Saturday, December 11, 2010

Make the Pain Go Away

A week ago, I was reveling in late Fall loveliness.  Brightly colored leaves were still clinging to branches, the sun was warmly shining and going outdoors was not in the least forbidding.  Well, that was last week.  This week, oh, this week.  

It's freezing.  

The sudden cold has been shocking, bone-chillingly so.  Okay, so maybe not that cold, but still not warm.  To add insult to injury, most of my real cold weather clothes are still in transit -- not exactly where I need them.  Somehow I managed to make sure the boys had all the necessary winter gear and that Kenny too was taken care of, in fact, I double and triple checked this, and yet failed to pack more than a few cotton sweaters for me.  Worst of all, I have no one to blame but myself.  So, I'll be start the new year clothed in warmth, but for now, I look something like the stay-puff marshmallow man's sister with all the layers I'm sporting.

I haven't lived in cold weather in 4 years, and I'd sort of forgotten just how cold one can get.  And, I know this is just the beginning.  The temperature isn't even close to it's final resting place and will continue like this well into April.  BRRRRRRR.

I can weather (get it? I kill myself!) the cold.  But...but, my hands are another story.  Just a few days of this bitter chill and they are dry, chapped, cracked and I know bleeding can't be too far behind.  Having grown up in Hawaii, I was never very good with chapped hands anyway.  But, now, I'm completely hopeless.  Nothing I'm using is providing any relief.  They hurt.  And the pain makes me cranky.

HELP!

There must be a miracle product out there I haven't found yet.  Some lotion, cream, balm, salve, ointment, oil, butter that can help me.  Do you have a miracle cure or tested remedy?  Share it with me, would you?  I don't care if its slather your hands in crisco and sleep in socks, if it works, I'll do it.  Please, I'm begging you.  I'll owe you one.  An enormously, huge one at that.  Please, please, please.

16 comments:

Cecily said...

Try this:

http://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Aloe-Hand-Repair/dp/B003BWE4TC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1292011112&sr=8-2

Then put on a pair of those marching band gloves to wear through the night. And you thought you'd never use them again . . .

Kate said...

Here is what I use. It's kind of pricey, but I usually only need to buy about two per year. It is amazing.

http://usa.loccitane.com/FO/shea-butter-hand-cream.htm

teresa and the boys said...

My hands have had their whole lives to get used to cold, dry weather, so they don't get THAT bad, but when they do start to hurt, I get the "Look Ma, New Hands" balm from Bath & Body Works and they calm right down. I don't know if it's potent enough for you, but maybe worth a try? Hope you find something!

Unknown said...

I love Gold Bond cream. Very thick and moisturizing. Do it with gloves and more moisturizer every single time you wash your hands.

lis said...

How much water are you taking in??? Sometimes outer issues are a result of inner issues....that's kind of spiritual too! :) Make sure you are getting half of your body weight in ounces, a day....hope you are better soon!

CStubits said...

I second the comment about the gloves. You might feel like what's his name from Of Mice and Men, but slather on good thick lotion (I use the aveda hand cream) and put the gloves on at night and sleep in them. It seriously works. CVS sells the little gloves.

Megan said...

Bag Balm or Aquaphor Advanced Therapy if you want to slather something on. Living in the Mojave Desert in winter is all kinds of dry and cold--and that's what people have recommended to me!

Just US said...

I have searched and searched and searched for something to use on my hands in the wintertime too - especially when we lived in NH. The lotion that worked the best for me was Johnson & Johnson shea and cocoa butter baby lotion. It is moisturizing without being oily but stays on my skin for a long time. Hope this helps!

Becky said...

When our son had it really bad and nothing else seemed to work, they recommended good old crisco. Nasty eh? But I slathered it on with gloves overnight and it worked great. And was cheap. Then we just had to keep lotion on during the day. Good luck!

the wrath of khandrea said...

i used to work at bath and body works. the "look ma, new hands" is good for a day to day moisturizer, but likely won't provide the relief you're looking for. we had people come in a lot with this problem, and always recommended the CO Bigelow chapped hand therapy, or the True Blue Spa shea butter. (I believe it was called "Shea it isnt so".) they are hit or miss with their sleep gloves; sometimes they have them and sometimes they don't. but if you can get your hands on a pair (ha, ha, ha) and sleep with them and one of those creams, you should see an improvement.

heidiram said...

