The tufts of fingers near the nails crack. Cracked skin on the fingers near the nails: causes and treatment

Medicines and pharmaceutical glue

Moisturizes very dry hand skin. Doctors recommend using Panthenol, F-99, and Boroplus.

The skin of the hands is healed with a special pharmaceutical glue “BF-6”. The product helps speed up the healing of the skin. It is necessary to apply a couple of drops of glue to the cleaned affected areas. It hardens quickly, sealing the cracks.

Preventive measures

The appearance of cracks can be avoided by following a number of simple rules.

For every woman, the condition of her hands plays an important role. After all, both a woman’s self-esteem and the attitude of others towards her depend on how beautiful and well-groomed her hands are.

Well-groomed and tidy hands cannot but attract attention to their owner, but, unfortunately, it often happens that the skin on the fingers near the nails cracks.

There is no need to fall into despair because there are many ways to get rid of this problem. But first, you need to understand why they appear.

Why does the skin around my fingernails crack?

The reasons why cracks appear on the skin can be explained using external and internal causes.

External reasons:

Internal reasons:

• Hormonal disbalance. The consequence of hormonal imbalance is impaired metabolism, which, in turn, can lead to the appearance of cracks in the skin of the hands.
• Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. As you know, the endocrine system affects both the condition of hair, nails and skin. Accordingly, with any diseases of the endocrine system, the skin suffers.
• Lack of vitamins. The healthy condition of the skin is ensured by the presence in the human body of such vitamins as A, B and E. The skin especially needs vitamin A, that is, retinol. You can replenish retinol reserves by increasing the amount of foods such as pork, carrots, cheese, salad, and so on in your diet.
• Skin diseases. We are talking about diseases such as eczema and infectious fungus. Such diseases lead not only to the appearance of cracks, but also to rashes, itching, skin peeling and deformation of the nails.

If the problem of cracking skin is associated with internal causes, that is, with some problems in the functioning of the body itself, then it can only be solved by contacting an appropriate specialist.

This important rule should not be neglected, because self-medication can have the most unpleasant consequences not only for the skin of the hands, but also for health in general.

How to prevent cracks on your hands near your nails?

To prevent various deformations of the skin of the hands, you need to adhere to the following recommendations:

Treatment of cracks on the fingers near the nails at home

To ensure that your hands always have a well-groomed appearance and that the skin on them does not crack or dry out, it is not necessary to use only professional cosmetics.

Traditional methods for hand skin care are no less effective and their cost is much lower than that of professional cosmetics. You can prepare medicinal masks at home.

The best recipes for medicinal masks will be described below.

Glycerin and honey mask

This recipe helps to cope if the skin on the fingers near the nails is very peeling and bursting.

We need to take two spoons of glycerin, one spoon of honey and mix everything in a small amount of warm water. At the end, you need to add a pinch of flour to the mixture. The mixture should resemble a thick dough.

Apply the mask to your hands and wait twenty minutes.

If you don’t have glycerin on hand, don’t worry, it can be replaced with any oil, for example, burdock.

It should be noted that the use of any oil is very beneficial for the skin of the hands, because it can effectively moisturize the skin, which quickly and effectively solves the problem of dryness.

Therefore, to prevent the skin from drying out and cracking, you can use the following oils:

• Burdock;
• Olive;
• Castor;
• Sunflower;
• Sea buckthorn and so on.

Beeswax mask

This recipe will help get rid of unwanted cracking and flaking of the skin.

In order to prepare this mask, you need to melt the wax in a water bath, and then put your hands in it. Don't be afraid of burns, it won't hurt.

The wax quickly hardens on the hands, as if enveloping the hands in thimbles. This mask should be left overnight.

Oatmeal mask

To prepare the mask, you need to pour boiling water over a small amount of flakes in advance. When the flakes swell, you need to apply them to your hands and hold for fifteen minutes.

When the mask is washed off, the skin of your hands must be moisturized with any oil.

The problem of cracks in the skin of the hands has become widespread. First, the epidermis becomes dry and rough, after which small cracks appear on it, which heal on their own after some time. However, in some more serious cases, relatively deep wounds appear on the human epidermis, causing a lot of inconvenience and slow healing. The skin on the fingers, pads and even on the membranes cracks. Regardless of where the wounds appear and what size they are, it is imperative to treat the skin.

Why does skin crack?

