Solutions For Split Fingertips

Use a band-aid over the Vaseline or A&D, at least at night... during the day if possible.
When it's really bad... I lotion heavy and put on latex gloves overnite.

Split finger tips have been a severe problem for me for years. As a union carpenter and as a contractor, working outside in the cold all winter caused my fingers to split to the point of asking my doctor if he could stich them up.

I have found the cure. I am NOT a salesman for the company, and make nothing in the promotion of the product. In fact I have given bottles to anyone with the splits that I encounter, because I know the pain.
PORTERS LOTION from Bozeman Montana WILL cure the splits.

I start using it in the fall and all winter, and have never had a split since. All those other cures DO NOT WORK!

Porters does. www.porterslotion.com/

I've found a product on-line called 'No Crack' Hand Cream from Dumont Company in Wisconsin to be very effective. What I also like about it, besides being very good for chapped hands and splits, is it's not greasy.
I use 'Liquid Bandage' with it and I think I get just about as much relief as I can and I've tried a lot of products.

Thanks,
Bill B.

My husband and I swear by Desitin ointment (used to prevent diaper rash) for this problem. I think it's the zinc in it that works. We first put the Desitin on the cracks in the fingers at night, cover with a bandaid to keep it from getting on the sheets, and by morning the cracks are much better. If they're still painful, continue using Desitin (during the day, too, if you want) for another day or night, or two.

Dear Graedons:

I used to have problems with split fingertips. I live in Western Canada in Southern Alberta and our winters are very dry. Every winter I experienced extremely sore fingertips and thumbtips, they would split , partially heal and resplit. Then, five years ago, I installed a humidfier onto my furnace. End of cracked finger/thumbtips... none since that time. I also used to have very dry feet (heels and soles), it also cured this problem.... so please tell your readers to install a portable humidifier, attach humidifier to furnace or boil the kettle often.... get moist air into living area (mainly sleeping area).

Ralph Dowson

I have used a Lotil cream manufactured in England for this problem. Can be purchased in US and works great.

The splits on my fingers cleared up completely and quickly after adding more Vitamin D to my daily regimen. When through a simple blood test it was determined that my Vitamin D levels were low, my Dr. told me to up Vitamin D intake to at least 2000 mg per day. This was originally done because bone scan results seemed to be a bit worse each year. The finger split cure is a happy accident which occurred in trying to solve another problem.

Nancy

Neutrogena's Norwegian Fishermen formula handcream was the only product which fixed the problem for my mother - she used to dread lambing time on the farm because of the painful splits on her hands.

I recommend pure lanolin.

From memory I think it is hydroscopic lanolin. I got it from a compounding pharmacy.

You will have a faint sheep smell for awhile when you first put it on. I usually put it on at night - rubbing it in well.

Dick

I tried soaking my fingers in a small bowl of warm water and a pinch of the type of salt that is "dirty" looking--sea salt with lots of the natural mineral content. It is not a cure, but the more often I do it the better the skin and nails have become. Works to relieve fungus too.

The best treatment I've found for severely cracked fingers is "Nexcare Skin Crack Care." It looks like a tiny bottle of clear nail polish, and you brush it onto the crack just as you would apply nail polish. It seals the crack, and is waterproof and long-lasting. The creams and lotions mentioned are good, too, but this is best if you have to go to work with a severely cracked finger.

I have suffered from very dry 'winter' skin all of my 70+ years. A few years ago, on a routine wintertime visit to my dermatologist, he took note of the split skin on my fingertips at the edge of each fingernail, and excitedly stated that he had a new remedy--super glue in each crack.

I tried it right away and it worked like a charm, relieving the pain and hastening a cure. As he told me this, he pointed to a young Dr at his side, his son, who had just completed his residency at a major hospital, as the source of this latest info.

I like to use the Loctite brand, because the glue remains useable until it is gone, unlike many tubes of super glue.

I recently underwent thoracic surgery, which entailed a very long incision from the middle of my back all the way around to the front. I awoke to discover it had been glued, not sutured, shut and it healed very nicely.

