# Gloves that prevent fingers dehydration and drying wounds



## Ilya Gee (Mar 24, 2017)

Hi,

My father instructing a workshop of woodcraft. as part of his work, he requires to do a lot of woodworking preparation tasks such as delicate cutting plywoods with electrical fretsaw (like in the picture below).
at the end of each workshop, he ends with drying wounds on his fingers due to fingers dehydration.
Moisturize lotion doesn't help.

Are there some special gloves that prevent fingers dehydration? (please refer me to the products/links)
Or do you have any advice to prevent that problem?

Thanks


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## Jim Frye (Aug 24, 2016)

I wear nitril surgical gloves when I work with finishes. They are pretty much impervious to various chemicals. My hands are always sweaty inside the gloves when I remove them. My fingers tend to split at the edges of the fingernails during the winter and I've found that O'Keef's hand creams work very well healing the splits. O'Keef's is available at nearly all grocery and drug stores. A little goes a long way. A tin lasts me all winter.


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## Catpower (Jan 11, 2016)

I just use a lot of Vaseline, wood working does dry out your hands

I guess he could use nitrile gloves they make my hands swear, but it would keep them form drying out, Sam's has them for about $6 per hundred but I use them for applying finish


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## Catpower (Jan 11, 2016)

Sorry about the echo, guess Jim and I were typing at the same time


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## m.n.j.chell (May 12, 2016)

O'Keefe's ... this link is Target, but it's available through many retailers.

http://www.target.com/p/o-keeffe-s-...gclid=CN-o6Ka88NICFY07gQodf9YOeQ&gclsrc=aw.ds

Main thing is, he can't just use it AFTER they're cracked ... or even AFTER they've gotten dry enough to crack. When I travel North in the Winter, I have to use it ALL the time. Shower, put some on ... shave or brush my teeth, put some on ... wash up after using the restroom, put some on. For any moisturizing lotion to be fully effective, it's got to be on ALL the time.


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## Tree Hugger (Sep 1, 2011)

May be some contact dermatitis going on and he should see a dermatologist .
Humidify the air at home in the winter months will help some.
At one time my hands were a wreck from industrial workplace chemical and heavy metal exposure .
Derm Doc wanted to pull the plug on my working career. 
It took about 2 years of intensive treatment to get back to normal.
Over the counter creams may not help, at first I tried them all.
This could be nothing or just the beginning of something far worse.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

I guess that I do not understand the premise that wood working dries out hands. Can one tell me just what it is that causes this?

I certainly understand that part about wearing gloves for finishing. I am sure that some of those chemicals could be very bad for skin.

I think the comment on medical condition should not be taken lightly. This is something I would recommend looking into. If for no other reason that the doctor may be able to recommend a cream/lotion for help.

George


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

The problem with gloves and woodworking is around machinery eventually you won't have fingers to dry out. Gloves create a lot of danger. The only solution I can see is keep trying moisturizing ointments until you find one that works. The best we've found is Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream.


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## Pirate (Jul 23, 2009)

I found when I lived in a dry area, and I would get split fingers, I would put some vitamin E on it with a bandage. 1-2 days it closed up, and then I would put a lot of lotion on my hands, at bed time and sleep with light cotton gloves. Softened me right up.


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## Catpower (Jan 11, 2016)

GeorgeC said:


> I guess that I do not understand the premise that wood working dries out hands. Can one tell me just what it is that causes this?
> 
> I certainly understand that part about wearing gloves for finishing. I am sure that some of those chemicals could be very bad for skin.
> 
> ...



Guess I should have made it a little clearer, when you work with wood you generally at one time of another need to use some solvent to clean up, and the solvent tends to dry out your hands, I know I should always wear a protective glove not to let the solvent contact my skin but sometimes I just forget or don't want to take the time

But dry sanding/saw dust will absorb some of the natural oils on your skin, or maybe I am the only one it seems to happen to


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

GeorgeC said:


> I guess that I do not understand the premise that wood working dries out hands. Can one tell me just what it is that causes this?
> 
> I certainly understand that part about wearing gloves for finishing. I am sure that some of those chemicals could be very bad for skin.
> 
> ...





Catpower said:


> Guess I should have made it a little clearer, when you work with wood you generally at one time of another need to use some solvent to clean up, and the solvent tends to dry out your hands, I know I should always wear a protective glove not to let the solvent contact my skin but sometimes I just forget or don't want to take the time
> 
> But dry sanding/saw dust will absorb some of the natural oils on your skin, or maybe I am the only one it seems to happen to


Yup. Sawdust will draw some of the oil out of your skin. My hands are always dry when I leave the bench. My favorite fix is O'Keefe's Working Hands, which a couple people have already recommended. I don't know from experience, but there was an article in Popular Woodworking that mentioned that it doesn't interfere with most (any?) finishes, which is another plus if it's true.


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

Doesn't have to be wood dust. 
I don't sand my wood carvings and my hands can dry out to the point that I can't use my cracked thumbs to do up shirt buttons.
Just wood chips can and will do it to you.

So, I wear gloves to stop the wood contact. At day's end, I wash and dry my hands quite carefully.
Then, I use some kitchen olive oil on my hands. Remarkable how fast it soaks in.
I've tried several kinds of hand creams, they do work OK. I keep going back to the olive oil.


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## Pineknot_86 (Feb 19, 2016)

SWMBO uses OKeefe's. She was director of our church care and sanitized her hands many times a day which dried them out. She has retired as they closed the school and she still uses it.
Edit: Gloves and sandals are a no-no in a shop.


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

BIG +1 on O'Keefe's . It's the only thing I've found that really works to prevent the cracking in the ends of my fingers. It's not greasy, doesn't smell, and doesn't wash off right away.
Mike Hawkins


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## Ilya Gee (Mar 24, 2017)

thanks a lot guys for all the advices!

I bought the O'Keefe's following your advices - will update on the results.

Thanks
Ilia


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