Thanks for the recommendation. I will look for it! Are you getting help for your hand washing? Sometimes the hand washing rituals get more elaborate and cause bleeding. My daughter use to wash her hands to the point they would bleed. Now, after 3+ years of therapy she doesn't wash them all of the time. Just washes before meals and when cooking.

Thank you. I def have had the cracked hands. I use some Avon stuff right now as well as some new Dove hand moisturizer that I just received as a gift. I def will have to check that out!

Yes, geek40, it does get to the point where my hands crack and bleed. But I've never considered help for it...I don't see it as a big deal, just a small inconvenience. Unless, you're seeing something I'm not?

Hi punkee. Well, each person is different, but with my daughter her washing became extremely obsessive. she was washing because she was afraid of germs. I guess the question is why do you wash? If it is anxiety related and begins to take up most of your day, then you may need to consult a professional for some help. My daughter, at her worst, was washing her hands about every 10 minutes at home, school, and at night. The hand washing went from a typical way to wash hands and progressed to washing certain fingers in a certain order, using a bar of soap designated for her and only her, and washing for a certain length of time, which became longer as the fear of contamination worsened. Her hands would bleed and she would go back and wash again! Take care!

I've been using this stuff called "YES to Tomatos" It's from Israel I think but you can pick it up at the local drugstore for like 13 dollars. It's GREAT stuff, made from a bunch of natural ingredients and dead sea minerals :)

Yes, the hand washing can become quite unpleasant. When I was in my early teens I use to wash them until they bled and were raw even during the summer months. Then the washing obsession spread to my entire body so my showers would be for nearly a hour a night and just to take a shower became a ritual. The dry, cracked skin was on my hands, elbows and feet.
It is nice that you have found a way to keep your skin from becoming raw, but would it not make you feel better to find a way to control the washing? I know for me it was great to get control again.

im going through this right now. washing my hands until they bleed, they get really sore and hurt.the worse thing is it affects me more emotionally, im upset as my hand washing hasnt been this bad for years, so its upsetting tht it has come back.

my doctor has prescribed me zinc cream and some bath emolient which is good. i am trying to reduce the times i wash my hands in a day, its hard but i have to do it

Well geek40...I wash my hands for similar reasons to your daughter. It's not..well I guess it is because I'm afraid of germs and contamination.

But my main concern is that the one thing I hate beyond all reason is throwing up.

Therefore. If germs=sickness and sickness=throwing up then germs=throwing up (to some extent) and it's what i'm trying to avoid at all cost. You know:

If A=B and B=C then A=C.

=] Yay math. ^_^

But anyway.
I wash my hands two-three times at a time.. lol
like, I'll soap up, wash..soap up again, wash.....soap up again, wash. etc. until i'm satisfied.

I wash before and after I eat, after I shower, before and after cooking, after using the bathroom (sometimes even before also), before and after I touch any part of my face, and periodically throughout the day just because people tend to put their hands to their mouths more frequently than they think they do. and so if I touch or do something gross (like cleaning out my guinea pig cages) i wash and wash and wash afterward, sometimes ever putting rubbing alcohol directly on my hands to clean them (which could also explain the excessive dryness).

But again, I don't really see it as a problem more than just a small inconvenience.

I hope you can recognize when, or if, your small inconvenience controls you rather than you controlling it. I hate throw up too, but I am not so worried about it that I have to wash my hands to the point of them bleeding to keep the stomach flu away. My thoughts are with you always!!! We have guinea pigs too. They are so cute aren't they. I love how they whistle.

AW!
I love my pig pigs. ^_^
They are cute.
I have two boys:
Rodney (Very popular from Dr. Dolittle), and Donatello (NINJA TURTLESS!!)
Lol
Donatello is little yet, but I've had Rodney for awhile.
Sadly, Rodney is sick =(
and I can't figure out what's wrong with him.
You wouldn't happen to know anything about pig pig sickness, would you?

Yeah, I have to wash my hands after I touch certain things. Like after I pet my dog (even if she's just had a bath), and stuff like that.
I often get this feeling like there is something on my hands and I need to wash it off, even if there is not really something there...
My hands get really dry, and I try to use lotion often.
Maybe I should try to decide there are only certain times when I'm allowed to wash my hands, like right before I cook or eat.
Has anyone had any luck with something like this?