DRY HANDS

What is this condition? Unlike dehydrated skin, dry skin doesn’t need water but lacks protective oils (lipids). Dry skin feels tight, itches and can occasionally peel.

What can you do? To remedy the situation, apply an ultra-hydrating or nourishing cream morning and night. Take the time to massage your hands – including the spots between your fingers – to help the cream penetrate your skin. Ideally, you should reapply the product every time you wash your hands. Repeat this process daily, until your skin returns to normal. Then, make sure to nourish your hands once a day to help them remain healthy!

CHAPPED HANDS

What is this condition? Sometimes, our hands are so dry that the skin loses its flexibility, becomes fragile and can crack. The epidermis becomes rough, red and can even become painful. Chapped hands can be due to the cold, cleaning or chemical products, repeated rubbing, etc.

What can you do? To treat chapped hands, use a moisturizing and fragrance-free repairing cream. Make sure it does not contain any perfume because that can irritate your skin even more. To prevent chapped hands you should:

• wash your hands with lukewarm water instead of hot water
• use a gentle soap
• wear gloves when you handle chemical or cleaning products
• moisturize your hands several times a day, especially after washing them

CALLUSES

What is this condition? Calluses appear when the skin is subject to repeated friction, like when you frequently handle weights at the gym, a rake, a basketball, etc. To protect itself, the skin hardens to create a barrier out of a thick layer of dead cells.

What can you do? When you step out of the shower or bath, gently use a pumice stone on your calluses which have been softened by the heat. Avoid rubbing with the stone too much because you might damage the healthy skin surrounding the callus. In fact, it’s better to remove a thin layer every day. You need patience and diligence to get rid of calluses!

SWEATY HANDS

What is this condition? Hand sweat is a natural phenomenon and its purpose is to regulate your body temperature. However, it can become pathological if the sweating on your hands is excessive and recurring. No matter the reason – physical exertion, stress, diet – sweaty hands can quickly become unpleasant and embarrassing.

What can you do? You have a few options:

Option 1: apply an antiperspirant that contains aluminum chloride on the palms of your hands, just like you would on your armpits. This should reduce your hand sweating.

Option 2: get an alum stone and rub it on your palms. This is a crystal with mineral salt of potassium that has natural deodorant, antibacterial and antiseptic properties.

DAMAGED NAILS

What is this condition? Our hands have it rough! It’s no wonder that our nails can sometimes yellow, break, develop ridges or split. Men need to take care of their nails too because neglected and weak nails can become painful and even lead to infections.

What can you do? To make your nails healthy again, make sure you:

• eat a diet rich in vitamin B, zinc and calcium
• avoid biting your nails
• cut them frequently. Nails, just like your hair, need to be regularly trimmed to stay healthy
• wear gloves during manual labour (washing the dishes, handling chemicals, a DIY project, etc.)
• apply a nail repair product as an intensive treatment for a few weeks