Drum layoff due to cracked hands

Liebe zeit

Liebe zeit

Silver Member
Well, not a total layoff as I did 45 mins of foot-heavy practice today, but that's instead of the 2hrs I usually do.

The reason is that hard skin/callouses I've got on my hands have cracked and are really painful.

It's my right hand fulcrum position on my index finger that's caused me this most recent pain. Had a band practice last night and a crack opened up across the joint. I was wearing golf gloves but it still cracked open.

My left hand developed a callous and cracked across the middle joint of the middle finger which is where I seem to slam the snare from.

If nothing else it's shown me where the main area of work takes place on each hand and that I don't really have a matched grip.

I'm on light practice for a few days now and wearing gloves on both hands to try and get the hard skin/cracking to heal.

Anyone else had these kind of problems?
 
Ya, I get cracked fingers on my thumb just to the right of the nail. Funny, my big toes crack in the same place. usually in the winter. Is it currently cold where you are? What happens is, during the winter months, the dry air created by artificial heat causes this. Here's what i did to combat this, and it's worked pretty well. Put on lotion all the time. At least 10 times a day, i grease up my hands. Trick: get hands wet first, apply 2 squirts of lotion and rub it in. It'll be real slick at first, so don't even try to shake someone's hand or pick up a drumstick. Try this for a few days, it should clear up your problem. If not, try a product called " working hands", it's available online. I haven't had succes with that product, but others I have spoken with have...
 
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I have had the same issues as well. And, as a matter of fact, I don't have much to add to the first reply, except that I use Vitamin E Creme instead of lotion. It's still pretty greasy, honestly, but I have tried "working hands" and various lotions, cocoa butter, etc., and the Vitamin E just seems to work better. I apply once in the morning and once in the evening, and I try to remember to do it once in the middle of the day, but usually forget.

If this is an issue that shows up often, as it does for me, whatever topical treatment you choose, I would suggest that you make it a daily ritual regardless of the temp/circumstances, and you'd probably never have to deal with the issue again...preventative maintenance is always better than corrective maintenance.
 
I can't help thinking that part of the problem is something you're not getting in your diet.
 
I had problems with cracked hands which turned into Eczema brought on by stress (My mother having a stroke and passing away early this year).

Doc prescribed a steroid cream that i apply as needed. Stress and diet are definitely contributing factors.
 
I have a extreme case of psoriasis,with some occasional scaling on my hands,feet,knees and elbows which make it impossible to play sometimes.I can't even pick up a guitar.

In both cases it results in cracking and bleeding.I'm undergoing a course of injectable meds now,but they also compromise the immune system,so it's no magic pill.

Just another something to deal with.Oh well.:)

Steve B
 
tamadrm said:
I have a extreme case of psoriasis,with some occasional scaling on my hands,feet,knees and elbows which make it impossible to play sometimes.I can't even pick up a guitar.

In both cases it results in cracking and bleeding.I'm undergoing a course of injectable meds now,but they also compromise the immune system,so it's no magic pill.

Just another something to deal with.Oh well.:)

Steve B
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One of my electrical customers has psoriasis, where the skin on her forearms looks like it lost it's pigment...She cut gluten out of her diet and her color is coming back. Gluten is behind a lot of seemingly unrelated mystery conditions..People have none to mild to medium to severe gluten intolerance. Have you considered that? Cutting it out of your diet is not that hard. It's an easy thing to fix, if that's actually the cause. Doctors generally don't consider nutrition. Which is insane actually.
 
I get a lot of cracking, too, which I always assumed was eczema. It's not just that it hurts in that spot, which is bad enough, but that it causes me to change my grip to something unnatural and then I get blisters elsewhere - usually on my thumb somewhere.

I might try the vitamin E trick..
StickIt said:
If this is an issue that shows up often, as it does for me, whatever topical treatment you choose, I would suggest that you make it a daily ritual regardless of the temp/circumstances, and you'd probably never have to deal with the issue again...preventative maintenance is always better than corrective maintenance.
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That's it right there.
 
