Deep cracks on hands

Hi, I have attached a picture. I get these deep cracks on my hands. Just after my Remicade dose they are few, like the one in the photo. As the month goes on they get worse and multiply. Very painful. Worst of it is I work in a hospital and have small kids. I have used many different prescription steroids, lanolin, other 'magic ’ creams. Wear cotton gloves at night, etc… Even tried super glue ( skin glue is very much the same). That just made the cracks deeper when they cracked open again.

Any suggestions for healing them and for protecting myself. Band aids do not stick well due to where the are on my hands( fingers and joints). I need to be able to work and play without the fear or either catching a bug(MRSA OR WORSE) or leaving a trail of DNA. Most people for some reason do not like they stuff to have blood on it. Wonder why? Lol

Anyway, I have some arthritis gloves that I can wear at work that many help the protection part but the lining is slightly fuzzy, which just ends up getting caught in my crackers and sticking in there.

So any help is appreciated. My Doc is stumped as to what to do since we have tried the gamer of steroids and creams and am max dose of Remicade.

Thank you
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Have you tried Aveeno? I have had cracks on my hands due to wearing latex or non-latex (surgical) gloves for any length of time. It tends to be a reaction. I’ve tried Aveeno and it seems to help. Hope you find something to help!

I also buy this cream called Gardeners Dream Cream. I have been using it for years on my hands,feet,knees and shoulders at bed time. Soothing scent and it has been noted by many arthritis suffers to help and also noted to help with funny rashes. It’s worth a try! You can order it online at www.aromacrystals.com. It’s made on natural ingredients on Salt Spring Island.

Try this stuff:

http://www.glovesinabottle.com/dry-skin.html

My wifes company distributes this on a very wide basis to health care facilities detention facilities (especially detention facilities) and a number of industrial plants. It provides an adequate barrier for MRSA etc.

Thanks for the suggestions, I have actually tried gloves in a bottle and different forms of Aveeno to no results. The unaffected skin on my hands is smoothly and silky like a baby’s bottom. When the gloves in a bottle is in the cracks do you think when it cracks open again it has broken the barrier layer again?

Tons and tons of cream. My hand would get like that with glove use. I have found a brand of gloves I can tolerate at work so it isn’t as bad. Every time you wash your hand I would suggest you put cream on them. You mentioned you work in a hospital is there an occupational health nurse you could talk to? Look into different brands or soaps lotions and gloves?

I use coconut oil on the cracks in my feet. Wonder worker!

I talked to an NP and she gave me this barrier cream. Problem is it does not absorb but sits on skin, so not practicle at work as it is very goopy. Nite time is not the issue but day time is. I just do not know what to do for days. It stings like a son of a gun. Every time I use my hands the cracks crack open again. OT has found lovely m-gel gloves for mites but they are not good for work as they are fuzzy mint green. Plus I can not really pick anything up with them one. One size fits none. I have asked a Dermatologist, Internal Medicine, Family Doc, Rheumy, and PT as of yet no solution for work and life. I did try lidocaine on them and that helped with the sting but am pretty sure I can not go around using lidocaine gel everyday. I am at my wits end. Need to stop the pain, protect myself from infection and not frighten small children and others with my cracked and bleeding paws.

I use the above cream at night time because that gives the hands time to heal. How about trying something like second skin during the day? I’ve never used it but from what I know it is similar to having a bandaid in however more like a protective layer of skin.

I've had Psoriasis on my hands (the main place I have it) most of my life. Your cracks actually look small compared to what I used to get. I understand the extreme pain and spontaneous bleeding just from moving your hands normally. I can't tell from your picture if you just have cracks or if it is from psoriasis. Here's what works for me:

I was an inpatient at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN for my psoriasis (came on VERY fast, very severe, I was dx with Juvenile onset PsA 2 years later). Anyway, their method is always to soak first, ALWAYS, in warm water, between 10-30 minutes. Easiest thing is to count the shower as the soaking part. Then pat dry, open the cracks by bending your fingers, and apply some powerful steroid ointments, not creams (I currently use betamethasone ointment). Apply cotton gloves, and go about your routine and after about an hour remove the gloves (unless at night, then leave on all night). I often get ready and drive my kids to school etc, with the gloves on, then remove when I get wherever I'm going. At night, soak hands for 5-10 minutes in warm water in the sink, and repeat process.

Throughout the day, apply Aquaphor ANY time your hands are exposed to water (handwashing) or you simply notice the skin drying out. Yes, your hands will look shiny and you will stick to things, but if you keep to this treatment regime EVERY DAY, eventually the cracks will disappear and you will be left with just surface skin that is irritated or sore.