- Washing your hands carefully can ward off germs, but also damage your skin.
- Washing with warm water instead of hot water can prevent your hands from drying out.
- Drying hands instead of dry hands can prevent abrasion.
- The hand disinfectant can be used temporarily instead of washing if the hands are extremely cracked.
With the COVID-19 epidemic, experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Control and Prevention of Diseases (CDC) are encouraging everyone to wash their hands frequently.
"Whether it's the rapidly growing crown pandemic or a winter, hand washing is one of the most effective ways to prevent infections from spreading. Unfortunately, soaps and even wringing your hands under water also break the barrier we want to protect, "said Dr. Adam Friedman , professor of dermatology at the George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, to Healthline.
As we wash our hands more often than usual, skin experts give tips that can help keep your skin healthy.
Dr. Daniela Kroshinsky , director of pediatric and inpatient dermatology at Massachusetts General Hospital, says you should wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
"Approximately the time it takes to sing Happy Birthday twice, making sure that you cover your palms, the back of your hand, your fingers, between your fingers, wrists, and nails," Kroshinsky told Healthline.
She said warm water was better than hot.
"Too hot will dry out in the end and won't improve efficiency," he said.
Lucy Xu , skin specialist and founder of London's Premier Laser and Skin Clinics , agreed and found that warm water takes away from your hands the natural oils you need to stay waterproof.
"So if you can, use warm soapy water," he said.
Since many soaps can strip your skin and make it dry and cracked, Xu says you should wash your hands with moisturizing soap.
"For example, a soap with a creamy consistency. You should also watch out for soaps that contain ingredients like glycerin and lanolin. Also avoid bars of soap, "Xu told Healthline.
Renée Rouleau , a skin care expert and beautician, also suggested staying away from soaps.
"The binders that hold a bar of soap together naturally have a high pH, which leads to unnecessary dryness. Instead, choose liquid soaps because they are generally less dry on the skin, "Rouleau told Healthline.
Xu adds that regardless of the type of soap used, you should try not to be overly aggressive when cleaning your hands.
"Usually [because of] the hurry. Try to be nice so you don't make your skin worse," he said.
If the water is not sealed to the skin after washing, it can dry your hand.
"The reason for this is that the water acts like a magnet and draws water from the deeper layers of the skin and evaporates in dry air. The result is even firmer, drier skin. To prevent this, be sure to wear it on hand cream immediately afterwards. Even a light coat is enough, "said Rouleau.
Friedman suggests using creams or ointments instead of lotions that he believes contain too much water and therefore do not prevent water from leaking out of the skin.
"Although the term" moisturizer "has little scientific meaning (water does not contribute to the skin), topical treatment with moisturizers is critical to disorders that break the skin barrier," said Friedman.
He said moisturizers help with skin care because:
- Restore the barrier function of the epidermis
- provide a protective film
- Fill in the small cracks between the scales
- Increase the water content of the epidermis
- softens the skin
- improve the appearance and texture of the skin
He found that the ingredients in topical moisturizers that help protect the skin include:
- Occlusive: lanolic acid, stearic acid, caprylic / capric triglycerides, mineral oil, paraffin, petrolatum, cyclomethicone, dimethicone, squalene.
- Humectant: pyrrolidine sodium, carboxylic acid, lactate, urea, glycerin, honey, sorbitol.
- Emollients : cyclomethicone, dimethicone, isopropyl myristate, octanoctanoate
Kroshinsky agreed and recommended that you use a moisturizer after each wash, before going to bed and whenever you feel dry.
In addition to applying the moisturizer to damp skin after washing, Friedman said, soak your hands in running water for 5 minutes, then apply the moisturizer and wear gloves for 1 to 2 hours. .
"This ensures that the surface moisture arrives where it is needed," he said.
For really cracked hands, Xu said, wet your hands with a thick cream and wear cotton gloves overnight.
"Gloves, like a face mask, keep your hands hydrated for 6 to 8 hours, giving the skin on your hands the necessary DC," he said.
Wearing gloves in a cold, windy climate can also prevent wind from damaging dry skin, Friedman added.
If you suffer from skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis and your dry skin becomes increasingly dry, rough or cracked due to more washes, Xu recommends opting for a skin balm such as petroleum jelly and applying it directly to wounds or cracked areas.
"It will alleviate the area and protect it from further damage, especially if it is found to be outdoors because the elements also make the damage worse," he said.
If you have deep cracks that Friedman says often appear on the sides of your fingers through the nail inserts, consider the fluid dressing.
"The fluid bandage is a great way to hold the edges of the tear together to accelerate wound healing," he said.
If your hands are too cracked to wash, Kroshinsky says you can temporarily use a hand sanitizer.
"Hand sanitizers are another option to limit hand washing until the skin recovers, but not before eating, after [going to the bathroom] [or] when the hands are visibly dirty. That should [imply] washing your hands, "he said.
When drying her hands, Rouleau said that it should not be cleaned to avoid micro-abrasion on the skin.
"Paper towels are preferable, but if you use a towel, everyone in a household should have their own towel and the towels should be replaced with clean towels every 3 days. Make sure your hands are dry as germs are easier to transfer to wet hands, "he said.
Cathy Cassata is a freelance writer specializing in stories about health, mental health, and human behavior. She has the talent to write with emotions and to connect with readers in an informative and committed manner. Learn more about their work here .
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