Itchy hands are a common skin problem, especially during the cold winter months. Itching, redness, and flaky skin are usually signs of chapped dry hands. Our hands are exposed to weather, chemicals, allergens, and water on a daily basis. All of these things can make hands itchy.
Since healthy skin begins on the inside, lets start there.
- Water. Yes, a simple thing like water can make or break your skin. Water helps the body eliminate toxins and keeps your skin hydrated. Adults need at least 64 ounces of water per day. Drinking spring or filtered water is the best choice.
- Diet. Your diet plays a big part in how your skin looks and feels. Eating a lot of fast food, sugar, preservatives, and drinking coffee, soda and tea is a sure fire way to cause skin problems. Increase your vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fiber, and fish intake. These foods provide essential vitamins and minerals that the body needs to stay healthy and keep skin looking good.
Now that we've taken a look a look at what you can do on the inside, lets find out what can help on the outside. Itchy hands can be caused by any number of irritants or may even be caused by certain diseases. Always consult a physician for proper diagnosis and treatment of any condition.
Common causes of itchy hands are dry skin and allergens, both internal and external.
- Internal allergens are drug reactions, food allergies, or diseases. Common food allergies are wheat, sugar, dairy, corn, nuts, strawberries, and seafood. Internal allergens typically cause itching all over, not just on the hands.
- External allergens are soaps, skin care products, metals, foods like papaya, chemicals, and latex, to name a few. External allergens can cause atopic dermatitis. This is a red itchy rash that occurs when skin comes into contact with an allergen.
What can you do to help your itchy hands heal and protect them from future breakouts?
- Be Aware. Pay attention to what your hands are exposed to. Use natural hypoallergenic products when possible. Always wear gloves when using chemicals, cleaning products, or washing dishes. Notice when your hands are worse and what you were doing or eating before they became worse. Reduce your intake of sugar, wheat, corn and dairy. These foods can create inflammation in the body, which does not help resolve dermatitis.
- Shea Butter. This natural nut butter has both moisturizing and healing properties. It is rich with vitamin A, E and K, which all help skin heal. Shea butter has the ability to penetrate skin, which helps your skin heal from the inside out. It also has anti-inflammatory properties that helps reduce irritation. Always buy 100% pure shea butter. I like 100% Organic Shea butter.
These suggestions may help you find a few reasons and solutions for your itchy hands. Always consult with your dermatologist for proper diagnosis and treatment of any skin conditions.