Got Skin?

[Web Monkey]

For some reason, my thumb and a couple of fingertips tend to develop cracks after a few days of diving in salt water.

Any idea what causes this and how I can prevent it? They don't bleed, but they hurt. Generally I close them up with the liquid crack stuff from the drugstore, but I'd rather not get them at all, since they take a while to actually heal.

Anybody have any words of wisdom?

Terry

 

[Saturation]

Did they wrinkle first after diving? If so, its often desquamated skin caused by wrinkling. Its caused by prolonged immersion in water:

SpringerLink - Journal Article

The only way to avoid that is to have dry gloves.

 

[Web Monkey]

Did they wrinkle first after diving? If so, its often dequamated skin caused by wrinkling. Its caused by prolonged immersion in water:

SpringerLink - Journal Article

The only way to avoid that is to have dry gloves.

Not sure what dequamated means, but before diving, they're regular fingers. After a few dives they look like I just took a too-long bath (all wrinkly), however the cracks only seem to appear after diving, not after a bath.

Drygloves work nicely at home when it's cold (like now), but seem to be a fashion faux pas in tropical waters.

I don't care about the wrinkling, but is there any way to prevent the cracking? It seems to appear at stress points like on my thumb and finger where I turn valves, flip buckles, etc.

It's not life-or-death, it's just annoying, and I like to eliminate annoying.

Thanks!

Terry

 

[Saturation]

I presume your dive time are near 1 hour long, at least. Most people don't take baths that long.

Wrinkling is a caused by blood vessels response to cold, the cracking is skin coming loose, a severe form of desquamation.

 

[Web Monkey]

I presume your dive time are near 1 hour long, at least. Most people don't take baths that long.

Wrinkling is a caused by blood vessels response to cold, the cracking is skin coming loose, a severe form of desquamation.

I guess it's drygloves, shorter dives, or deal with it.

Thanks!

Terry

 

[billsreef]

Salt water can dry out the skin and cause such cracking of the skin as you've described. Simply using some good hand lotion a couple of times a day will help prevent that.

 

[Web Monkey]

Salt water can dry out the skin and cause such cracking of the skin as you've described. Simply using some good hand lotion a couple of times a day will help prevent that.

Thanks, I'll give it a try.

Terry

 

[dschonbrun]

Hydration of the skin through cremes and moisturizers should help... staying better hydrated by drinking a lot of water the day before you dive, and during dive days will also help.

And FYI.. desquamation refers to the Squamous epithelial layer of skin seperating (outer-most). Wikipedia has info if you need more details.