It's the Norwegian Formula Body Emulsion from Neutrogena that works the best. It fixed my cracked fingers and my gator-looking legs. I alway put it on before I leave the house and it stays on for a long time. I can even feel it after I was and I work in a kitchen. I wash all day. I have tried every thing there is and I keep coming back to the Neutrogena Body Emulsion. I don't try anything anymore. It's burning money.

I have had splitting finger ends for years, working outdoors, especially in the winter, but my son told me about O'Keefe's Working Hands Cream, and it cured my problem. It is not especially greasy, but does have parafin. Just put it on as you go to bed and leave overnight. Thanks for all your help.

In reference to painful split fingers, after many trips to a few differant doctors and many failed solutions, I read in a women's magazine a possible helpful hint which I tried and it worked wonders, no more splits: just take a 1200 mg Flax seed oil soft gel daily takes about a week to work been doing it for years NO MORE SPLITS. David

We use Zim's Crack Creme liquid skin care on our fingertips and heels during the winter months. It's fantastic, very effective and very pure, only 5 ingredients. Be sure to get the liquid version. www.crackcreme.com.

Gold Bond Ultimate Healing Skin Therapy Lotion keeps my fingers from cracking.

My splits were from the newspaper! I started wearing cotton gloves and no more splits. Something in the ink or acid wash in the newspaper was causing my finger tips to split. I had tried everything and one morning I heard a sizzle and felt a split opening up as I held the paper. I have NEVER had another split with the gloves.

DRINK PURIFIED WATER. A few days ago I noticed that my fingertips were starting to crack again, as they have every winter season. I then realized that I had not been drinking my normal daily volume of purified water so I upped my minimum daily water intake back up to 6+ glasses immediately. I said purified water because I believe it rehydrates the skin but it likewise helps to remove other harmful toxins from within the human body.

Jointly, I have been using a heavy coating of "udder cream" (available at most pharmacies) on my fingertips and hands 3 times a day; rubbing and massaging the lotion into my skin until it disappears. (Udder cream in the tips of disposable glove would probably help for even added crack hydration.)

My fingertips are now definitely on the mend. Remember and take heart! I painfully waited a couple days before reacting to my split fingers, so now it's going to take as long to heal them! I hope this helps you! Happy Holidays! :) :)

I have this cracking/splitting skin problem on my fingers every winter. Oddly enough, if I have acrylic fingernails applied, the splitting and cracking does not occur.

I have found that CARMEX works quite well for cracked fingers as well as cold sores and chapped lips for which is is marketed.

I have suffered from split fingers all my adult life and so has my mother and my grandmother. I have a background in nutrition and take many vitamins and drink plenty of pure water. Nothing seemed to help. After reading the suggestions on this site, I remembered that I had some Bag Balm in a drawer from my elderly dog whose pads were worn. I rubbed some into the 5 fingers that were splitting and felt immediate relief. Within minutes, the skin was less hard and the splits felt soothed. I won't know for sure for a few days, but this seems to work the best of all the remedies I've tried over the years. I plan to slather it on at night and wear gloves to bed. I'll keep you posted and thanks!

My husband and I both suffer from this problem. Last year one of our surgeons shared some of his hand cream that he swears by with me and now half of my hospital is using it. He has used it for years for the splitting problem. When I went online to order it (it can be found at pharmacies also) I found another product that helps heal also, and it works really well. The two together are the best help we have ever found. The hand cream is TheraSeal Hand Protection and the "healer" is HANDY manum by DERMAdoctor.

Hi everyone and thank you for posting your helpful suggestions on this website. I have Raynaud's Disease, which affects the blood flow to my fingertips. After reading everyone's ideas on how to heal the splits in my fingertips, I found one comment in particular that I could totally relate to. It was the one by LC on 11/20/07 when he mentioned that he asked his doctor to stitch up the splits because they were so painful. I had just asked the exact question to a nurse the day before I found this topic online (sadly the answer was no).

Anyway, I decided that since I had tried most of the other suggestions, that I would order some lotion from porterslotion.com. Well let me tell you, it truly is the only thing that is allowing my skin to close back up. I have tried everything, including Vicks VapoRub, Bag Balm, Vasoline and every lotion imaginable. It has almost completely healed a crack on my thumb that I have had for two months, and I've only been using the Porter's Lotion for 48 hours!

