Have you ever noticed that your hand is cracked in winter? Or, when using cleaning products or detergents, does the appearance of your skin change?
This can be a consequence of dry skin. This condition is treated according to the degree of tissue dehydration.
The results are a skin with a healthy and velvety appearance.
Want to know how? Check out the full article below!
Contents
What is dry skin?
The skin is considered one of Organs most important organs of the human body, being the largest of them. In addition to regulating the body’s temperature, it is responsible for protecting us from external agents.
Dry skin, therefore, has a deficiency of lipids (fat) and water. It may be a natural feature of the fabric or it may be a momentary problem.
In general, it has a rough, flaking or dry appearance, it can be an aesthetic problem, but also a functional one, since it facilitates cracks and fissures, leading to the invasion of microorganisms.
In addition, dry skin can cause premature aging, the appearance of wrinkles and cause itching and allergies.
Read more: What are the skin types, their characteristics and how to care?
What causes dry skin?
The main cause of dry hands is the insufficient amount of water in the epidermis (the outermost layer of the skin). This can be triggered by some external factors such as bath temperature, lack of humidity in the air or extreme temperatures (too high or too low), which alter the skin’s natural hydration.
In general, dryness of the skin involves the loss of lipids (fats), which prevents the retention of moisture by the skin tissue.
This results in accelerated dehydration, causing the upper layers to lose water faster.
When dryness affects deeper or deeper layers of the skin, it becomes rough and cracked. That is, visibly assaulted.
Factors such as diet with few nutrients, lack of water, intense exposure to the sun or little use of body moisturizers can favor the dry and dry aspect of the tissue.
Other common factors that cause dry hands are:
Progressive brush
Professionals who perform progressive procedures and procedures that involve chemistry are often exposed to risky conditions.
Despite being prohibited, the main substance present in progressive brushes is still formaldehyde, which is considered toxic when ingested, inhaled or even when in contact with the skin, causing extreme dryness.
Despite this, the product is still used by many salons, putting the health of customers and professionals at risk.
To avoid risks, the progressive should be done only with released products. Still, it is possible that they cause mild or moderate dryness of the hands, especially in the professionals who are using them daily.
For this reason, it is vitally important to use protective equipment, such as gloves and masks, in addition to reinforcing hydration.
Read more: Know dangerous cosmetic ingredients and their health risks
Cleaning products
Cleaning products can be quite aggressive to the skin and not everyone remembers to use protection when using them.
A good option is to choose products that have a neutral pH in their formulation, since these products do not alter the cutaneous microflora, that is, they are less irritating and do not cause changes in the skin’s pH.
Another tip is to protect your hands with the use of a glove and reinforce hydration after contact with the product.
Rough hands: what can it be?
By paying more attention to the appearance of the hands, we can see signs that the body is not doing very well.
This is because the dry aspect can be a sign of both dehydration of the organism and other more serious conditions, which we will explain below:
food
The diet also interferes with the characteristics of our skin.
Therefore, people who have a diet low in vitamins , especially C and E, and vegetable oils may have drier skin.
Dehydration
As seen, dry skin is a consequence of a lack of water and lipids, so dehydration is one of the causes.
When there is no water balance in the body, the supply of moisture to the skin is reduced and it becomes drier.
Read more: Coconut water (boxed, natural): benefits, calories, fattening?
Health problems
In some cases, dry skin on the hands can be associated with health problems, being a symptom or consequence of reactions in the body caused by other diseases, such as dermatitis , mycoses, allergies, etc.
Medicines
Dry skin can represent an effect of some medication being used. This is because some drug classes, such as diuretics (for blood pressure) work by increasing the rate of water elimination from the body.
Smoking
Cigarette is a product that contains several toxic substances, including nicotine, which works by reducing blood flow in the body.
As a consequence, the skin is also affected, causing the skin fibers to lose their elasticity, resulting in signs of premature aging.
External and environmental factors
In addition to all the other factors mentioned, dry skin can also occur due to external and environmental issues, such as exposure to cold and excessive sun, and occupational risks.
People who work exposed to agents that are aggressive to the skin may experience dryness, such as farmers, fishermen and construction workers.
Professionals who constantly wash their hands with detergent or who handle chemical products as well, such as doctors, nurses and hairdressers.
Can dry hands be a sign of allergy?
