my hands and nails totally ruined by stable work- Any wonder potions?

[Storminateacup]

Apart from getting someone else to do the work( no chance!) what do you do to protect your hands through winter?
Only got five months to holiday and hands look like an old washer womans.

 

[scotsmare]

You could have a hand treatment & manicure at your local beauty salon to try and sort them out. Otherwise I recommend a good & fairly heavy moisturiser - Neutrogena is fairly good - to try and soften them up.

 

[Ashgrove]

I use udder cream on my hands, I work on a farm and 'do' my horses, I've found that works really well.

You can get it from farm shops.

 

[Foxglove]

Elizabeth Arden 8 hr hand cream is amazing and works very quickly to soften the hands.

If you can get a hand exfoliator (not sure any particular brands but Boots will have some) and scrub your hands with it every night with warm water. Once you have done this dry throughly and apply whichever hand cream you choose. This will get rid of all the rough skin and give you a head start before you moisturise.

As well as this and applying hand cream throughout the day, wear gloves all the time you are at the stables, grooming, mucking out, riding etc; this can really make a difference.

If your nails are really bad, solar oil (a coconut based oil product) is fantastic and will really improve the nail quality, but you may need to get that from a nail technician.

 

[sammylou1973]

Aveeno, marvellous stuff. Available at all large Boots stores and on the NHS if it's really that bad!

 

[Taboo1968]

Body Shops Hemp Hand Cream

 

[argyle]

OPI nail envy, you can ride, muck out etc etc and as long as you keep appliying like it says your nails will improve and grow. Not sure about a good hand lotion, I just tend to use ehatever is handy, as long as you do it regularly I think most do the job ok.

 

[FarthingwoodFox]

I can highly recommend a blend of turps, bleach, battery acid and dirty toilet water, you can also use this to brush your teeth OP...

 

[MistletoeMegan]

Rowing worked for me - I have such hard callouses on my hands that stable work is no problem!

 

[Boxers]

A good handcream as others have said is a must, but as for your nails have you thought about having gel overlays? I have mine done every 3 wks - it costs £20. \basically she paints on a couple of layers of gel (clear) with white tips and it is ROCK hard. I do my horse, gardening, the dogs etc, and they don't chip or break or anything - so worth the money!

 

[Storminateacup]

[ QUOTE ]
Body Shops Hemp Hand Cream

[/ QUOTE ]ooh I remember that!

 

[Storminateacup]

[ QUOTE ]
but as for your nails have you thought about having gel overlays? I have mine done every 3 wks - it costs £20. \basically she paints on a couple of layers of gel (clear) with white tips and it is ROCK hard.

[/ QUOTE ]
I think that is what I am going to have to do, my nails are so thin, I am getting sore fingers. certainly for hols.

 

[Storminateacup]

[ QUOTE ]
I can highly recommend a blend of turps, bleach, battery acid and dirty toilet water, you can also use this to brush your teeth OP...

[/ QUOTE ]
I guess that's what you use

 

[the watcher]

Rub almond oil into your nails and cuticles every night, and to exfoliate and soften the skin mix together olive (or vegetable) oil and coarse salt and rub this firmly over your hands (and elbows and knees) a couple of times a week - you can add ylang ylang or a drop of lavender oil to make it smell nicer