By: Terry Graedon January 4, 2021 3 Comments
    How Can You Prevent Dry Skin?

    Have you looked at your hands lately? Chances are they are red and chapped. Washing your hands is one of the ways you can reduce your chance of contracting COVID-19. So most of us are washing our hand…

    By: Joe Graedon November 26, 2018 11 Comments
    Anticholinergic Drugs | Dry Mouth and Alzheimer …

    Anticholinergic drugs are generally bad for the brain. They affect the crucial neurochemical acetylcholine. One worry about anticholinergic drugs is a link to memory problems or Alzheimer's disease (J…

    By: Terry Graedon November 1, 2018 0 Comments
    How Aysa, an AI App, Helped a Mother with her Ch…

    Nicole Pharr is used to keeping a close eye on her daughter Madison’s skin. Madison is prone to eczema and has had highly sensitive skin since she was a baby. Still, Nicole was concerned after her d…

    By: Joe Graedon February 1, 2018 14 Comments
    How to Deal with Dry Skin and Cracks from Too Mu…

    Are you washing your hands dozens of times a day? That's hardly surprising. The flu epidemic that's sweeping the country has everyone freaked out. Virtually every public service announcement about how…

    By: Joe Graedon January 8, 2018 9 Comments
    Overcoming Chapped Lips and Dry Skin in the Wint…

    Are you licking your lips? That is the first sign they are becoming dry and chapped. Lip licking is the worst thing you can do to your lips. It may temporarily make them feel better but licking just d…

    By: Terry Graedon November 20, 2017 31 Comments
    Can You Heal Sore Fingertips with Salve?

    Every year, we hear from people who suffer during cold weather with sore fingertips that are cracked or even split open. This condition makes it difficult to fasten buttons, handle pen and paper, mani…

    By: Terry Graedon February 1, 2016 21 Comments
    How to Get Dry Skin to Stop Itching

    In the winter, when we turn on the heat and hot air blows through our houses, dry skin is common. That doesn't make it any less bothersome. This reader is hoping for a way to manage it. Itchy Dry Ski…

    By: Joe Graedon July 2, 2015 13 Comments
    Does Castor Oil Clear Actinic Keratosis?

    Q. I thought you should know that years ago my husband's dermatologist told him to use castor oil on pre-cancerous spots on his face. They all just sort of fell off and he never had to have any remove…

    By: Joe Graedon March 26, 2015 15 Comments
    Soothing Dry Skin

    Q. I know it is spring, but my hands really took a beating this winter. They are still so dry they are painful. What do you recommend? A. We are quite partial to Udderly Smooth Extra Care 20 Cream fro…

    By: Joe Graedon February 12, 2015 41 Comments
    Brutal Winter Causes Excruciating Dry Skin

    It is February, and we have been getting a roller coaster ride from the weather. One week the polar vortex swept into the midwest and froze a lot of folks butts. The next week some places got an …

    By: Joe Graedon January 12, 2015 19 Comments
    Nurse Uses Nail Polish to Heal Split and Cracked…

    Q. I'm a nurse in a hospital. Talk about hand washing! Good lord, that soap and foam dispensing anti-bacterial is evil on the hands. No time to lotion between hand washing either. And with winter here…

    By: Joe Graedon November 26, 2014 1 Comments
    Frequent Hand Washing Takes a Toll

    Q. My husband worries about colds because he's a bank teller. He interacts with hundreds of people a day and handles a lot of germ-laden money. Consequently, he washes his hands a lot and has very dry…

    By: Joe Graedon November 20, 2014 7 Comments
    Baby, It’s Cold Outside and Our Skin is Su…

    The weather has been atrocious, just in case you haven't noticed. A friend in Buffalo has sent us photos that make us very glad we live in North Carolina. But even in the south, the weather has been u…

    By: Joe Graedon October 31, 2013 17 Comments
    Looking Beyond the Usual for Dry Skin Solutions