I am going to place another order for more of their products since the original lotion works so well. I highly recommend Porter's Lotion to anyone with fingertip cracks or any disorder that would make it more difficult for the body to heal itself quickly from cuts or cracks. And like the gentleman LC said, I am not profiting by endorsing Porter's Lotion. I just want other people to finally experience the relief that I have long sought out.

I too suffer from the splits. It is currently 4 a.m., and I cannot sleep dut to the pain. Last year I came close to going to the hospital, my fingers were so painful.

I have a small split on the tip of my thumb I've had now for years that won't close up. I've tried everything, from Neosporen, steroid creams, butterfly bandages to try to hold it shut, even tried a product called Split Finger Fix, which was basically superglue, that didn't work either. I've always worn bandages because without it will hurt.

At my most recent dermatologist appt. she said they couldn't take a stitch becuse of the location and she gave me the strongest steroid cream on the market, which a month later hasn't worked either. She said the next step is a slice biopsy -- not appealing -- to see if there's something in there preventing it from closing up. I will try some of the suggestions I've read here. Does anyone else have any other remedies for me?

I've been suffering since I was 17, I'm 64 now... thought after menopause my splits would go away or ease up some. Instead I don't get relief in the summer anymore. There are times I literally cry with pain, it gets so bad I drop stuff... not to mention how unfeminine I feel. I can hide them under gloves in the winter... summer they're out in plain view. Band-Aids bring me relief, but don't solve the problem, as soon as they come off the spilts start to open again.

I've seen so many dermatologists in my lifetime... they prescribed a steroid cream and tell me to keep my hands out of water as much as possible... ha!

Glad I found this forum... I'll try some of your suggestions... thanks!

Wow! I posted a message on 3/10 about my split thumb--I have since used the Nexcare Skin Crack care and also started taking Flax seed oil, 1000mg daily and it's amazing! The split hasn't completely closed yet, but after only a few days it doesn't hurt or sting anymore, and I can tell it's healing from the inside--for the first time in 4 years! Sounds silly to get so excited about this but my husband has called me "Bandaid Lady" for the longest time. Just wanted to let people know that I appreciate their help.

Tie an onion to your belt!

Just Kidding, use some numbing agent to ease the pain and stick your finger in cider.

Is it the Porter's Original Lotion for dry skin that I need? I am in the UK and dont want to order the wrong stuff! My wife's fingers constantly crack and are painful; then as one heals the next cracks. Constant band aids and blood.
Really want this to work
Thankyou

I have had cracked skin along my fingertips for months now, and recently found that it was caused by using products that have aloe or by touching latex (I am allergic to both). Latex is used on calculator and remote buttons, car door remote buttons, and also on washer and dryer handles, as well as on many other common products, such as grips on pens and the handles on kitchen utensils. Aloe is ever more common in soaps, cosmetics, and lotions.

Both cause my fingers to crack and my skin to turn red. Recently, on the Mayo Clinic website, I found an article that explains that people allergic to latex are also often allergic to aloe, and these symptoms are among the ones that indicate the allergy.

You might want to try discontinuing contact with aloe and latex and see if your skin heals. Mine has! I have put tape over the washer and dryer handles, got rid of the liquid soap with aloe, thrown out all of my lipsticks with aloe (which were causing my lips to split and bleed), and also got rid of the "Fungi Cure" liquid that I had been using on my fingers because I thought I had a fungal infection. It turns out that Fungi Cure has aloe in it, so I was making the problem worse.

Anyone allergic to aloe and latex will want to avoid latex gloves and bandaids also. Most pharmacies sell latex-free gloves and bandages.

Best of luck to you, fellow sufferers from this allergy!

My acupuncturist suggested the following: first rub the split with fresh garlic, wait 1 hour. (this may sting a bit briefly) Second, apply a drop of sesame oil. Worked for me!

This may be a duplicate posting...But I have used a product called BoilEase on my fingertips. It contains a pain reliever in the lotion. It does not heal the cracks or stop the bleeding but it does stop the pain within 10 minutes of putting it on.