The appearance of hands can tell a lot about a person - about his habits, age, state of health, lifestyle. However, what is the reason that the skin on your fingers cracks? Every day we expose the epidermis to many harmful factors. This often leads to mechanical damage and chemical burns to the epidermis of the hands, but besides these, there are many reasons why the skin on the fingers cracks.

Internal reasons

These include various diseases, including chronic ones. Sometimes the symptoms of such diseases disappear for a while, and when they worsen, they appear again. In these cases, the skin may crack not only on the fingers, but also on the palms or other parts of the hands. People with such problems should undergo individual treatment prescribed by a doctor, not for the consequences, but for the disease itself. In other cases, it is allowed to use other methods, including self-medication. Possible internal causes of cracked fingers include:

• Hormonal disorders.
• Allergy.
• Lack of vitamins.
• Fungus.

External factors

Factors such as cold, wind or active sun rays can negatively affect skin health. Under their influence, the epidermis begins to dry quickly, cracking from lack of moisture. Cold has the most aggressive effect on the epidermis of the fingers. In sub-zero temperatures, the skin dehydrates much faster. Sudden temperature changes, prolonged contact with hard water, and high air humidity are no less bad for your hands. The reason why the skin cracks may be frequent hand washing with soap or contact with chemicals.

Methods for treating cracks and peeling on hands

The specialist prescribes treatment for cracks in the skin of the hands, based on the cause of their appearance. However, in addition to direct therapy with healing ointments and tablets, harmful factors that stimulate damage to the epidermis should be avoided, otherwise the situation will only worsen. Since the root of the problem is increased dryness of the skin of the hands, the key direction of treatment should be intensive hydration and saturation of the body with essential vitamins and microelements.

Proper nutrition

Often the epidermis of the fingers cracks due to vitamin deficiency. In this case, the hands may not have enough. To replenish them, it is worth eating more vegetables (tomatoes, carrots, bell peppers), as well as cottage cheese, nuts, liver, beef, and beans. The patient should supplement his diet with cereals, dairy products and vegetable oils such as olive, flaxseed, and sunflower. Thanks to this, the human body will receive a sufficient amount of useful substances, which contributes to the rapid restoration of the skin.

Hygienic care

• Reduce open contact of your hands with water and detergents as much as possible, and avoid using nail polishes. Do all housework, such as washing dishes or cleaning, wearing rubber gloves.
• Lubricate the skin of your fingers with rich glycerin cream every night. For greater effect, wear cotton gloves on top.
• Use soft, gentle soap such as baby or bath soap.
• Make medicinal hand baths based on herbal decoctions more often. After such procedures, lubricate the skin of your fingers with light but rich creams ("Children's" is ideal).
• In severe cases, when the cracks on the fingers are deep and heal slowly, use a special skin glue that can be used to seal the wounds for rapid healing. In the pharmacy this product is sold under the name “Super-Glu”.

Drug treatment

If the epidermis of the fingers dries out and cracks, it is possible to use such effective medications as tablets, capsules, ointments and creams. By choosing the right medications, you will not only stop the destructive process, but also speed up the healing of existing wounds. As a rule, drug treatment of cracks in the epidermis of the fingers and hands involves an integrated approach. Several times a day, the patient should cover the wounds with a special cream such as Depanthenol or Radevit. For more serious injuries, use Actovegin or Solcoseryl ointment.

• Depanthenol and Bepanten. These preparations contain large quantities of vitamin B, which accelerates the healing of skin cracks. And chlorhexidine, which is also included in ointments, effectively disinfects wounds. Apply the product 2-4 times a day, thinly spreading it over the affected areas of the epidermis.
• Radevit. The basis of the ointment is vitamins A, E, D. The drug has a softening, anti-inflammatory, healing effect. Radevit enhances the protective function of the skin of the hands and normalizes keratinization processes. You should use the ointment twice a day – at night and in the morning.
• Pantoderm. The drug is used several times a day (there is no strict dosage). The ointment has a metabolic, restorative effect. It helps improve the regeneration of the skin of the hands and improves trophism.
• Eplan. This ointment helps relieve itching during healing of cracks, accelerating skin healing. It creates an invisible protective film on the hands, which prevents various infections from entering open wounds. It is optimal to use Eplan twice a day: in the morning and afternoon.
• Aevit. The indication for taking Aevita capsules is a deficiency of E. To achieve the optimal treatment effect, follow a clear dosage - 1 tablet per day for 20-40 days.

