The winter comes with its share of hardships – even if landscapes covered in snow are great to look at. Those who must battle the cold, dry air outdoors know the damage it causes can be painful for the skin.

Not only are dry and chapped hands painful, but they can also get itchy and be impossible to deal with.

Luckily, restoring the moisture in your hands usually quickly helps soothe pain and can bring them back to a state that’s manageable.

Let them go for too long, however, and other problems could arise.

Dangers of Dry Skin

While painful to deal with, there are some other, more serious issues that could occur if allow your dry hands to go on untreated. Over time, cuts and breaks in the skin can happen easily because it has no elasticity. These broken areas could bleed, sting and even allow infections to enter. You’ll want to be on the lookout for red itchy hands since this is where it all begins, and also because this can be the start of a condition called eczema.

How to Prevent Dry, Cracked Hands

Apply Lotion: Apply a moisturizing lotion throughout the day as needed to help to soothe the skin and hands. If your hands are in water throughout the day or you spend most of your time outdoors, you may need to reapply more frequently.

New Soap: Be sure the soap you are using to keep your hands clean also includes some soothing ingredients. While it’s important to clean the hands removing all moisture from the skin will only create the achy dry hands most complain about.

Use Gloves: The other option to help prevent dry, cracked hands is to use gloves. This protective gear offers a shield from the elements. Latex gloves to stop water from hitting your skin too frequently as well as thick gloves for the outdoors to protect them from over-drying can all be used.

Shop 1stAidSupplies.com for individual packets of lotion to stock up your first aid kit. This convenient option will provide relief at the worksite, in the office and whenever needed without having to lug around a bottle of lotion.

We also have a number of glove options to choose from in our protective equipment section. Spare yourself and your workers the agony this winter. SHOP NOW!