    Q. My husband has VERY dry skin all year, but especially during winter. Straight mineral oil solves the problem. It IS messy, but soaks into the skin in about 5 or 10 minutes and the skin is no longer…

    By: Joe Graedon February 28, 2013 56 Comments
    Suffering From Sandpaper Skin & Cracked Fin…

    Dry skin is a common problem in the winter, and it can often lead to split, cracked fingertips. One of the most basic recommendations is to keep the skin well moisturized. But what moisturizer is best…

    By: Joe Graedon January 14, 2013 5 Comments
    Antibacterial Soap Dried Hands

    Q. I had cracked hands and fingertips for several years and found nothing that helped. Then I got rid of all antibacterial soaps. My hands cleared up immediately, and I have had no trouble since. A. T…

    By: Terry Graedon December 27, 2012 18 Comments
    Dry Skin Misery Needs Oolong Tea

    Q. I am suffering terribly with eczema, aka atopic dermatitis. That's what my dermatologist calls my dry, red, itchy nasty skin. The doctor thought I might have an infection as well, and I have tried …

    By: Joe Graedon October 18, 2012 40 Comments
    Can Hemorrhoid Cream (Prep H) Work for Wrinkles?

    Have you looked in the mirror lately? If you are like us, chances are pretty good that you have noticed a few (or perhaps more than a few) wrinkles. They come with age. Sun exposure can also cause pre…

    By: Joe Graedon August 2, 2012 4 Comments
    Husband’s Obsessive Hand Washing Drives Wi…

    Q. My husband is almost obsessive about washing his hands. Your columns have reinforced his worries that cold and flu germs lurk on every door knob, banister and elevator button. If he shakes hands wi…

    By: Joe Graedon November 21, 2011 0 Comments
    Home Remedies for Holiday Hazards

    Coughs & Colds: As much as we look forward to Christmas and New Years, this time of year can be fraught with unexpected hazards. For one thing, there is the traveling to gather with family and fri…

    By: Joe Graedon January 19, 2009 21 Comments
    Healing Hands Is Hard in the Winter

    At this time of year we get inundated with queries about dry, cracked fingertips. It may seem like a minor annoyance compared to health problems like diabetes or high blood pressure. For those who suf…

    By: Joe Graedon November 17, 2008 13 Comments
    Protecting Dry, Cracked Skin

    Q. Every winter my skin gets awfully dry and itchy. My hands and particularly my fingertips really suffer. At times they crack and bleed. I heard that you have written about solutions for these proble…

    By: Joe Graedon June 18, 2008 6 Comments
    Some Solutions For Persistent Dry Skin

    Q. I'm 52, and since I was a teenager I've had dry skin, or as my dermatologist puts it, “atopic dermatitis.” He tells me it is stress-related and genetic. Every three months I can…

    By: Joe Graedon January 2, 2008 13 Comments
    Acid Mantle For Dry, Cracked Skin

    Q. You have had questions from people with skin cracking on their fingertips. I have another option to add to your suggestions: Acid Mantle from Doak Dermatologics. I learned about it many years ago f…

    By: Joe Graedon April 30, 2007 2 Comments
    Remedy for Cracked Heels

    Q. I have dry cracked heels. What can I do to make them nice and smooth again? A. There are expensive foot creams on the market, but we like affordable products like Bag Balm and Udderly Smooth Foot C…

    By: Joe Graedon February 9, 2004 5 Comments
    Winter Skin Problems Bring Misery

    In the grand scheme of things, dry skin, rough nails and cracked fingertips are not serious health problems. But they certainly can make life miserable. Writing a check or buttoning a shirt with crack…

    By: Joe Graedon May 26, 2003 5 Comments
    Vicks Vaporub Heals Sore Heels

    Have you looked at your heels lately? Most people don't. But at this time of year there is a good chance they are dry and cracked like the rest of your skin. You may even have sore heels because of th…