gettyimages-washing-hands

Dry Skin And Washing Of Hands

Doctors and nurses are in such a profession where they need to wash their hands constantly, which naturally makes the skin of their hands very dry. People in the health care industry often suffer from this same problem. But these are the perils of being in this profession and one cannot escape from it and have to deal with the situation.

What makes skin dry?

We all know that if the hands are washed very frequently then the skin will become dry. When a person uses soap for the purpose of washing hands then ingredients that help to form lather in the soap soak up all the moisture of the skin.

Related: Understanding Dry Skin Xerosis

Washing hands with alcohol

If you have been using alcohol for washing hands, even then the dry skin condition will not be improved. Alcohol when compared with soaps, the former tends to be more harmful to the skin as alcohol sucks more moisture from the skin than soaps.

Excessive washing takes off the moisture from the hands

When hands are washed frequently in a day then the skin does not get the scope to retain adequate moisture levels and it gets difficult to repair the natural layer of oils (present in the skin) which are damaged in the process of washing hands many times a day.

skincare-hand-dry skin

Why hands tend to be dry for longer period of time

The natural layer of oil is known as the sebum that aids in giving the skin a lot of moisture. But our hands do not contain oil glands through which oil can be produced and the moisture cannot be retained. And this is the reason behind the skin of the hands remains dry for a longer period of time as they take a substantial amount of time for the skin to regain the moisture levels.

Irritation can persist when the natural layer of oil is eroded away due to frequent hand washing with soaps and scrubber. Due to this scratches can be formed on the external coat of the skin and the process of healing also becomes time-consuming because of the dryness of the skin. This type of problem has been bothering people for a long time and it is time to seek the right solutions.

Related: Treating Problematic Dry Skin

How to treat dry hands problem

The first solution which crosses our mind is to stop washing our hands frequently. But on a serious note, it cannot be a viable solution. If lotions are permitted in your place of work, then using them immediately after washing the hands would definitely be good for your skin. A lotion containing aloe would provide a soothing effect to your skin. Most people pay attention to aloe-based products when they have a burn or something similar but aloe has amazing qualities which can help in solving many skin problems. If lotions are not permitted during the time of work then, you can carry the lotion along with you so that you can use it the moment you are free from your professional duties. The healing process for your dry skin will start instantly and provide relief to the irritating dry skin. And if it is the winter season then simply don a pair of gloves to beat the dry skin blues.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *