.

The sides of fingers or even the fingertips can develop the rough skin from a constant use as well as dry, cold weather. Fingertips might as well be neglected if a person is likely to quickly rubbing some given lotion between backs of the hands.

Polish Pitfalls

A beauty treatment intended to bring out the best in the hands can have unintended consequence of irritating the skin that is around the nails. Taking a trimmer to cuticles can do more harm than good and thus potentially invite a bacterial infection.

Pushing back of the cuticles using a stick is the preferred method, but any given rough treatment of the skin can still lead to an irritation or even worse. Some nail polish removers have vitamin E or several other moisturizers that can lessen negative effects from paint stripper, but a pad that is soaked with the remover can still be dry or even irritate sensitive and cracked skin on fingers, around the nail.

Bad Habits

The condition of an individual’s nail and also the cuticles are able to reflect a nervous habit or even a lack of nourishment that is going into the body. Biting or even picking at the nails and also the cuticles predictably leads to damage to the structures and also skin infections.

Hangnails that are then ripped off instead of the gently clipped at base using a sterile tool might lead to damaged or even wounded skin. Not getting a balanced diet or even drinking enough water might be reflected in the brittle nails and also the dry skin.

And not donning the pair of rubber gloves when scrubbed on the bathtub or when doing other household chores which involve much cleansers as well as the chemicals can make the hands extra dry.

From Dry to Smooth

Good skin normally starts from inside out, so eat a healthy diet that is rich in essential nutrients and also the hydration. Use a moisture-dense shea butter or even the vitamin E cream on fingers as well as the nails once or even twice a day, and then swap the hand soap and the dishwashing liquid for a rich, moisturizing formulas.

Remember to give the hands a scrub using an exfoliating puff in shower and then moisturize afterward. Be kind to the hands during a manicure by use of acetone-free polish remover and also don’t trim the cuticles; try a different manicurist if the technician is aggressive with your hands as that can lead to cracked skin on fingers.

For high-intensity healing, slather moisturizer on the hands and the fingers and then slip into a pair of cotton moisturizing gloves before going to sleep.

Dry Cracked Fingertips Causes

Causes of cracked skin on fingers
Cracked finger tips

There are many reasons that you might develop dry skin on fingertips. Some of the potential causes may include allergies, dehydration, vitamin deficiency as well as the environmental exposure. Finding the underlying cause might assist to treat the condition.

Weather

Dry skin on fingers may be related to weather. The winter months are especially harsh on skin. Besides being much exposed to the wind and also the cold, the skin is also exposed to dry air indoors brought about by heating systems.

To prevent the dry skin, you should wear gloves when exposed to the such elements and use a moisturizing lotion on the hands on a daily basis. The lotion should be able to contain either glycolic or even the lactic acid, both of which are able to exfoliate dry, dead skin.

Other factors

Dehydration is one of the causes of dry skin on the fingertips. Drink enough amount of water so as to keep the skin moist and very much supple. Consistent exposure to the harsh cleaning chemicals as well as the disinfectants might dry out the skin that is on the fingertip area.

Avoid products that has added fragrances in products such as the dish soap, detergent and also the fabric softener. When handling these particular types of products, gloves are supposed to be worn. Exposure to hot water also tends to dry out the skin. In addition to this, a deficiency in vitamin A can lead to dry skin. Eat plenty of carrots, papaya, fortified cereal and squash to increase your vitamin A intake.

Eczema

Eczema is a chronic skin condition which is characterized by the itchy rashes. It might appear on the fingers of an individual. It can thus lead to cracked skin on fingers. The skin might become dry and then cracked and might even start to ooze pus. Avoid scratching, as this might make the rash worse.

Some clothing, like wool gloves, are able to irritate an outbreak of the eczema on fingertips. Instead, use the cotton gloves during an outbreak. You might as well be advised by the doctor to use a small amount of hydrocortisone cream to fingertips to control symptoms brought about by eczema. The cream should have at least one percent hydrocortisone.

Allergies

Allergies to the latex, talc as well as the nickel can lead to the dry skin when you expose the fingertips to the materials. If you use the latex gloves and also the skin can become irritated and dry on the fingertips, then use a latex-free version so as to see if the condition clears up.

Cracked Skin on Fingers Vitamin Deficiency

Cracked skin on hands can be able to prove uncomfortable and also very painful, and it detracts from the appearance of the hands. In addition, chronically cracked skin is able to pose a health risk, thus offering an entry point for the bacteria, viruses or even the fungi to go into the body. While cracked hands are able to develop for a number of reasons, a number of vitamin deficiencies might contribute to cracked skin on hands.

Vitamin C

One vitamin deficiency that might lead to the cracked skin on hands is a deficiency in vitamin C, or also known as the ascorbic acid. Deficiencies in vitamin C causes a depletion of collagen in the skin tissue, which can cause the wounds and also the cracking. Lack of the vitamin can cause cracked skin on fingers.

Also, the loss of collagen prevents the skin from healing as required, so even small skin lesions on hands could develop into larger noticeable cracks. The deficiency can as well affect the skin that is on other parts of the body, and also harm the teeth, gum tissue, blood vessels as well the cartilage.

Vitamins B-1 and B-5

Deficiencies in the level of thiamine and pantothenic acid, or vitamin B-5, can also lead to cracking of the skin on the hands. Just like vitamin C, these nutrients assists the skin on hands to heal itself. Without proper consumption of the vitamins, small hand nicks as well as the cuts that happen due to the daily activity may fail to heal, potentially developing into several cracks. Deficiencies in the vitamins can also lead to fatigue, nausea as well as the decreased cognitive functioning.

Biotin

A biotin deficiency might also lead to hand cracking. Biotin also called vitamin B-7 helps to maintain healthy and moisturized skin tissue. A biotin deficiency leads to dry, rough skin.

Since the skin on the hands comes into contact with other drying agents like the detergents or also the antibacterial gels a deficiency in biotin is able to potentially cause extremely dry hand skin, which can cause cracking. The deficiency can as well affect other tissues, leading to dry, cracking at the corners of the mouth, and brittle hair.

Cracked Skin on Fingers Fungus

Cracked skin on fingers causes
Fungi infected fingers

Dermatophyte is a collective term that is used for a kind of fungi that leads to an infection. Below, the several types of dermatophyte that are able to affect the hands (which includes the fingernails) are enumerated together with the symptoms.

  1. Tinea manuum (Hand fungus)

This is a dermatophyte which mostly affects the palms as well as the hands but is commonly present on fingers.

Symptoms:

  • Itching and the burning sensation are mostly on the affected area
  • Crackling or even the scaly skin
  • Inflammation
  • cracked skin on fingers
  1. Tinea unguium

Medically called the onychomycosis, tinea unguium is a type of dermatophyte which affects the nails. This occurs if there is a cracked or even split nail present, and then acted upon by fungi. Though it commonly infects toe nails, tinea unguium is also able to affect the fingernails.

Symptoms:

  • Discolored and also thickened nails (usually yellow but can also be green)
  • Brittle nails
  • Inflammation as well as the scaly skin (around the infected nail)
  • Accumulation of powdery white particles underneath the nails
  • Painless separation of the nail from nail bed
  1. Tinea nigra

This is a hand fungal infection but is not brought about by a dermatophyte. This is brought about by “Hortaea werneckii”, which is another type of fungi.

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1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Jimbi

    February 4, 2020 at 12:00 pm

    This is a really good article.

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