Folk remedies

• Therapeutic hot baths with starch for the skin of the fingers. They should be prepared using potato solution. Pour 0.5 tablespoon of starch into 250 ml of boiling water, stir the powder thoroughly in the water until completely dissolved. When the liquid becomes sticky, dilute it with half a liter of hot water, dip your hands in the bath and hold without removing for 15-20 minutes. After the procedure, lubricate your fingers with a wound healing agent. You should take baths until the cracks in your hands heal.
• Herbal baths for the skin of the hands. Mix two tablespoons of chamomile, plantain and calendula, pour a liter of boiling water over the herbs. When the broth has cooled to a warm state, fill a deep bowl with it and dip your hands in it for 20 minutes. Afterwards, lubricate your skin with moisturizer. Do medicinal baths every other day until the wounds heal.
• Recipe for a therapeutic compress for cracks. Boil 2 potatoes, mash them, add a couple of tablespoons of milk and stir the mixture until smooth. Apply the resulting mass to the skin of your hands damaged by cracks and wrap it in a regular cellophane bag. After half an hour, remove the healing compress, wash your hands and cover them with cream or healing ointment.
• Honey mask for hands. This remedy is very effective if the skin on the fingers is cracked. Mix the egg yolk with 50 grams of olive or vegetable oil and 3 tablespoons of honey. Cover the wounds and the area around them with the resulting mixture, wrap your hands in cellophane for 25-30 minutes. Later, remove the bag, rinse the skin of your fingers with warm water and cover them with a moisturizer (ointment, cream or homemade sour cream).
• Natural anti-crack cream. Mix the following ingredients in equal proportions (one tablespoon at a time): calendula, chamomile, string, plantain. Pour a glass of boiling water over them and let them sit for 7-8 hours. Grind a spoonful of honey with a small piece of butter and mix with a tablespoon of herbal infusion. Use the resulting ointment twice a day until the wounds are completely healed.

An effective complex of vitamins and minerals

Hypovitaminosis A, P, C negatively affects the health of the skin - it becomes dry and prone to cracks. More often, the epidermis suffers from wounds due to a severe lack of vitamins PP (observed in girls who are losing weight), B1 (with skin atrophy). To prevent serious consequences and speed up the healing of cracks in the fingers, you should take a course of a complex of vitamins and minerals. The most essential for skin health are groups A, B, P, E, and zinc.

How to treat chapped skin in a child

The skin of babies is always very soft, smooth, and pleasant to the touch. Dryness and the appearance of cracks is an alarm bell for parents that cannot be ignored. Thinking that the problem will solve itself in this case is fraught with serious consequences. To eliminate dry skin of a child, you should take care of eliminating the factors that lead to the occurrence of wounds.

1. Systematically clean the children's room and humidify the air. Do not use conditioner - this is the first enemy of the skin, as it dries it very much.
2. Get rid of children's synthetic clothing, they often irritate the epidermis. Plastic toys should also be prohibited during treatment of the baby’s skin.
3. If your child still eats mother's milk, refrain from eating harmful foods. A baby on artificial nutrition should be given exclusively hypoallergenic formulas.
4. If dry skin appears not only on the hands, but also on the face, this indicates an allergy to any food products. Consult a doctor who will take tests to determine the allergen.
5. Bathe your child every other day until the skin is renewed and soft again. Add herbal decoctions (chain, calendula, chamomile) to the bath.
6. Lubricate your baby's skin with moisturizers that do not contain water in cool or windy weather.
7. Leave the child naked more often, lubricate his skin with nourishing milk or high-quality ointment (wide-spectrum Bepanten is suitable).
8. Refuse to arbitrarily treat cracks or peeling of the skin, because many drugs, including ointments or solutions, contain hormonal components that will only further harm the baby’s health. Only a doctor can prescribe an effective medication.

Video: what to do if the skin on your hands dries and cracks

Any health problem is easier to prevent than to eliminate. If the skin of your hands or fingers cracks, you should immediately begin to take appropriate measures. Protect your hands from cold, chemicals, bad water and other irritants with nourishing, moisturizing creams based on glycerin or silicone. Treat dry hands with protective lotion every time before going outside, especially during the cold season. With the help of the video you will learn what to do if cracks appear on the skin of your hands.

Photo: what cracks on fingers look like

Despite the fact that the skin of the hands looks soft and delicate, it plays the role of a reliable protector of the body against various harmful external factors. Every day our hands have to deal with a huge number of irritants: dirt, low or high temperatures, friction, exposure to chemicals, but it cannot always cope with them without additional protection. To avoid the appearance of cracks in the skin, it is necessary to constantly monitor the condition of the epidermis. Below are photos of the condition of the fingers, the skin of which began to crack.

