my joints are aching

I agree Pete, Lipsalve and the like are good for splits.
Paladin.. cuts and oranges the thought makes me wince .. I've worked with glass too :(

 

Linseed oil putty, I would have thought would be good for the skin, trouble is you lot dont use that, much these days, do you?

 

Whoa folks - repairs are fine, but prevention is better. Believe me I know following different problems this last 6 weeks which had the same effects

Whats needed to get things back to manageable is heavy duty moisturising. If you don't like petroleum based products , use ones high in shea butter 20% at least (can give a source if needed).

First Aid measures to get back to where you should be:

1. When washing your hands use an emollient cream rather than soap. Most chemists stock them e.g. aqua

2. Use the moisturiser after washing your hands and whenever else you can remember. If its greasy, don a pair of light cotton gloves for ten minutes or so till it soaks in. Then it doesn't get in the way of what you want to do.

3. Apply moisturiser to your hands when you wake up after the teeth cleaning/shaving bit. Again if greasy, where cotton gloves for 10 minutes til its soaked in

4. Heavy application when you go to bed (cotton gloves to keep off the sheets and keep it up overnight).

When everything is improved - then just remember, no soap when washing your hands,and moisturise after washing and first and last thing at night (not heavy duty as 3 and 4.)Definitely no white spirit - its even more drying than soap.

 

I would suggest Foot Cocoon by Garnier available in most supermarkets and chemists. It's a nice fatty emolient cream and keeps your skin soft so it doesn't split!

Another thing to do - soak your finger tips in tolerably hot water with a dash of washing up liquid or other liquid soap. Then use some cuticle pliers (Boots �£3.75) to trim the horny (now softened) skin away. Smooth the rough skin with an emery board when dry then work in some of the afformentioned hand/foot cream.

I do this now about once a month tops and haven't had a split on my thumbs (or heels) since.

Vis a vis aching joints - join the queue for new knees, LG. First my sister, then me now my other sister (jjordie!). It's obviously running in the family!

[ 16. March 2006, 09:32 PM: Message edited by: michaelmasdaisy ]

 

The putties now tend to be for both metal and timber casements and have no linseed in them,but I have my own mix which does the job and allows painting to be done within 5 days.
On double glazing I never use putty these days,only a low modulus silicone or rubber part mastic.

 

Fran,M.D. I have tried to use creams during the day but I have to clean my hands with thinners all the time and the creams get washed off!
Gloves are not practical,and I tend to try to harden my hands with surgical spirit rather than soften them....The only time they repair is when I have a few days off work.
I do however rub linseed oil on my hands as often as I can as it is readily available and part of my working day material.
I even try brine when they get really bad.

 

I know thinners is bad, it removes all the oil from your skin.
With me its the dust, especially MDF dust, its so dry.
And the soap supplied at work seems to contain some kind of grit, it gets your hands clean.....but.
I tend not to use it, prefer to have dirty hands. :(

 

:( MDF dust!I'm no joiner but that's bad stuff aint it??
I keep well clear when the planers start up on site!

 

Back to LG's problem.

I find I have to keep warm or I get all sorts of aches and pains. I wear multiple clothing layers so that I can peel off to a comfort level once I get going. Best thing I've bought is a padded body warmer to keep the back and chest warm but it leaves the arms free. A chimney sweep I know also swears by thermals under his working clothes.

Gardening is like any exercise and you need to be properly warmed up before taking on the strenuous stuff. If you don't you will be wide open to pulled muscles or torn ligaments which can put you out of action for a long time.

 

Mmmmm - Paladin difficult one. Can you work in the thin vinyl gloves that they use in cooking and surgery?

 

God why do we bother, read this thread you would never garden again,,, We are Doomed. LoL

 

Fran they don't last for long but I always try to use them..trouble with them is they sweat my hands and I end up with pickled finger tips :D
The best stuff I used but can't get hold of now was Cow udder cream!

 

Paladin - just a thought about soggy fingers in vynl - if your not allergic to latex, they can be better - but if so, thin cotton gloves under the vynl will do the trick - and you can get both very cheaply on line. You don't lose too much sensation or control - I have used the combination - seems to work ok.

Dave M - not to worry. I bin gardening for years (not as an occupation) and my hands have been fine. My problem was nothing to do with gardening. Any outside occupation that relies on your hands is punishing to the skin - bricklaying, glazing, gardening - same kind of problems. Just enjoy - and remember that like the engine of a car, lubrication is required to ease the moving parts :D

[ 17. March 2006, 07:23 PM: Message edited by: Fran ]

 

for chapped lips i use Drapolene.its an antiseptic cream for nappy rash.its a bit greasy so best to smother hands last thing at night.also to quicken the healing process of small cuts(theyre always the most painful)i peel a tatie and just coat my hands in the startch.for aches and pains i soak in a bath with salt.a very wise Midwife told me after delivering my First born (sorry to make you cringe but the Mothers of this world will understand)salt.inside and out is a healer.

 

Fran - am definitely in need of a bit of lubrication at the moment - and have just poiured a glass of it! I've been moving loads of gravel from where I didn't want it to where I did want it, and then dug out loads of of monoblock bits, that someone had covered in membrane and gravel!!

and took the gravel to here - wher it looks much better! :D

My joints are aching....