[Closed] Why do my Thumbs split

Me too. PITA isn't it?

Don't put your thumb up your arse HTS

HTH

Thanks for the tip. Is that from your own personal experience?

I blame it on the cold and the damp myself.

My left thumb in similar predicament at the mo and the split is getting bigger and more painful.
Really hurts to change gear.
Really hurts all the time in fact.
Cold is the cause I reckon too though djglover certainly seems to get his in a more ahmm ..unusual way... 😆

Moisturize boys

Slap loads of vaseline on it before you go out and when you get back, might not stop it splitting but at least it'll keep it soft while it heals and not feel as uncomfortable. I get something similar with my earlobes.

Norwegian formula hand cream works for me. Repeated wet hands kills me in the winter months, bit of a pisser as I need to wash my hands multiple times per day (nurse).

Shut up - trout dont have thumbs.

I normally get this too, but not this winter. Not doing anything different so can't explain it. My first aid is vaseline too.

When i was doing my apprenticeship, the foreman was a bit of a prat,and suffered from the same problem, so when i used to go for his chips every other day, i would put lots of salt and vinegar on his chips, and then blame the canteen staff for it, he was not happy as pure salt and vingar in freshly open cuts was not nice, but he wasnt either.

Had the same symptoms a few years ago, and used hand cream it worked.

Disclaimer: My Mrs is is from Silsden and her thumbs don't split in bad weather, so it's not in-breeding, lead water pipes or owt! 😕

Single speed???

A quacks version - it is because the keratin in the (? slightly calloused) curved surfaces of your thumbs (and also many people's heels) is not as elastic as the rest of your skin. Growth of the layers of the skin - like that of an Oak tree - is from a lower layer outwards, and like the bark of some trees this sets up a tension in the inelastic keratin which can sooner or later split leaving a crack to a lower layer, so just as some trees get cracks in their bark - you get cracks down to lower layers of your skin on curved thickened surfaces. Which is where the nerve endings are - which hurts.

Worse in the cold - and I am seeing more people with worsening dry skin problems at the moment than for years.

Remedies - keep the skin soft (as above) -dry and warm - and really bad cracks you can actually put some supaglue in.

+1 for superglue, mind you if y' not careful you can end up with your earlobe glued to you nostril and y' finger.

i suffer from this occasionally and yes, it's pretty uncomfortable.
I did get prescribed some cream,(Betnovate I think) but hand moisuriser can also be good. Norwegian stuff very good. Also drinking more water helped as was getting dehydrated.

overuse of solvent degreaser or other cleaning products (stans latex and washing up liquid combo is a goodun as well)leading to defatting of the skin and dermatitis making you more prone to skin splits in the cold?

liquid chalk and freezing gritstone used to make my hands look like I'd try to peel them with a blunt knife

I get this too as I'm outdoors a lot in the cold, usually starts off with my knuckles which go sore and bleed. Also get very sore skin under my finger nails.

That Norwegian stuff relieves problem very quickly

bagbalm that used for cows udders is also a wonder skin product!

Overnight cracked heel cream is excellent for this! It's just super-hydrating cream that also works well on ya hands.

Clear nail varnish is good (and probably safer than superglue) as it protects and seals the area.

As ^^ a good moisturiser/barrier cream [b]before[/b] you hands get cold/wet helps a lot.

was`nt superglue invented for sealing wounds? 🙂

Moisturise ladies, moisturise.
As an eczma sufferer, moisturise.

"was`nt superglue invented for sealing wounds?!"

Yup, thats why it sticks to your skin quite like it sticks to nothing else.

I used to suffer from this really bad, it was on all fingers and theyd bleed like buggery! Was down to wearing woolly grilper gloves all day at work drying the skin out too much. Stopped using the gloves when i changed jobs and use body shop hemp hand cream. Smells nice and does a real good job. I too used betnovate but too much and has permanently damaged the skinon my pinkies as its a strong steroid that thins the skin, ki d of a last resort cream i was told.

The 'medical' stuff is different - ordinary superglue has methyl alcohol, so same result but can harm skin due to creation of heat.

Thought superglue and sticking your thumb up your arse didnt mix? 😆

Lotil cream is excellent for cracked skin

snowfire works well-slightly heavier than vaseline

Ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch

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"was`nt superglue invented for sealing wounds?!"
Yup, thats why it sticks to your skin quite like it sticks to nothing else.

No it wasn't anything of the sort. It was discovered during WWII when trying to come up with a clearer material for sniper scopes.

Woody is right too don't put in the open part of the wound it reduces healing and can cause permanent damage plus as he says the compounds are different for surgical and household superglue.

Moisturize boys

I think that may get you on the child offenders list.

Used to get this all the time even with good hand creams like Norwegian formula. Invested in some scarily expensive kiehls stuff this year and it's been amazing.

Harry Coover found/invented cyanoacrylates in the early 40's as Drac says for sniper scopes but in 1966 a CA spray was used in the Vietnam War to retard bleeding in wounded soldiers until they could be brought to a hospital. Due to potential irritant properties CA adhesives were not cleared for use in medicine until the 80's

I get this too, a real PITF. Overnight 'foot'cream works well, I also find that bike and car oil/grease makes it worse. When fettling my bike, I now wear surgical type gloves - might look daft, but if it stops my fingers cracking....

http://www.livestrong.com/article/147697-cracked-heels-nutritional-deficiency/

During cold times keep your hands down the front of your boxers. Remember to take them out though come summer 8)

harry the spider you have serial killer hands.

They are only serial killer once they've "done" seven or more.

Instant relief(well, once it's dried).
This is the stuff that gets me through the winter, keeps the water out and gives my finger ends a chance to heal, then use some cream.
[img] [/img]

I'd say it mostly comes from the inside. You shouldn't be needing to be slapping on any skin moisturizers if your body is doing the job properly.
Look hard at eating really good quality fats and oils. Cold pressed, and don't ever heat them. (If you must fry anything, then use butter or olive oil which withstand high temperatures better). Eliminate trans-fats and and products cooked in heated oil or using heated fats (eg pastry). Chuck out your margarine and supermarket cooking oils. Use butter and cold pressed oils instead. -They cost more but what price is your health?

If you don't already, then take a good dollop of flax oil every day. You will feel the difference within only a few days.
Read up on it for example here:[url] http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fats-That-Heal-Kill-Cholesterol/dp/B003BY3VPI [/url]

My dad got this all the time - solvents in the printing industry...