HOME TREATMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 162, 11 July 1934, Page 17

HOME TREATMENT.

ROUGH HANDS.

(By PERITUS.)

In cold and rapidly changing weather women with sensitive skins frequently suffer from dry and smarting skin on the hands. It may crack and break into minute wounds —"chap," as is said. The most painful and obstinate form W when the tips of fingers and thumbs crack aiid refuse to heal. In prevention it is necessary to make a habit of drying the hand's thoroughly after each washing or whenever they have been wet in housekeeping. There is no certain protection for the skin when hot water is used, but if immersed in cold water only, a thorough and prolonged rubbing with soft vaseline every morning (after the first washing) will keep the skin soft, moist and unchapped throughout the day, and to a certain extent waterproof, "and vaseline does not wash away in cold water. When the skin is .once cracked and roughened, the best and quickest remedy is a lotion made of two parts of glycerine to oite of lemon juice (this can be scented and coloured if desired), rubbed into the skin at bed time, the hands being afterwards covered with cotton gloves for the night. For the cracks in the thick' skin at ends of lingers and thumbs, the most successful treatment is to paint the little painful wounds with a small camel hair brush dipped in carbolic acid. Only the tip of the brush must be used, very lightly, and on the cuts only, the skin surrounding must not be painted. This may be done three ,times (if necessary) at intervals of two days, and the cracks will heal. For cracks on the face, homemade "cold cream" is usually sufficient; if not, use half a drachm of zinc oxide, 20 drops of carbolic acid, in 2oz vaseline, as an ointment. This is healing. In the old days, domestic servants melted down a tallow candle for skin dressing, and it served that purpose very well. Vaseline had not been invented, and chemists used lard. The most fruitful cause of chapped hands is wearing gloves at intervals, getting the , hands alternately heated and chilled.