The skin on the hands is very thin, fragile and smooth, which makes it more reactive to external aggressions. Indeed, factors such as cold, wind, humidity, frequent washing or irritating substances can increase the risk of skin dryness or even lesions. This is especially true when the hands are the working tools of an individual, who is then more exposed to these risks.
How to recognize damaged hands? How can they be treated and, above all, how can the risk of lesions and dermatitis be prevented?
What factors cause hand injuries at work?
Several factors can increase the risk of skin diseases and injuries:
- Temperature variations (very cold, very hot, very dry);
- Humidity;
- Sweating;
- Water and maceration when wearing latex or rubber gloves;
- Repeated hand washing;
- Gloves that are too tight or have a rough lining;
- Rubbing;
- Chemical substances (oils, greases, detergents etc).
These different elements can cause skin dryness and even lesions.
Deprived of its hydrolipidic film, the skin is altered, dehydrated and more exposed to mechanical irritations.
To recognise damaged hands, it is important to spot:
- Redness (due to the use of aggressive products or prolonged contact with hot water)
- Cracks and crazing (due to very dry hands)
- Tightness and itching (also due to dry skin)
- Scaling (when the skin of the hands is very damaged and dry)
What solutions are there for hands damaged by work?
Hands that are damaged or prone to dermatitis must be nourished and moisturised.
Therefore, it is advisable to clean them well by using gentle products, such as a surgras soap (non-aggressive for the skin) or foam cleansers.
Next, it is important to use creams that are rich enough to form a protective film on the hands. The aim? To facilitate cell regeneration and accelerate tissue repair.
There are also special ointments for hands damaged by work with a suitable formulation (without perfume, preservatives, dyes, etc).
Daily application – and repeated as often as necessary – is recommended after thorough hand washing and drying. In addition, it is important not to forget the nails, which should also be given special attention.
To complete and consolidate the action of the cream, it is possible to apply a calendula or argan oil, preferably pure.
How to prevent hand injuries at work?
It is possible to avoid – if not limit – the risk of hand dermatitis by adopting a few good habits:
- Dry your hands well after each wash and apply a moisturising cream as a preventive measure;
- If possible, avoid contact with irritating substances, oils and greases;
- Wear suitable protective gloves (PPE) with a wool lining or cotton undergloves under latex gloves.
This last point is all the more important as protective gloves not only limit the risk of dermatitis, but also reduce the risk of cuts on the hand and the risk linked to thermal factors (cold, heat).
Although there are multi-purpose gloves, we recommend that you wear PPE adapted to your activity. ROSTAING offers solutions that are specially designed for specific uses and are developed alongside users in each profession.
We can’t stress this enough: the best protective technical glove is the one that has been designed for a specific application!
To find out more about our ranges of gloves adapted to your activity, consult our 2022 catalogue.
Would you like to place an order or become a ROSTAING retailer? Let us know at commercial@rostaing.fr.
For any other question about our offer and our products, our product engineers are at your disposal: product@rostaing.fr
