Dry Hands, suggestions post-delivery?

[BrandiJK]

Not sure where to post this, so I figured I'd give in here a try.

Between my cronic handwashing (don't want to be sick) and my dehydration, my hands are horrendously dry. They are cracked and sore and keep me up at night often. I also have exema under it all. Now, there is not much I can do about it, yet. Right now, the only thing I can tolerate is baby lotion, and that only sometimes.
However, this babe will be born soon (hopefully sooner rather then later) and the smell of the lotion won't kill me, nor (hopefuly) will it trigger these stupid allergies and make me sneeze like crazy. I also plan on drinking enough water to drown a duck...but that will take time to make any effect on my poor parchment skin.
So....any suggestions on good lotions to help me recover quickly? I'll be very happy to no longer hurt all the time from cracking skin...and to have my hands look like, you know, skin....wow...how exciting!

[Kadinga]

Brandi,

I don't know if it's available in the states, but there is a moisurising, soap-free, disinfectant handwash solution that they are advertising here now. If not, you could try using a facial cleaning bar for your hands instead of ordinary soap, then use a dry skin facial moisturiser on your hands afterwards? This could get a bit expensive, but it might help turn things around. Also, Innoxa do a really good "hand and nail care" moisturiser.

Good luck

Amanda

[BrandiJK]

Thank you I don't care if it is expensive, I am sick of cracked knuckles, ya know?

[Atsie]

Do you get IV's fluid in labour? THat would help some.

In the past I have put on so much cream my hands were white, then put on those silly strechy mittens and gone to bed like that. It really helped. My hands are so dry that when I work and have to wash my hands every 5 minutes they crack and bleed too. I am going out later so I will try to find the name of the cream. It is for "extensive damage due to dry skin".

[Gracie]

Brandi,

Crabtree & Evelyn Gardeners Hand Therapy.... it comes in a tube and goes on like paste but my mother swears by it.

[Becky77]

Avon has a hand cream called Intensive Moisture Therapy for extremely dry skin. It works wonders! Plus, it's not too expensive.

Becky

[Gracie]

Brandi,

There is a cream here that was suggested to my sister by her dermatologist... it used to be on Rx but can be bought OTC. Its called "Prevex" and you can get it with or without hydrocortisone in it. My sis says its super for really chapped, bleeding hands.

[BrandiJK]

thank you for all the suggestions! Right now I can use cetaphil (sp?) and some kind of 18 hour hand lotion/protector. They don't give me lots of soothing, but thge cracking is way down.

[PamelaRose]

My grandmother volunteers at a nursing home and washes her hands a bazillion times every day she's there, which results in deep cracks in her fingers and hands. Her doctor has her put superglue in the cracks; it seals the skin and allows it to heal, and by the time the glue washes off, there's new skin underneath. My skin hasn't gotten that bad, but when it's chapped and cracked in the winter I slather with Vaseline at night and put plastic gloves on (the hospital kind). When I wake up in the morning, my hands are nice and soft.