Whether you earn your living with your hands or are a weekend warrior handyman, you probably know the feeling of chapped, dry, and cracked skin. The fact is that working hard is hard on your hands. And handymen…well…work with our hands more than most. While there are certain ways to lessen the risks of common skin conditions resulting from overuse, it is certainly possible to restore skin using simple skincare products.
Today, we will review why exactly hard work can lead to skin concerns on the hands, some of the issues which can impact men, and finally explain why a daily moisturizing product designed specifically for men can be a great solution.
Handymen are Hard on Their Hands
Alliteration aside, the fact of the matter is that men who use their hands to earn a living run a greater risk of hand-related health issues. While we will be focusing on skincare for the bulk of this article, there are other health concerns which might impact hard working hands, including:
Carpal tunnel: construction workers, plumbers, electricians, and any type of handyman knows the pain of overworked hand muscles. This can sometimes lead to carpal tunnel, which may result in numbness, tingling, and acute pain in the wrists, hands, and fingers. Wrist braces may be adequest for carpal tunnel treatments, but some cases might require corticosteroids, pain killers, or other medications.
Repetitive stress injury: another common safety concern for working men are repetitive stress injuries on the job. These most commonly result in conditions such as tendonitis, carpal tunnel, bursitis, and more. Those who are exposed to cold conditions, repeated vibration, or the same motion over and over are at a higher risk.
Common Skin Conditions for Working Hands
Now let’s talk about the common skin conditions which are more likely to impact handymen. Almost all of us are familiar with some sort of skin irritation, though we might never stop to wonder why. Here are some frequently encountered skin conditions for handymen:
- Dry skin syndrome: the most common skin condition on earth is also the most common skin condition for handymen. Dry skin can range from a mild inconvenience to downright debilitating for those who work with their hands.
- Contact dermatitis: contact with irritating chemicals such as metals, soaps, acids, alkalis, oils, greases, and other common materials can cause a reaction in your skin. Usual symptoms might include dry skin, itching, swelling, and pain.
- Allergic dermatitis: a subset of contact dermatitis, allergic dermatitis is extremely similar, but results from an allergic reaction to a particular substance.
- Skin injuries: we probably don’t need to tell you that working with your hands can result in a multitude of cuts, bruises, scrapes, and more. What many men don’t realize is that dry skin can actually leave skin more vulnerable to these common injuries.
Why Handymen are at a High Risk for Dry Skin
The simple reason why handymen are at such high risk for dry skin is a combination of exposure and overuse. The skin is the largest organ in the human body. Its primary purpose is to absorb the punishment from the outside world and keep our internal organs safe. Working with our hands day in and day out exposes our skin to damaging chemicals, irritants, and small injuries.
The good news is that it is quite possible to prevent dry skin from becoming a problem through simple lifestyle changes. When possible, wearing gloves when working is a great place to start. It is also recommended that handymen keep hands clean with the caveat that obsessive, excessive hand washing can make dry skin worse. Last but not least, using a moisturizing cream for working men can help to hydrate and strengthen skin.
Simple Skin Maintenance for Dry, Cracked, Damaged Skin
So how exactly does moisturizer work to repair dry, cracked, and damaged skin? Unfortunately, the answer for many moisturizing products is that they don’t. Your typical moisturizer found in the checkout line at the grocery store or drugstore will be filled with cheap ingredients to give the feeling of relief without providing actual results.
The key to skin maintenance for handymen is to find a moisturizer with high quality, hand selected ingredients. These should include occlusives to lock in moisture, humectants to attract moisture like a magnet, and emollients to repair the skin from within. These three pillars of moisturization work in tandem to restore your skin strength so you can keep on doing whatever it is you do!
If you are hesitant to try once-daily hand cream, just ask yourself a simple question: what do I have to lose? The benefits are healthy, strong, hydrated skin. The risk of not trying a moisturizer is continuing to work with cracked and bleeding knuckles.
HEFF Moisturizer for Hard Working Hands, Feet, and Elbows
HEFF cream for hands, elbows and feet has been specifically formulated for working men. Harnessing the power of amino acids, our lotion is ideal for even the most dry, cracked skin. Think of once-daily HEFF as routine maintenance for your body. Shower, shave, apply daily moisturizing cream, and you are all set for a day of hard work or hard play.
For every tube of HEFF sold, we are proud to donate a tube to Operation Gratitude. This is a small way of giving back to the men and women who keep our country safe.To find HEFF, shop on Amazon, find us at any of these national retailers, or contact us directly for more information today!