This is mostly a tip for cold-climate framers. Those in the warmer climates can gloat. All you have to worry about is tinea cruris.
Low humdity, combined with frequent hand-washings and repetitive movements (like wire-wrapping) can cause painful cracks on your finger tips. I get this most often on my right thumb. I noticed this first when I used to play Mario Brothers for hours with my (then) young son, so I call this problem Nintendo thumb.
I would sometimes use an antiseptic liquid bandage, like New Skin to protect the injury and give it a chance to heal, but these products contain alcohol, which dries the skin further and hurts like ******!
Lately, I've been applying a good cream - especially one with aloe as a key ingredient - and covering my thumb with a finger cot, just before I go to bed. You can experiment with what kinds of creams work best for you. Udder Guard, a veterinery product that you'll sometimes see on the counter with hand creams, works very well. (I don't think you have to live in America's Dairyland to find this.)
A finger cot, if you haven't seen one, looks exactly lke a little condom. (Sorry, but it does.) You get them from a drug store - usually with the band-aides and first aid supplies. Walgreens has 'em.
The finger cot keeps the area moisturized and lets the cream do its work. When I'm not framing, or appearing in public, I'll sometimes do this during the day, but I wouldn't leave the finger cot in place for more than about 8 hours or so continuously. If you're sensitive to Latex, I'd ask about whether these might be a problem, since they appear to be a similar material.
If you don't suffer from Nintendo thumb, you might think I'm making all this up. But if you know what I'm talking about, give it a try.
Ron
Low humdity, combined with frequent hand-washings and repetitive movements (like wire-wrapping) can cause painful cracks on your finger tips. I get this most often on my right thumb. I noticed this first when I used to play Mario Brothers for hours with my (then) young son, so I call this problem Nintendo thumb.
I would sometimes use an antiseptic liquid bandage, like New Skin to protect the injury and give it a chance to heal, but these products contain alcohol, which dries the skin further and hurts like ******!
Lately, I've been applying a good cream - especially one with aloe as a key ingredient - and covering my thumb with a finger cot, just before I go to bed. You can experiment with what kinds of creams work best for you. Udder Guard, a veterinery product that you'll sometimes see on the counter with hand creams, works very well. (I don't think you have to live in America's Dairyland to find this.)
A finger cot, if you haven't seen one, looks exactly lke a little condom. (Sorry, but it does.) You get them from a drug store - usually with the band-aides and first aid supplies. Walgreens has 'em.
The finger cot keeps the area moisturized and lets the cream do its work. When I'm not framing, or appearing in public, I'll sometimes do this during the day, but I wouldn't leave the finger cot in place for more than about 8 hours or so continuously. If you're sensitive to Latex, I'd ask about whether these might be a problem, since they appear to be a similar material.
If you don't suffer from Nintendo thumb, you might think I'm making all this up. But if you know what I'm talking about, give it a try.
Ron