Split finger tips

[Dooley]

My dh has suffered with finger tips that split for about a year now. Since he cant take steroids forever (thins the skin), does anyone know of a herbal or vitamin supplement that could help mend skin like this??

[Jean in Wisc]

My dh has suffered with finger tips that split for about a year now. Since he cant take steroids forever (thins the skin), does anyone know of a herbal or vitamin supplement that could help mend skin like this??

 

My daughter had problems with this when she had reactions to tree nuts. Could you try an elimination diet to be sure that he is not reacting to something?

 

My son gets this when he washes dishes. My friend gets this from simply putting her hands in soapy or warm water (washes her hair with gloves, can you believe it! ugh!)

 

Just a couple of ideas.

Jean

[FriedClams]

I have them, my sister has them, my mom has them. It's a PAIN. Sometimes I end up using finger tip band aids and neosporin plus pain. For us it's seasonal (winter) and when my mom quilts a lot. We've all tried a million lotions, etc. but end up just having to deal with it. Sorry - no advice but a lot of sympathy.

[Blueridge]

My brother suffered with this for years until my mom got him a tub of *bag balm*. It sounds gross, but it really worked. I think he had an allergy to dairy products, which may have contributed to the condition. I have seen it in several drug stores, as well as the foot care and lotion aisles of Walmart.

Ginger

[Starr]

Bag balm is stinky but it works. :)

[SonshineLearner]

I have this on my feet. Not athlete's foot! :-) My feet crack and hurt really bad! I use a lotion that use to be prescription...but now is OTC. It has salicylic (sp?) acid in it...and if I use it nightly, when my feet just start to crack...it works. The other thing is when my hands use to bleed because they were so dry, I'd mix lecithin and a bit of oil....put it all over my hands...then plastic bags...and then socks.... It works... in the morning....baby soft:-)

Carrie

[Dooley]

All of the things you guys mention, we do. I was thinking there might be a vitamin deficiency sort of link. Collagen shortage...something like that?

[Kathy in MD]

Fish Oil! My fingers would crack in winter and my lips were bad year round and fish oil solved it. It does take time, maybe a month or more.

 

Bag balm at night with gloves also helps.

[Marsha]

I was going to suggest Cod Liver Oil.;

It is great for skin problems.

[Snickerdoodle]

My son has this and it's a special kind of eczema that you get on your fingers and toes.

 

I am not joking when I say that you need to take cod liver oil. It's the only thing that works for my son.

 

ETA: The cod liver oil makes it go away completely. If we forget for a time to give him the cod liver oil, it comes back. It's that dramatic.

[LisaNY]

Fish Oil! My fingers would crack in winter and my lips were bad year round and fish oil solved it. It does take time, maybe a month or more.

 

Bag balm at night with gloves also helps.

 

Kathy, are you speaking of applying it directly, or taking it in pill form?

 

BTW - How are you feeling these days?

[AnnetteB]

Several of our kids have the eczema that turns their fingers and toes red, blue, cracked, "buzzy", and painful. Since eczema is usually an allergic reaction we put them on an elimination diet and eventually determined that they were allergic to corn, wheat, soy, and yeast :glare:

[kah]

My brother suffered with this for years until my mom got him a tub of *bag balm*. It sounds gross, but it really worked. I think he had an allergy to dairy products, which may have contributed to the condition. I have seen it in several drug stores, as well as the foot care and lotion aisles of Walmart.

Ginger

 

My fingers get like that in the really dry winter months, or when I use the Lysol or Clorox surface wipes on a regular basis. One thing I use for that or for really dry, cracked, chapped lips is Lansinoh. Probably about the same as bag balm, when you come right down to it. :ohmy:

[Dinsfamily]

The only thing I can add is that my MIL has been dealing with this her whole life and my dh has a less severe case on his feet. Of course, my dh does nothing about it :glare:. However, my MIL uses cream (may be similar to bag balm, but not entirely sure of the brand) in gloves EVERY NIGHT. She wears them all night in bed. She also wears gloves while doing dishes and such (not to wash her hair, though). She is a supplement guru and nothing she takes has helped over the years (and she takes EVERYTHING). She recently cut gluten out of her diet due to a mild allergy, but I don't know if that has affected her skin.

 

With that said, I hope the fish oil or elimination diet work for your ds if you try them!!

[ElizabethB]

I recently became allergic to polyester, I get painful cracks on my fingers if I touch polyester. I'm also allergic to latex and all lotions, so I have to buy special band-aids for the really bad cracks if I accidently touch polyester.

 

I wore cotton gloves doing laundry for a while until I got rid of all our polyester clothes.

 

Also, the only soap I can use is ivory, when I wash my hands away from home I just use water and scrub longer, it's really painful if I get the cracks.

[CalicoKat]

Liquid bandaid. I use this to cover those sensitve cracks. I get this during the winter mostly, especially when I've got a baby and I'm washing my hands like crazy.

 

Liquid bandaid helps the cracks to heal more quickly. Helps reduce the pain from those sensitive nerves in the fingers. Stays on! Works great.

[Kathy in MD]

Kathy, are you speaking of applying it directly, or taking it in pill form?

 

BTW - How are you feeling these days?

 

I took it orally. That way it helps your veins and arteries as well as the surface stuff. Hmmmm.I've never tried just applying it to the surface. I wonder if you'd have faster results, or any results?

 

ETA. I'm feeling a LOT better. The doctors have found the source of an ongoing infection and removed it, chemo's going well and it's SPRING!!!!!!