Dry hands in the heating season: hand care in Tashkent

Once the heating comes on, your hands are the first to show it: skin feels tight after washing, knuckles start to flake and crack, and cuticles dry out within a couple of days. In Tashkent, hard water adds to the dry air. Here is why it happens and what simple care actually helps.

Why hands dry out right now

The skin on your hands is thinner than on your face, and the backs of the hands have very few oil glands. Its protective lipid layer recovers slowly, and in autumn several things wear it down at once:

• Heating. Radiators and air conditioners on heat mode dry the air at home and in the office, so skin loses moisture faster.
• Hard water. Calcium and magnesium in Tashkent tap water bind to the cleansing agents in soap and stay on the skin as a film. Research by British dermatologists shows that hard water weakens the skin barrier and makes it more sensitive to wash products.
• Cold outside. Mornings and evenings are already chilly, and the jump between the street and a warm room chaps hands even more.

How to wash without drying your skin

There is no need to wash less; what matters is how you do it. Use warm water rather than hot, as hot water strips the skin's own lipids faster. A mild soap or wash made for dry skin is better than an antibacterial one, unless a doctor has advised otherwise. Pat your hands dry instead of rubbing them. Wear gloves for washing up and cleaning; if rubber ones feel uncomfortable, choose a pair with a cotton lining.

Which cream to choose and when to apply it

In winter, a light lotion is no longer enough. Look for a rich cream with petrolatum, lanolin, glycerin or ceramides and without fragrance or dyes, which are more likely to irritate dry skin. The key rule is to apply cream straight after every wash, while the skin is still slightly damp. Keeping a tube by the sink and in your bag makes this easy. If your knuckles are already cracking, apply a thick layer of ointment at night and wear thin cotton gloves. Outdoors in the cold, gloves help too.

Cuticles, nails and when to see a doctor

Dry hands almost always show on the nails as well: cuticles crack, hangnails appear and the nail starts to peel. Cuticle oil in the evening and a careful manicure that does not cut away too much skin keep hands in good shape. At BOSCO, tools are sterilised in a dry-heat cabinet, and your technician will tell you whether your nails need strengthening. This applies to everyone: a men's manicure without polish does the same job.

If cracks bleed and do not heal within one or two weeks, or you notice itching, blisters, redness or weeping patches, this is no longer cosmetic dryness. In that case you need to see a dermatologist, not buy a new cream.

Services and prices are on the manicure and pedicure page, and how to keep nails strong this autumn is covered in our article on nail strengthening or extensions.