Got Cracked Hands?

Winter Steelhead or Trout Fishing is very hard on your hands. Your skin is normally smooth and supple and soft if you’re a woman but starting in September, hands can start turn red, chapped, and rough but as winter goes on, your hands can even be cracked. When that happens it can actually become a painful condition and no fun.

What is the main culprit? Is the lack of moisture to start?

During winter, the humidity in the outside air starts to plunge. Inside, things are even drier, thanks to indoor heating. If you're washing your hands frequently to avoid catching a cold or the flu, you can take whatever natural oils are left in your skin. Not to mention bait fishermen use of cures for spawn and that will dry your hands out very quick!

That can leave your hands so dehydrated that they crack, peel, and sometimes even bleed.

Is your skin strong or do you have a weak Barrier?

How well your hands can withstand winter's harsh conditions has a lot to do with the strength of your skin barrier. The skin barrier is a mix of proteins, lipids, and oils. These things protect your skin, but how good of a job it does is mostly about your genes. Yes it’s genetic.

If you have a weak skin barrier, you're hands a more prone to symptoms of sensitive skin, such as itching, inflammation, and cracking. Your hands are also more likely to become very dry in winter. I personally have a weak barrier and bad genes.

If you have suffered from chapped hands in the past year, you may be more likely to have that happen again every winter. So you must be prepared every year to deal with this like me.

Protection means, Moisturize!

To treat dry and chapped hands, you need to replace the moisture that your skin so desperately needs.

"It's the moisturizer applied directly to the skin that will keep water from evaporating and give your skin a healthy look. Start moisturizing before there's a problem. Start in the summer and remember "The best prevention is to begin using a moisturizer before your hands show signs of dryness". Its skin maintenance.

Putting moisturizer on once a day is inadequate and does not do the job. You will need to apply moisturizer more frequently, it’s recommended by dermatologists five or six applications a day actually. Anything is better than nothing.

Remember to rub the hand cream or lotion over your cuticles and nails as well.

If you’re suffering already from cracked hands here is a Great Tip. 

Get yourself some good hand cream such as O’Keeffe’s Hand Cream it costs around $6.00 at your local pharmacy. Apply a thick covering of lotion on your hands and cuticles and then put on a pair of rubber latex gloves. This way your hands will have all night to absorb the moisturizer. When you wake up your hands will love you. 

Nothing gets on your pillows and no mess. This is providing you do not have a latex allergy. If so they make gloves non latex. You do not want to add to the problem. I'm no Doctor by any means I just know what has worked for me. Remember your hands are a pretty important piece of equipment. Take good care of them.

Winter fishing can be a great time of year to get and enjoy a great day on the water. Don't let dry and cracked hands ruin it. Get outside this winter the river and fish are waiting. 

Thanks so much for stopping by. Feel free to share this article on Facebook or Twitter or comment below. Have a great Winter Season.