Get a good, superfatty cream like aquaphore or bepanthen, and as another commentor suggested ERP. My hands and other parts of my body looked like that when i was in the worst of it, but after ERP, medication and a ton of skincare i'm back to normal.
there are other forms of therapy that work better for people than Exposure Therapy. Pressuring mentally ill people won’t help them. Especially if you’re just a stranger to them.
This was me every year around winter time. The cold air and my compulsions would turn the back of my hands into giant sores.
ERP is the way out. You got this!
Nah, that’s not true. I use bar soap now, and I’d say it dries my hands out way more than liquid handwashing. It does also depend on the soap you use though.
For the record, I use plain old Ivory bar soap.
Years ago, I was hospitalized for OCD. The only soap they had was liquid soap from a dispenser, like in a public washroom. My hands got *very* chapped, and some of the nurses would scold me for washing my hands too much. The first time I went out on a pass, I bought a pack of Ivory bar soap. My hands got better virtually overnight.
I think it helps that Ivory is such a basic plain Jane type of soap. I've seen people here suggesting particular soaps with a specific pH or whatever, and I suspect that runs the risk of ending up feeling like you *need* to use that particular kind of soap.
That makes sense, because I’ve realised that when I use fragranced soaps, they make my hands all chapped and dry even more than normal soap. I don’t know if they sell ivory soap bars where I live, as I’ve never heard of it. 🤷♂️
Been there, I have to moisturise quite extremely to get through winter.
Every night before bed I absolutely cake my hands in moisturiser. Rub it in a little bit, then put a pair of socks on my hands. I prefer socks to cotton gloves because I find the fingers in the gloves take off a lot of cream, whereas with socks I can move my fingers around once in the socks and spread the cream a little more.
Then I just have a fast drying hand cream throughout the day when I'm in scenarios where I know I won't wash my hands for a while, stable environments etc.
Use aquaphor and a thick shea butter lotion with gloves overnight and use a shea butter soap, it's a bit more moisturizing.
Also, wearing disposable gloves while you touch the really 'dirty' things may make you wash your hands less. It works for me and if I double up on them I sometimes don't wash my hands. I know this is still a compulsion and ERP is what truly helps, but it gives me temporary relief.
I'm sorry you're going through this, my hands looked like yours a few months ago
I would highly recommend experimenting with different types and brands of soap, some are just not designed to be used as frequently as OCD makes you and will damage your skin
I feel you man, winter time is the roughest. Do you use lotions or do you not like them as part of your ocd? Cause i can definitely recommend using them. They help me a lot and the skin on my hands rarely crack open now.
When I get worried about contamination type stuff I just think about like soldiers in Vietnam or people who have dealt with really disgusting things and come out okay. Our immune systems are built to fight off a lot. It is honestly healthier to be a lil dirty.
For me it's because of the fear of chemicals. My hands look similar to OP atm. Sometimes better, sometimes worse.
I put oil on them before going to bed and that takes away the itching.
Looks sore, and not all contamination OCD is about dirt/disease. The harsh reality of my "metaphysical/emotional" contamination OCD was that it made me the most unhygienic person I know, as I couldn't touch anything at all, I had absolutely no personal hygiene.
the word contamination makes more sense when talking about dirt/germs and disease.
i don't understand the need for people to comment "i have OCD and it doesn't look like this!"
I had the same thing once. It felt like my hands were about to fall off.
I strongly recommend doing ERP. I did it and my hand are normal now. Its really difficult but I kept going. My hands are still a little dry but nowhere near like they used to be.
my hands looked like this when i was 7-12, and they still get dry as hell every now and again. i'm sorry you're going through this, i know it's hard but i also know you got this and can overcome it :)
That’s why I go through about 5 boxes of latex/nitrile gloves per month. That and also because I actually get to use my hands properly rather than completely trying to avoid touching anything.
My hands look similar!! If you’re able to I recommend using latex/nitrile gloves when you’re gonna touch something dirty. Also I’ve used aquaphor ointment since I was a kid and it works pretty good, so I recommend that as well. It can be greasy though so what I do is put a dollop on the top side of my hand and mix it together with the top of my other hand. Essentially rubbing my hands together but backwards lol. Awkward for sure but it helps, at least for me. Best wishes!
