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Tips, Techniques, and Questions -- Technical questions or tips

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  #1  
Old 2010-01-04, 9:27am
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Default Cracking index fingers

I've been lampworking about two years. Am I the only one with index fingers that are all cracked on the thumb side. I'm guessing it's from spinning mandrels and taking beads off the mandrel. I am constantly putting lotion on them but they are so rough and cracked all the time.

Callouses I guess, lampworker fingers...LOL?
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  #2  
Old 2010-01-04, 10:08am
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Cracked fingers are the worst. There are several balms for cracked skin. I would look into something like than rather than just lotion. Lots of lotion has alcohol in it and won't really help. Also try to keep your hands out of water - use gloves to protect them. Cracking can also be caused by fungus, especially if you are in water a lot. Try washing them in Nizoral shampoo (OTC) a couple times a week.
Amy
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Old 2010-01-04, 10:11am
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If you do a lot of jewelry work (and am thinking it might help for lamp work too although ahm a noob) there is this great stuff I used to buy at Rio Grande (pale green, I think?) That looks a lot like bandage gauze only it's just a bit sticky.
You wrap it around your forefinger and it really cuts down on the wear and tear on your skin (oh, and I've never set it on fire either ;}.

Rachel the firekat
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Old 2010-01-04, 11:23am
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Amy, I just remember that I had a big tin of Bag Balm, I use to use it when I quilted. I'll try that instead of lotion. The tin is about 15 years old and the stuff is still good, go figure...LOL

My hands are constantly in water, guess I better start using gloves to remove the beads from the mandrels.

Rachel, I know what your talking about, I wonder if that would impeed the spinning of the mandrels at all, does sound like good idea.
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  #5  
Old 2010-01-04, 12:33pm
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Jan Bag Balm is what I use. It really does the job for me.
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  #6  
Old 2010-01-04, 12:39pm
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That's good to know PaulaMarie, I just hope it's still good. I've had it forever but haven't opened it in years. Is it suppose to be a kind of translucent yellow color?
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  #7  
Old 2010-01-04, 12:56pm
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Yes translucent yellow or in lampwork term opaque semi yellow ....lol You should see a difference especially in the way your hands feel almost immediately. It use it for my feet also.
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Old 2010-01-04, 1:03pm
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Oooh, I think I'll try it on my feet tonight before bed. I can put socks on over them and let them soak all night...kind of like annealing them.
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  #9  
Old 2010-01-04, 1:50pm
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LOL that's correct proper annealing will prevent cracks....
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  #10  
Old 2010-01-04, 2:16pm
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Besides being a lampworker - I am a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner - so my hands are constantly in the water...and winter is the worst for those cracks. I get them on both sides of my thumbs, too. I'm going to try that bag balm and see if it helps. If it does - I'll love you girls forever (LOL)...

Melody
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  #11  
Old 2010-01-04, 2:30pm
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Also look for gardeners hand cream...or heel balm

The heel balm in particular is designed to deal with cracked and dry skin...look for one with at least 18% urea in it.

Put it on at night before bedtime. If you can bear wearing gloves while you sleep, slather it on thick and put cotton gloves on over.

You can use the same gloves for a week or so.
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  #12  
Old 2010-01-04, 3:49pm
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Bag Balm is great stuff and it does last forever! For those that don't want to be sort of sticky (it's a lot like petroleum jelly in texture) I strongly recommend something called "Crack Creme", small (3 1/2"-4" tall?) plastic bottle, white with blue and black printing (I find it at "Walgreen's") which works great on hands and feets.

Jan.. I'll see if I can dig up that old roll I had (no promises on it still being good though ;} but if I can find it and it's good I'll give it a try and let you know how it works out.

Rachel the firekat
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  #13  
Old 2010-01-04, 5:24pm
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Here's my 2 cents as a severe dry skin sufferer who now has it under control:

If you use tap water, work hard at keeping your hands out of tap water except when you shower. Wash your hands or rinse with bottled Spring Water, and then use a non-chemical cream like the fabulous organic skin cream at:

http://fromthemeadows.com/item_59/Or...EAM-1.5-oz.htm

The last tip is to leave the lid off the jar once you open it. Store it in a drawer. It has no preservatives, so changing humidity will sour it if you close the lid after it is opened. It will last for months if you leave the lid off.
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  #14  
Old 2010-01-04, 5:28pm
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I've been working at a horse ranch on the weekends and my hands are cracked. I have been using Jason's aloe vera hand lotion but it hasn't been enough. I was advised to use this: http://www.duluthtrading.com/store/35085.aspx

It has a money back guarantee besides. I will report my results. TTFN!
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Old 2010-01-04, 5:42pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by one hot beader View Post
Also look for gardeners hand cream...or heel balm

The heel balm in particular is designed to deal with cracked and dry skin...look for one with at least 18% urea in it.