The appearance of painful cracks in the skin of the fingers is sometimes difficult to explain due to the lack of visible reasons. Their unattractive appearance is only half the story. Slowly healing and constantly bleeding wounds make it difficult to perform manual work, cause discomfort, and interfere with normal human life. To prevent the problem, it is important to know about the possible causes of its occurrence, as well as about current methods of treating cracks in the fingers, which will get rid of them in the shortest possible time and help avoid serious complications.

Human skin serves as an excellent indicator indicating the state of health of the body. As soon as any malfunctions appear in its work, the epidermis is the first to react to them by sending signals. Cracks that form on the skin of the fingers can signal the development of certain diseases.

Diabetes. A systematic increase in blood sugar levels instantly affects the condition of the skin of the hands. Dryness appears, and as a result, cracks, ulcers, abscesses and gouty nodules.

Dermatological diseases. These include infantile dermatitis, eczema and psoriasis.

Avitaminosis. If there is a lack of vitamins in the body, the skin (particularly on the hands and face) begins to peel, becomes dry, and may crack.

Endocrine diseases. Malfunctions of the endocrine system can disrupt the skin metabolism process.

Unfavorable external factors such as:

• frequent skin contact with very cold or chlorinated water;
• exposure to household chemicals and other aggressive substances;
• cosmetics of questionable quality or expired;
• climatic conditions (frost, cold, wind, arid climate, temperature changes);
• prolonged exposure to direct sunlight.

Main places of crack formation

Cracks and wounds are localized on the bends of the fingers, in the folds of the palm and on the outside above the joints, on the pads of the fingers, near the nails (nail fold area), at the base of the phalanges of the fingers, and also between them.

The most vulnerable areas are the bends of the fingers. The slightest movement of the brush causes the skin in these places to stretch, and if it is very dry and tight, rupture may occur. The healing period for cracks in these places is quite long.

Calluses often form on the fingertips, which are replaced by cracks. Non-healing damage in this area is characteristic of an inflammatory disease such as eczema. Cracks between the toes are the first signs of palmoplantar psoriasis. And their appearance under the nails is most often associated with vitamin deficiency, eczema and the development of fungal diseases.

Drug treatment

Proper treatment for any disease guarantees a quick recovery. Therefore, before you begin to eliminate this or that problem, you should first find out the exact reasons that provoked this phenomenon. So, if you find cracks in the skin of your hands, you should immediately contact a dermatologist. The specialist prescribes, first of all, scraping the fingers to check the presence or absence of mycosis or mycelium. If the result is positive, antifungal therapy is prescribed.

You can get rid of shallow cracks using cosmetic creams and balms, which contain components with softening, moisturizing, anti-inflammatory properties and extracts of medicinal plants. For example, Green Pharmacy cream (with chamomile extract), Bioderma, Boro Plus (pink and green), Rylana, as well as silicone, spermaceti and lanolin creams. Among the balms we can highlight “Rescuer” and “Keeper”.

In case of complications, pharmaceutical ointments with a wound-healing effect are needed: ichthyol, calendula ointment, Vishnevsky ointment, Dexapanthenol. Pronounced deep cracks on the fingers can be healed faster with the help of medical glue “Sulfacrylate” and BF-6.

All medications must be prescribed by a doctor after a preliminary examination. Treatment of severe cases involves the prescription of drugs with a more powerful and broad spectrum of action.

Antiseptics (Chlorhexidine, hydrogen peroxide, Miramistin). Usually used in combination with wound healing agents and to prevent infection.

Antibacterial drugs. Use only in the presence of a bacterial infection.

Drugs to stimulate metabolism in tissues - Methyluracil, Actovegin, Radevit. It is not recommended to use on your own.

Corticosteroid ointments for the treatment of diseases such as dermatitis, eczema - Flucinar, Prednisolone ointment, Fluorocort, Celestoderm. For psoriasis, emulsions based on active substances are prescribed: aloe, tar, grease, amium.

Treatment with folk remedies

The influence of external irritants that contribute to the appearance of cracks can be, if not avoided, then reduced by following simple daily rules.

Use rubber gloves when your hands come into contact with household chemicals.

• Wash your hands with baby soap.
• Moisturize your hands daily to reduce the risk of cracking.
• If shallow cracks on the fingers do sometimes occur, they can be cured with the help of folk remedies prepared at home.