Vaseline????? My kids have severe eczema. That seems to do the trick. And if you are home for the rest of the day/evening try manteca (lard) on your hands. And no I am not joking. This is my kids' allergist's recommendation and it actually works wonders.

Rain in My Head said...

Um, if you try these and anything works for you, let me know. My hands are already at the bleeding stage. I've tried everything from Emu Oil to hands with vaseline wrapped in socks at night and still haven't found anything to stop the cracking/bleeding. It hurts. I tell myself it's making me stronger :).

I've never tried the lard thing that I see above so maybe I'll try that :). Good luck.

Anne said...

Wow, great comments! I have this same problem, 3 years running now. First, I have a prescription steroid cream from my dermatologist for really severe chasms in my skin. I only use it at night, usually only 2-3 nights in a row, and then take a big break for a few weeks once the chasms close. Over the steroid cream (at the same time) I use Auqaphor Advanced Therapy healing ointment. It is sold in a large tub for around $15 at Target. I find the "original" version is not as good since it doesn't absorb as well into my skin. Over the Auqaphor I wear pink soft gloves sold by Earth Theraputics - you can find that brand at Kohls, Walmart, and possibly Target, and at my local BX, thank heavens. Their gloves are so soft and nice for night incubation. There are lots of other cotton type gloves you can try. Just use gloves that breath (not disposable vinyl). During the day I use lots of disposable gloves for cooking, cutting onions, changing diapers, etc. When I am smart I use rubber gloves to wash dishes. I also pack around the Body Shop Hemp Hand Protector lotion for during the day - especially on the go. It is greasy at first, but absorbs well and smells divine. It is expensive but lasts a long time. I agree with another commenter that the Bath and Body Works "Look Ma, New Hands" stuff does not work for extreme issues like mine. My chiropractor says my issues may also be allergy related, so you might consider trying different hand soaps, shampoos, etc, to see if they are adding to the problem. How sad to wish for summer humidity to return!! Good luck!

Anonymous said...

My family swears by "Corn Husker's Lotion." http://www.amazon.com/Corn-Huskers-Oil-Free-Treatment-Lotion/dp/B000RO3EMA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=beauty&qid=1292026671&sr=1-1
It looks a bit like cloudy water in the bottle, but it's awesome for chapped hands, specifically. So many lotions seem to make the problem worse, you know?

If they aren't chapped _yet_, Neutrogena's Norwegian Formula Hand Cream http://www.amazon.com/Neutrogena-Norwegian-Formula-Cream-Chapped/dp/B001E96OD8/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1292026585&sr=8-5 (NOT the fragrance free, which is crappy) is AWESOME.

I also love Nivea Creme, in the blue jar or travel tin, for a take along in my purse, soothing hyper-hydration kind of feeling. And it smells good: http://www.amazon.com/Nivea-Creme-250-cream/dp/B0006NXBO8/ref=sr_1_2?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1292026717&sr=1-2

alisa and sometimes brandon said...

I have nothing to provide in terms of hand salve, albeit great vats of empathy (Michigan, much?).

On the topic of cold ... my husband walks in the house tonight after work and says "It kinda feels like fall outside." Curious I looked up the temperature. 32 degrees. I guess when the highs have been in the mid-20s, 30 starts feeling pretty good.

Good luck transitioning back to the depths of hell. I mean winter.

Nomads By Nature said...

Bag Balm! Best ever remedy. Works great for feet too! Look for it in the pharmacies....it will be in a green tin. And yes, it was originally used for cow udders, but it is wonderfully effective and very economical in that it lasts for quite a long time! Just rub it in at night and put on socks or gloves (which keeps in more heat too) and you will see a great difference in the morning.

Best of luck staying warm! Hope your winter items arrive soon! If not, a shopping spree seems sensible!

 

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