Just reading through the comments, as I suffer from the same split finger problem, and I read the comment (Dec 6 '07) about the acrylic nails -- I noticed that when my nails are long, I don't get the problem, probably because the tips are protected from damage by the long nails. In winter because the skin is dry, it's more susceptible to damage. The splitting only occurs in winter because in summer the skin is mostly moist from perspiration. Just about any cream seems to work in healing the splits but they keep coming back. I'm off to buy the glue, though, as I'm fed up with band aids.

I'm so relieved to find this site because I have suffered with these painful cracks for about 15 years. They used to only occur in winter but now I have them year round, especially with the dry summers we have in Texas.

I've tried everything including most of the products suggested on this site. The doctors have called it eczema, but I never have the itching described as one of the symptoms, so I think I am being misdiagnosed. After trying 4 different, expensive steroid creams, my Harvard educated dermatologist did a patch test on me, and found me to be allergic to Caine mix, which includes several chemicals, medicines (bacitracin which is in the Polysporin I was using to help heal the splits!); but the Mayo Clinic CARD database that my doctor has access to also told me to stay away from fragrance, formaldyhyde, neomycin, benzocaine, and a bunch of other things.

The doctor printed out a list of items I can use, most of which are only available through special order at pharmacies or over the internet. I have had to revamp practically my whole life, and have spent nearly $300. in the last 2 weeks on products. In spite of that, I am still getting the splits on my fingertips, and I am miserable. Does anyone have any other suggestions not seen previously on this site?

I have the same problem, I use super glue to seal the skin closed. It stops the stinging and I just read in your readers comments about using Vick's Vapor Rub.....Think I'll give that a try also. Jim P....NC

I highly recommend Neosporin. It moisturizes dry fingertips and heals splits almost instantly.

The trick is VITAMIN C, 1000 mg per day. This took me from 4 or 5 painful splits to zero in 2 weeks. I think of splits as a scurvy of the fingertips.

I have suffered from split thumbs and occasionally split index fingertips since I was a teen (and am now 50). The only time I was free of the splits was when I had acrylic nails. I have filed or trimmed the calloused skin away when I have the splits. That takes the edge off the pain, as the hardened skin seemed to keep pulling the splits apart. I then use the super glue or 'liquid band-aid'. I am anxious to start the Flax which I have in my cupboard unopened, and a major split on each thumb. I hope it works, as topical treatments have helped very little. Thanks for the suggestion!

I've had split thumbs for years. I'm 62.After doing all the old stuff, nothing helped much. But would you believe, after looking over this site I took the best sounding cures, put them together. WOW With in
24 hrs. big difference. 48 hrs.
almost gone.

Told two of my pals with same or worse.Worked for them too. Here it is:
800 IU. vitamins A&D. 1000mg flaxseed oil. Udderly Smooth cream on hands at night & morning. You will be surprised.
Good Luck! RICK

You can purchase inexpensive cotton gloves at any pharmacy. I saw them at Target also.

My best results were from using neosporin, pretty much immediate relief. Neosporin ointment works better than the cream. Continue use for a couple days and cracks go away.

Have lived with split fingertips for years but had none this winter (2008-09).The only difference is that we have changed our type of heat and are living at cooler temps this winter. Using radiant heat more and the furnace a lot less. The humidity in our bedroom is about 40% now and was much lower in past winters. So I assume that's the answer. It has been so nice not to be troubled by this problem for the first winter in years.

The pain from split fingertips really can be excruciating from even the slightest touch, especially when the split is wide enough. My wife, being a nurses aid for 25 years now keeps a box of latex gloves at home for her home care jobs. What we do is cut a finger from a latex glove, put a glob of bacitracin on the effected finger & slide the latex finger on.
Within an hour the pain is gone and after keeping it on for a day or two the split is closed & healing is on its way.