Potato broth. 1 tbsp. mix a spoonful of potato starch with 2 tbsp. spoons of vegetable oil and add 500 ml of water in which the potatoes were boiled. Place your hands in the broth for 13-15 minutes. Then wash and dry with a towel.

Milk-glycerin solution. Mix 200 ml of water with the same amount of milk, add 5-6 drops of glycerin and 1.5-2 tbsp. spoons of corn starch. Keep your hands in the solution for 7-10 minutes.

Cedar oil. Moisten a linen cloth measuring 30x30 cm in preheated cedar oil and wrap your hands in it. Unwrap after 30 minutes.

Cucumber compress. 1 fresh cucumber, peel and grate on a fine grater. Apply the paste to cracks or damaged areas.

Deep and constantly forming cracks on the fingers that cannot be treated with simple remedies must be shown to a specialist. Such skin lesions may be the result of an infection or fungus and therefore require special treatment. You should not self-medicate. It may not only be ineffective, but also cause serious complications and harm to health.

Household chemicals, used everywhere for daily cleaning and washing, dry out the upper layers of the epidermis. After each contact, the fingers feel tight, and over time, without systematic care, they become cracked and rough.

The most natural reason for the appearance of cracks and peeling under the nails is constant manual work. Even gloves provide only temporary protection of the skin from damage.

The skin on the hands, and especially under the nails, is most often exposed to various factors. Cracks appear due to the following reasons:

• Mechanical work.
• Fungal infection.
• Contact with household cleaning products.

With mycosis, the first symptoms are changes in the epidermis in the form of dryness and roughness.

These signs are easily eliminated with cosmetics that intensively nourish the tissue. Over time, in the absence of antifungal treatment, the infection spreads to the nails, and they begin to peel off from their bed, peel and break.

Reduced immunity and a humid, warm environment are favorable conditions for fungi to colonize the area under the nails.

Treatment of skin cracks under fingernails

If problems arise with peeling in the periungual space, treatment should include:

• Taking vitamins.
• Ointment, glue and cream.
• Paraffin therapy.
• Masks with glycerin or mummy.
• Antifungal drugs.

To restore weakened immunity, medication is necessary. It is best to drink medications that contain a large amount of vitamins and microelements. Among them, Alphabet and Complivit are considered the best.

Boroplus and Panthenol creams effectively deal with peeling and cracks. They accelerate tissue healing and also soften them thanks to the content of nutrients specifically balanced to restore skin prone to dryness.

If cracks appear under the fingernails and the nourishing agents do not cope with the task, then medical glue will come to the rescue. A drop of the drug is applied to the damaged area, which hardens almost instantly. The glue facilitates the healing of cracks and serves as a kind of protection against infection entering the wound.

Paraffin therapy has a good therapeutic effect. It can be done at home if you have a special bath for melting paraffin. If not, then a water bath will do. Paraffin therapy lasts no more than 15 minutes, and then, to consolidate the effect, cosmetic gloves are put on for 20-30 minutes.

Before the procedure, the fingers are lubricated with a rich cream. This helps protect them from burns.

A glycerin-based mask not only has moisturizing properties, but also protects the skin well. To prepare it you will need a tablespoon of baking soda. It is mixed with glycerin, and a little flour is added to give the mixture thickness.

When the mask is ready, it is applied to the damaged areas under and around the nails. The duration of the procedure should not exceed 15 minutes. It is recommended to perform it in the evening so that after removing the mask there is no contact with water.

When peeling appears, the following care methods will help cope with the problem. If cracks join, then pain occurs and it is impossible to touch them. Shilajit will help you cope with damage and discomfort.

Several tablets are dissolved in water and applied to painful areas. It is necessary to keep this remedy for as long as possible. Shilajit not only fights pain, but also accelerates tissue healing.

When the cause of problems with the epidermis is a fungal infection, then in addition to cosmetics, drugs are also needed to destroy mycosis.

Effective are:

• Clotrimazole.
• Batrafen.
• Candide.
• Loceril.
• Exoderil.

They are produced in the form of solutions, tablets or varnishes. If the nail is affected, then medicinal products are applied to its surface. The duration of treatment and frequency of application per day is determined by the dermatologist, depending on the severity of the disease.

Prevention of peeling skin under nails

To avoid dryness and cracks, regular use of nourishing and moisturizing products is necessary.

Additionally, it is recommended to carry out skin care procedures using homemade cosmetics. In the autumn and spring periods, prophylactic intake of a complex of vitamins is recommended. All these activities will help maintain the elasticity, softness of the skin and its healthy color.