-Yeah . Redness, itching and peeling are the main symptoms of an allergy on the hands. In addition, it is also possible to present swelling, blistering and local burning.
In some cases, exposing your hands to irritating agents, such as latex, pollen or synthetic fabrics, as well as cleaning products such as detergents, solvents, bleach and other toxic substances can trigger hand injuries.
Manifestations can occur immediately after contact with the product or when it is used frequently. Among them, soaps, enamels, moisturizers, perfumes and even topical medications.
Read more: Components added to medicines can cause allergy
What are the symptoms of very dry hands?
Lack of hydration in the epidermis (the most superficial layer of the skin) can cause uncomfortable tightening symptoms. However, very dry hands can itch and cause redness and flaking of the tissue.
Gradually, due to the lack of hydration, the tissue may have deeper marks, which leave the ends of the body with an older appearance.
Dry hand in pregnancy
During pregnancy, a hormone called hCG, also known as the pregnancy hormone, can cause skin irritation, causing itching and local redness.
This is because it favors a dryness of the skin, and it is necessary to redouble care with hydration during pregnancy.
Therefore, the ideal is to talk to the doctor or gynecologist and dermatologist, to know which are the best products in this period, which is full of care.
Food, hydration and routine also need to be adjusted to ensure good hydration for the entire body.
Can I use bepantol?
During pregnancy, a good option for skin care is bepantole . The product, in general, is safe, including a version specially developed for babies’ skin, Bepantol Baby .
However, it is super important to pay attention to the use of other moisturizers with the presence of retinol, lead and urea in the formulations. This is because these substances are linked to malformations of the baby.
Therefore, the important thing is to always check the label of the products before using them on the skin during pregnancy.
What to do to moisturize your hands?
Often, when it comes to hydrating the body, we forget to apply hand cream.
However, an essential point to avoid the dryness of this region is to use a powerful moisturizer. We’ll explain this and other tips below.
Read more: Benefits of coconut oil for hair, skin and how to do it at home
Check out:
Apply moisturizer daily
When choosing a cream to put on your hands, it is recommended to look for formulas that are specific to that region. This way, the result will be enhanced and your hand will be more soft.
Use filtro solar
Contrary to what many people believe, sunscreen should not be used only on the face. Some areas, such as hands and lap, must also be protected from sunlight.
In addition to hydrating the region, the sunscreen will also be preventing spots and premature aging.
Prefer neutral soaps
Recurrent exposure to soaps ends up causing the loss of natural oil in the hands, which serves to maintain the correct hydration.
Therefore, when using these types of products, prefer those with neutral formulation, which prevent such strong wear on the hands. Among the options, we can mention:
- Dove sensitive hydration soap ;
- Lipikar Surgras La Roche-Posay ;
- Bioderma Atoderm Soap .
Peeling hand creams and ointments
Hands are considered to be one of the main means of social interaction. We use them to greet people, for manual jobs and direct contacts.
Therefore, the hydration of this region must be specific for this type of skin. Among the options are:
- Creme Clinique Deep Comfort Hand and Cuticle;
- Hydrating Hand Cream Fisiogel AI ;
- L’Occitane Cherry Blossom Hand Cream ;
- Cetaphi l Hand Cream ;
- Nivea Q10 Plus Anti-Aging Hand Cream ;
- Neutrogena Norwegian Hand Moisturizer .
Home treatment: how to care for cracked hands?
Some natural ingredients can be great allies in hand hydration with homemade methods .
For this, it is necessary to make a combination of products, as if to perform a hydration ritual. You will need:
- Coffee powder;
- Mel;
- Slug;
- Coconut oil;
- Rosehip (wild plant widely used in cosmetics);
The first step of this homemade treatment is to simulate an exfoliation on the hands.
To do this, mix the coffee powder with a little honey and apply it on your hands in a circular scrubbing motion – helping to remove dead cells and unclog pores.
Then, you need to make a mixture with coconut oil, aloe vera and rosehip, and apply the mixture on your hands.
After letting it act for about 30 minutes, you should wash your hands thoroughly and apply hand moisturizer.
This procedure can be performed once a week.
In the same way that our face needs specific care and daily protection, so does the health of our hands.
Therefore, keep them always hydrated and protected with creams and sunscreen, avoiding stains, dryness and premature aging.
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