I posted on my blog last month that I finally, after much research online, discovered what has plagued my hands (and probably my feet) for years. I have peeling skin on my hands which started on one finger about 15 years ago, and has progressed in the last 5-6 years to several fingers, a couple knuckles, and my thumbs. My feet peel, too, and are usually raw most of the year, with the heels being the worst. I get dry blisters (air filled blisters, as they're described) which then open and result in peeling on and around the blister, often taking skin from most of the area (ie: a whole finger, etc).
Exfoliative keratolysis is the name of the chronic condition, for which there is no cure. It's not contagious, it's not going to shorten my life, it's just annoying and can be very painful as it leave my hands and feet raw when several layers of skin literally shed. Essentially, it stems from a lack of moisture in the 2nd and 3rd layers of skin, causing the skin to blister and peel.
This condition is cyclical, and they say worse in the summer. It comes and goes, and each time the skin peels, new skin grows back, and you can see the areas on my hands which are effected because the skin is lighter, pinker, and generally different color than the rest (esp. in the summer when I'm tan).
My hands were raw and bleeding in June, healed by the end of July, and were fine in August. They have just started to peel again, as of a few days ago.
Two ingredients in topical applications are said to help heal and soften the skin, and keep outbreaks from being as horrible as they can be. They are urea and lactic acid. These two ingredients are found in some over the counter moisturizers, but not all. Urea at 40% is ideal, but that's hard to find. I also find that the %'age is not noted on all products, so while the ingredient is listed, it's not listed by %'age.
For my feet, I have discovered Kerasal. It's OTC, found at most places with a pharmacy or who sell topical creams and lotions (so basically anywhere with a good selection of lotions and moisturizers). It's active ingredient is urea. After a single use on my feet, where I applied it at bed time and wore socks overnight, my feet were noticably softer, and within 5 uses, they were healing. My heels have not felt this good in ages. My mom used it once while she was here and found a difference in her feet, as well, and I am now prepared to buy a tube of it whenever I can. Seriously, if you have any issues with callouses, or anything with the skin on your feet, buy this stuff.
For my hands, it's been more of a challenge. I did find that botanicals are not beneficial to this condition, so my Votre Vu hand creme was basically not doing me any good. Still, moisturizing at all is said to help a little, so I have been using that while I search for another product. AmLactin is a product I found at Walgreen's, but it's really expensive. As evidenced by the name, the active ingredient is lactic acid. While I know it would last me and I'd get my money's worth out of it, the $15-$21 price has held me back from trying it. I check the ingredients on lotions almost every time I go to a store, hoping that I might find one that has what I need and is in a reasonable price range. Finally, last night I was at Meijer and took a chance, and there were some Gold Bond products on sale, so I checked them.
I have checked GB brand stuff before to no avail, but, last night I struck paydirt. Their regular creams and lotions don't contain urea. One of their foot creams does, but, I've got a different solution (above). The GB Ultimate Restorin CoQ10 skin therapy cream lists "hydroxyethel urea" as its second ingredient. It was on sale for $5.69 for the 4.5 oz tube, so I bought it. Lotion isn't something that's going to go unused in my house, so for the price it was worth the gamble.
It doesn't stink, it's not greasy like oil, and it's not pasty or too thick. My hands feel soft but not lotion-y after application, and it doesn't wash off entirely when I wash my hands or get them wet. I reapply after exposure to water anyway, but it is supposed to be used liberally, per the directions, so I don't feel like I'm overapplying it or anything. Overall, I like this stuff very much!
Nothing will eliminate the peeling, but this will help the skin restore itself when it does peel, and the skin that grows new will be healthy and not as leathery and dry. I will probably try cotton gloves for overnight application of the hand lotion, but I'm not sure when I'll get around to that. Still, I was just happy to find this lotion. Down the road I'll try the AmLactin, and the GB I can keep in my purse to use as well. I am really hopeful that I won't have to endure months of raw hands like I have in the past.
Exfoliative keratolysis is the name of the chronic condition, for which there is no cure. It's not contagious, it's not going to shorten my life, it's just annoying and can be very painful as it leave my hands and feet raw when several layers of skin literally shed. Essentially, it stems from a lack of moisture in the 2nd and 3rd layers of skin, causing the skin to blister and peel.
This condition is cyclical, and they say worse in the summer. It comes and goes, and each time the skin peels, new skin grows back, and you can see the areas on my hands which are effected because the skin is lighter, pinker, and generally different color than the rest (esp. in the summer when I'm tan).
My hands were raw and bleeding in June, healed by the end of July, and were fine in August. They have just started to peel again, as of a few days ago.
Two ingredients in topical applications are said to help heal and soften the skin, and keep outbreaks from being as horrible as they can be. They are urea and lactic acid. These two ingredients are found in some over the counter moisturizers, but not all. Urea at 40% is ideal, but that's hard to find. I also find that the %'age is not noted on all products, so while the ingredient is listed, it's not listed by %'age.
For my feet, I have discovered Kerasal. It's OTC, found at most places with a pharmacy or who sell topical creams and lotions (so basically anywhere with a good selection of lotions and moisturizers). It's active ingredient is urea. After a single use on my feet, where I applied it at bed time and wore socks overnight, my feet were noticably softer, and within 5 uses, they were healing. My heels have not felt this good in ages. My mom used it once while she was here and found a difference in her feet, as well, and I am now prepared to buy a tube of it whenever I can. Seriously, if you have any issues with callouses, or anything with the skin on your feet, buy this stuff.