I'm a nurse and keep my hands in water all day!. I have tried almost everything (bandaids, new skin, lotions, steri strips...etc) except the vitamins and super glue. I have recently bought Heel balm from Walgreens and I've put it on my split fingertips as much as possible. Although it is thick and greasy, it absorbs quick and completely. So far no new cracks and less pain. I will keep you posted.

super glue works like a charm

I had a split thumb for a couple of years and it began to cauliflower, It was horrible. One day I was thinking maybe there is a fungus in there that won't make it heal. So I tried Tinactin antifungal cream and rubbed it into the thumb tip.

After 1 week it was completely healed, I was so amazed with this and relieved that after seeing dermatologist and doctors, that I figured it out on my own. I still get split thumbs from time to time. Actually I had one on Friday and put the Tinactin on the thumb and its already pretty much healed. I recommend this to anyone, what do you have to loose.
Regards and good luck.
Bill

My thumbs and index fingers have started splitting on ends, it has happened the last couple of years. I work with modeling balloons-entertainer. yes it must be the latex, what can i rub into the ends of fingers? Iam in the UK.

I have a cure that has worked for me and it seemed to happen fairly quick. My thumbs and 1st two fingers on both hands were cracked, very painful and not getting better so this did it. I wash my hands then dry them. I then use Bactine Pain Relieving Cleansing Spray, as it doesn't contain alcohol and burn more tissue when applied, so it really feels good and kills the pain. Then I apply Ultravate Cream .05% (halobetasol propionate cream). There is a generic so its not expensive. Do this morning and night till it clears up then once a day and less and less. It worked for me and my fingers are great. Good luck, Rich.

I have a cure that has worked for me and it seemed to happen fairly quick. My thumbs and 1st two fingers on both hands were cracked, very painful and not getting better so this did it. I wash my hands then dry them. I then use Bactine Pain Relieving Cleansing Spray, as it doesn't contain alcohol and burn more tissue when applied, so it really feels good and kills the pain. Then I apply Ultravate Cream .05% (halobetasol propionate cream). There is a generic so its not expensive. Do this morning and night till it clears up then once a day and less and less. It worked for me and my fingers are great. Good luck, Rich.

yep i have the same problem. splits for the last twenty years or so best thing i have tried is super glue. it seals the wound and stops the pain. i think i will try porters lotion also.

Use Porter's lotion on legs, hands, heels, knees, and elbows. If I am out of the stuff I suffer. My back up for hands only is water-based Working Hands Cream from Joseph, Oregon. I don't sell either of these. The grease solutions don't work for me.

For the past year and a half I've experienced the finger tips on both hands (thumb and index fingers) the skin starts to peel off and then the flesh splits in small incisions at multiple locations on each finger and thumb, then it starts to heal then splits open again, and again, and again bleeding occurs at each split (fingers get so sore that you cant perform any relative functions without pain).

Very uncomfortable and its always on your mind, even hard to sleep. I've tried numerous products, such as petroleum jelly, spray-on band aids, super glue, neosporin, my dermatologist prescribed "Mometasome Furoate Cream UPS, 0.1% 15 grams", "Colbetasol Propionate Ointment USP 0.5% 30 grams" I also took "Prednisone 10mg tablets on a 28 days cycle", and took "Kenolog 40 1cc & Dexamethasone Sodium Phosphate 1cc injections" but to date nothing has worked for more than a few days before the splitting returned. I've started soaking my fingers in (off the shelf) Peroxide solution 1% and it seems to retard the splitting and helps the healing.

I first suffered this condition over 10 years ago and my doctor said it had to do with stress so I took up running and weights. It pretty much disappeared. but I have has a relapse lately and (not going to the gym) and have tried many things. I had splits and peeling fingers on 7/10 fingers and 2/10 toes. i' am now "healed" and this is my prescription:

1000mg flaxseed oil, vicks vapour rub, moogoo moisturerer, zinc cream and - wrapping diprosone OV and cling wrap to your fingers at night. for some reason, since I upped mu vitamin C things seemed to get better too. I also take zinc and multivitamins too. hope you get relief.

I had a small callous on the tip of my thumb that would not go away. A dermatologist said it was a wart and froze the spot three times in a row. Agony!
Ever since, the area splits continuously. One will heal, slowly and as soon as it is gone, a new split occurs.
Help! I have tried every cream in North America.