PEOPLE’S PHARMACY: Remedies for dry hands?

Q: I am a preschool teacher and have to wash my hands dozens of times a day in the attempt to avoid colds and flu. I am suffering the worst case of dry winter skin I can remember, with deep, painful cracks around my fingernails. I’ve tried everything under the sun. My hands are still a mess. Help!

Hopefully your skin isn't quite this dry, but winter can really wreck havoc on the flesh. Joey Ivansco/AJC Special

A: Cold, dry air and frequent hand-washing are guaranteed to cause dry-skin misery. Readers tell us that using lip balm on the cracks is sometimes helpful. Another approach for cracked fingertips is instant glue. A safer solution might be liquid bandage, such as New-Skin or the Band-Aid brand. Wearing cotton or disposable vinyl gloves over a greasy moisturizer overnight can also help heal dry, cracked skin.

Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist, and Teresa Graedon is an expert in medical anthropology and nutrition. In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. 
E-mail them via their 
Web site: www.peoples
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