Put it on at night before bedtime. If you can bear wearing gloves while you sleep, slather it on thick and put cotton gloves on over.

You can use the same gloves for a week or so.
I just toss my cotton gloves in the wash periodically. Also, if you can get something with urea in it, use that first, then put the thicker balm on to seal in moisture.
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  #16  
Old 2010-01-04, 6:26pm
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It's almost impossible for me to say out of tap water at work.

and Rachel, I know you want me to ask so here goes... urea??? I would think that that would be acidic???

My fingers are cracked as much as they are just really rough and I noticed tonight that I have a callous on both fingers. I guess that's from spinning the mandrels?

I have a bunch of those thin white cotton gloves that I got for handling my beads while taking the photos so I'll they that with the bag balm tonight. I don't expect them to heal over night and I'm pretty sure that the callouses are there to stay.
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  #17  
Old 2010-01-04, 6:41pm
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Okay I might regret asking this but what exactly is "bag balm" I am getting a mental picture and it........... ain't pretty.

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Old 2010-01-04, 6:47pm
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We used to call this "Waitress Finger" because of carrying around the coffee pot all day, that poor index finger would just crack and crack!
Yep, Bag Balm will work wonders. Apply it at night before you go to bed and cover it with something. Works really well!!!
Maysle, it's actually what you might think it is It was uses for sore teats on cows, and udder bags. Go figure huh?
Nita
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Old 2010-01-04, 6:51pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nitadee View Post
Maysle, it's actually what you might think it is It was uses for sore teats on cows, and udder bags. Go figure huh?
Nita
Okay that is actually better than what I was thinking....LOL

I got no men in this house and having a jar of bag balm, if the intended use was for the male species, would raise a few eye brows....

Thanks I will look into getting some as well. I have terrible cracks on my thumbs from the awful dry cold winter here. To the point they bleed at times.
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Old 2010-01-04, 7:20pm
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LOL, my mind just would never have gone there...LOL Maysle your funny.

I think I have a little tin of Udder cream around here someplace too, also from my quilting days. Glad to finally have a use for them.
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Old 2010-01-04, 7:36pm
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Maysle~ <gigglesnort> (not laughing about the miserable cracking you're enduing.
It's what you were thinking bag balm was for Teehee!

They sell it sewing stores (by the way ;} It's very easy to find (you don't have to go to someplace that serves livestock farms, for instance.

Quote:
Originally Posted by SilverCreek Studio View Post
Okay that is actually better than what I was thinking....LOL

I got no men in this house and having a jar of bag balm, if the intended use was for the male species, would raise a few eye brows....

Thanks I will look into getting some as well. I have terrible cracks on my thumbs from the awful dry cold winter here. To the point they bleed at times.
P.S. I am terrible about this too, but when it got bad enough I remembered. I had the same problem when I was teaching welding (fuh-fuh-freezin' in my little cave while the actual weld shop was heated, go figure <grumble, grumble>) ...but Aveeno makes a really nice oatmeal bath which helps out with dry skin a lot.
A lazy soak in that about once a week plus one of the other remedies here every day helped extra!
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Old 2010-01-05, 6:08am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SilverCreek Studio View Post
Okay that is actually better than what I was thinking....LOL

I got no men in this house and having a jar of bag balm, if the intended use was for the male species, would raise a few eye brows....

Thanks I will look into getting some as well. I have terrible cracks on my thumbs from the awful dry cold winter here. To the point they bleed at times.

Great day! I had to laugh at the possible meanings of it, but Bag Balm is salve that was made up to help the chapping of skin as a result of milking cows and goats!
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Old 2010-01-05, 6:21am
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Some time ago, I worked in a photo lab. Hands were constantly in chemicals and in water. Dry cracking painful hands were the rule. I tried bag balm and discovered that I'm allergic to it. When I checked, found that one of the ingredients was sulpha, that explained my problem. For me, slathering on plain old petroleum jelly and wearing the gloves each night made all the difference.
All the advice give is good, just check the ingredients for your sensitive self.
Joan
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  #24  
Old 2010-01-05, 6:23am
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bag balm for sure
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  #25  
Old 2010-01-05, 8:12am
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I have enjoyed this thread this morning to funny.
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Old 2010-01-05, 8:27am
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I think one brand name of bag balm is Udderly Smooth - I love that stuff for chapped "I've been sewing all weekend" fingertips
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Old 2010-01-05, 10:04am
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Another really good ointment is Hemp Hand Protector from the Body Shop. It not only helped with cracked skin, it did a great job on patches of excema I had on my hands.

Ruth
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  #28  
Old 2010-01-05, 12:03pm
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I highly recommend using Lanolin. it is 100% pure, from sheep and was recommend by a nurse for mom's nursing. your dry cracked finger tips will heal miraculously overnight. i purchase mine at a health food store. good luck!
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