For my hands, it's been more of a challenge. I did find that botanicals are not beneficial to this condition, so my Votre Vu hand creme was basically not doing me any good. Still, moisturizing at all is said to help a little, so I have been using that while I search for another product. AmLactin is a product I found at Walgreen's, but it's really expensive. As evidenced by the name, the active ingredient is lactic acid. While I know it would last me and I'd get my money's worth out of it, the $15-$21 price has held me back from trying it. I check the ingredients on lotions almost every time I go to a store, hoping that I might find one that has what I need and is in a reasonable price range. Finally, last night I was at Meijer and took a chance, and there were some Gold Bond products on sale, so I checked them.
I have checked GB brand stuff before to no avail, but, last night I struck paydirt. Their regular creams and lotions don't contain urea. One of their foot creams does, but, I've got a different solution (above). The GB Ultimate Restorin CoQ10 skin therapy cream lists "hydroxyethel urea" as its second ingredient. It was on sale for $5.69 for the 4.5 oz tube, so I bought it. Lotion isn't something that's going to go unused in my house, so for the price it was worth the gamble.
It doesn't stink, it's not greasy like oil, and it's not pasty or too thick. My hands feel soft but not lotion-y after application, and it doesn't wash off entirely when I wash my hands or get them wet. I reapply after exposure to water anyway, but it is supposed to be used liberally, per the directions, so I don't feel like I'm overapplying it or anything. Overall, I like this stuff very much!
Nothing will eliminate the peeling, but this will help the skin restore itself when it does peel, and the skin that grows new will be healthy and not as leathery and dry. I will probably try cotton gloves for overnight application of the hand lotion, but I'm not sure when I'll get around to that. Still, I was just happy to find this lotion. Down the road I'll try the AmLactin, and the GB I can keep in my purse to use as well. I am really hopeful that I won't have to endure months of raw hands like I have in the past.
So now, with some relief for my skin, I an comforted by the knowledge that my intake of coffee and wine, both of which dehydrate the body and skin, are not the causes of this nasty condition, and I can continue to enjoy both vices without disruption. {insert huge sigh of relief here}
So that's my report for today.
So that's my report for today.
I am so glad I found your blog. I have the same problem, and I am going to try what you have stated. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYou know, every couple of years I have this happen to me at the beginning of summer. I had gone to a couple doctors but all they had for me was a bunch of creams that did nothing.
ReplyDeleteSo I got fed up with it and took matters into my own hands (Ha! See what I did there??) After watching several documentaries I came to the conclusion that it was my diet. So I started drinking the Mean Green juice from "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" on a daily basis as well as tried to cut out all the food that had no nutritional value. After about a week I noticed that the dry skin had stopped spreading. And after another week I noticed that where the skin was missing, more skin was coming it behind it.
It's been the ONLY thing that has helped with my hands. It just boils down to your body trying to tell you something. It's a warning light, just like in your car. You can either put tape over it (steroid creams and lotions), or you can fix what's on the inside that's causing the problem in the first place.
Hope this helps!
You can get a prescription for X-Viate lotion. It contains 40% Urea and works wonders. It is rx only, so you have to go to the dr. Hope this helps
ReplyDeleteHi there, I have been dealing with my feet peeling for 3 years and finally got the same diagnosis as you. The dermo gave me a Rx that is called Urea 45%. I have used it for 9 days so far and my feet has stopped peeling. However, you can still see where the old skin as peeled and the new is coming through. It is excited to see how well they have done in the short time but I was told there isn't a cure and this happens because our bodies don't produce enough keratin. Were you told the same thing and have you found anything different since you posted this?
ReplyDeleteThank you,
Michelle~
Hi, Michelle. So sorry for the delay!
DeleteI haven't been officially diagnosed, but, have really figured it out on my own through research and sharing stories with others who have the same condition. Thanks for the tip on the RX you got! I have been using lotions with high Urea contents, and that has helped. I didn't know you could get the Urea 45%, good to know. My hands definitely show where the outbreaks have happened, as the skin is slightly different in texture and color.
I have read about the keratin deficiency, and that the condition originates in the 2nd layer of skin (or is it the 3rd?). This summer's outbreak wasn't as bad as it's been in the past, perhaps thanks to the Gold Bond lotion I've been using.
Thanks for your comment! I am glad you've found something that has given you relief!
Ok I don't know if anyone will read this. I have had exfoliative keratolysis since 2010. I have tried all remedies, including the one mentioned here. None has been helpful.
ReplyDeleteI used to peel off my hands by the beginning of May up to October. Every 15 days I would spend an hour cleaning my hands of dead skin.
However something unexpected happened last year. In the summer of 2019 I didn't peel me my hands at all. I didn't have that feeling of itching I used to feel whenever it was time to remove dead skin from my palms.
No I immediately realized what had caused that change in my condition.
In that previous winter I stopped using commercial shampoo in my hair. I was tired of having greasy hair and wanted to find a solution to that. Two different barbers advised me to stop using commercial shampoo and start using GREEN SOAP. I am 10000% sure that continuous use of GREEN SOAP returns your skins Ph to its normal state. I havent stopped using GREEN SOAP since then.
This year I almost felt one time I wanted to peel my hands. The reason?
Due to the covid19 outbreak I started using commercial soap wherever I was (work, coffee shops, etc) and so my skin Ph wasn't ok. I think that GREEN SOAP (yes the one old people used to use to wash everything, clothes, dish or themselves) can help you stop exfoliative keratolysis in your hands.
I am not sure how much time it needs but I think that continuous use will in a short time stop the peeling off and that burning feeling underneath your skin.
I hope someone with the same problem finds my advise helpful.