-Drinking plenty of water helps.
-Fish oil/ omega 3-6 supplements help.
-home humidifier!
-There's also an unscented Vaseline intensive care in a white bottle which is terrific. it's the only one I'll use as it is non-irritant (mostly in the winter or very dry weather).
-loosen your grip within the fulcrum? use a more open German or American grip?
lasty, wearing gloves when you sleep! I know it sounds crazy, but the moisture will remain locked in and allow your hands to heal more quickly.

I've had dry skin and cracking problems, eczema, etc all of my life..in some cases quite severe. All of the above have helped me overcome them at some point. Although aging sucks, my body outgrew the dry skin phase and seemed to replace with allergies (whole different story) :D

Good luck!
 
Muckster said:
I had problems with cracked hands which turned into Eczema brought on by stress (My mother having a stroke and passing away early this year).

Doc prescribed a steroid cream that i apply as needed. Stress and diet are definitely contributing factors.
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I've tried plenty of RX steroid creams, but found they greatly affect sensitivity and feeling in those areas over time. They do provide quick healing and relief, but the buildup of skin tissue would become a problem in that inside area of index finger. bad news for a drummer, but perhaps better than the cracking and pain.
 
Lotion should be good for normal issues. I used to work construction and do a lot of concrete work and I found that occasionally I would have to sleep with rubber gloves on and maybe a little neosporin too. Hands sweat a little but feels good the next day.

Lotion 10x a day first.
 
I agree with Larry - could there be something you're not getting in your diet? I noticed alot of little drumming ailments stopped when I started taking multivitamins (I'm at that age) and really drinking alot of water. If the skin isn't as flexible as it once used to be, that could indicate your body needs something - perhaps your doctor can you give you correct advice, but I'd start there.

I would suggest Milk Bones to get clean strong teeth and a nice shiny coat as well!
 
Thanks for all the replies, guys. I was expecting most people to say "technique!" but the hydration, food, temperature stuff has certainly given me food for thought. It's pretty wintery here right now and my drum cellar is unheated and I'm down there up to 2 hrs a day.

I'm gonna make sure I'm well fed and hydrated (which I didn't think was a problem), take it easy for a while and keep wearing gloves for now. I started wearing a glove on my left hand a couple of weeks ago for practice and it has helped a lot by letting the skin recover. I'll be doing the same on my right for a bit now
 
Eucerin. Branded as Aquafor sometimes. Works on kids butts.... and drummers hands!

I WISH diet would help this, but it sounds like what you have is the same as what I have. It's just a winter condition that a humidifier will help, and creams instead of lotions. Creams, or balms have an oil base which will stay and soak-in better.

I eat a paleo gluten free diet (have for three years)... I have otherwise very good skin except for some cracks on my thumbs. It's always good to look at diet though.

God luck!
 
StickIt said:
I have had the same issues as well. And, as a matter of fact, I don't have much to add to the first reply, except that I use Vitamin E Creme instead of lotion. It's still pretty greasy, honestly, but I have tried "working hands" and various lotions, cocoa butter, etc., and the Vitamin E just seems to work better. I apply once in the morning and once in the evening, and I try to remember to do it once in the middle of the day, but usually forget.

If this is an issue that shows up often, as it does for me, whatever topical treatment you choose, I would suggest that you make it a daily ritual regardless of the temp/circumstances, and you'd probably never have to deal with the issue again...preventative maintenance is always better than corrective maintenance.
Click to expand...

Vitamin E is used for scar regeneration and is proven to work. If you can handle it, it might be worth using this creme or indeed wheatgerm oil which is Vit E strong, and puting your hands in cotton gloves impregnated with the stuff while you sleep to derive the maximum benefit.
 
I have done this in the past. Heavy coats of Vaseline at bed time and wear a pair of socks on my hands to bed.. Most of it will soak in over night and the rest can be washed off in the morning.
 
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