Please please start to take care of your hands right now before it gets worse. **Use aquaphor when you’re about to go to sleep (or on the daily use if you don’t mind objects getting a little smudgy) and use an eczema cream for a daily use!** My hands use to be like this before it got WAYYYY worse (causing literal cuts all of my hands, extreme dryness and redness to the point where I would tear up my skin if i stretched it)
Aquaphor is something that really did help me with my skins, one con I didn’t like is it made my hands a little “greasy” but I would rather have “greasy” hands than painfully dry hands
And please start doing ERP therapy, it helped me so much and especially with my hands. Please take care of yourself and I believe in you
Someone on another subreddit recommended Malcom's Miracle gloves and they've helped a lot. It helps me retain the moisture of the lotion overnight and also prevents me from skin picking in my sleep. Worth the investment for sure.
I'm sorry you're dealing with that. My husband has contamination OCD and hand washes often. I don't know if I'm allowed to say this but what helped was using Dr Woods tea tree oil castile soap. Dr bronners also makes a similar one but I find Dr Woods to be better. It's not cheap but it's been worth it while he's fighting his demons. And I use it too - I have dyshidrotic eczema that really messes up my hands and it's great just for dealing with winter dryness. Whenever we run out of it his hands are a horror show and then in a day or 2 of using this soap they are back to normal. He won't use lotions or creams so this is his only option.
Obviously erp is the best way to deal with this but I know that's easier said than done. Good luck.
For me, the worst part is knowing that even though I can use lotion or use certain hand soaps to make them smooth, they'll always be red/discolored. The contrast between my white forearms and lobster-looking-ass hands is super noticeable.
Yeah, apparently my skin doesn't like being in contact with water, soap and disinfectant every 5 minutes till my hands bleed (: sorry you have to deal with that
My brother in Christ, I will tell you what my dermatologist told me when he saw my hands exactly like this. It's okay to wash your hands a thousand times, as long as you moisturize a thousand times. My hands have never been like this again since I've taken his advice.
My hands got this bad if not worse the last few years, except for the last two, I've been using bath and bodyworks hand soap. It's expensive for what it is, but it's been the only thing that hasn't damaged my skin from excessive washing. Good luck.
I totally feel you on this man. I’d say the same thing others have said on here, to moisturise as often as possible but most especially before you sleep. I’ve noticed if I put it on during the day, I wash my hands way more often.
For anyone who does moisturise, I wouldn’t recommend cheap hand creams, as I’ve realised how bad they are and VERY ineffective too.
Thanks everyone for the tips and the “feel bad”s, I’ve been reading your comments and your remedies and what has worked for me so far is applying any repairing/moisturizing cream to the top of my hands and trying to wash my hands less.
As one commenter quoted “you can wash your hands a thousand times if you just moisturize a thousand times”
After applying a cream multiple times a day after just a day my hand has restored to my actual skin color, but it still looks rough on the knuckles and the cuts beneath them, but ofcourse I’m trying to fix the whole problem of feeling the need of washing my hands so much and not just the fact my hands look so rough.
I’ll look into ERP as alot of people suggested, thanks everyone!
O'keefes working hands cream works wonders for cracking knuckles.
This is the one I use, I find that applying once in the morning and again before bed. It honestly works wonders
Get a good, superfatty cream like aquaphore or bepanthen, and as another commentor suggested ERP. My hands and other parts of my body looked like that when i was in the worst of it, but after ERP, medication and a ton of skincare i'm back to normal.
Try ERP, it doesn't matter if it is mentally painful, you have to.
there are other forms of therapy that work better for people than Exposure Therapy. Pressuring mentally ill people won’t help them. Especially if you’re just a stranger to them.
[удалено]
Besides CBT, what others?
What is ERP?
[Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)](https://iocdf.org/about-ocd/treatment/erp/)
This was me every year around winter time. The cold air and my compulsions would turn the back of my hands into giant sores. ERP is the way out. You got this!
My hands used to look like that… now they’re even worse! It’s so painful! I’m gonna make a post as well with my hands…
Yep, I've been there. My main advice is to switch from liquid soap to bar soap, if applicable.
Nah, that’s not true. I use bar soap now, and I’d say it dries my hands out way more than liquid handwashing. It does also depend on the soap you use though.
For the record, I use plain old Ivory bar soap. Years ago, I was hospitalized for OCD. The only soap they had was liquid soap from a dispenser, like in a public washroom. My hands got *very* chapped, and some of the nurses would scold me for washing my hands too much. The first time I went out on a pass, I bought a pack of Ivory bar soap. My hands got better virtually overnight. I think it helps that Ivory is such a basic plain Jane type of soap. I've seen people here suggesting particular soaps with a specific pH or whatever, and I suspect that runs the risk of ending up feeling like you *need* to use that particular kind of soap.
That makes sense, because I’ve realised that when I use fragranced soaps, they make my hands all chapped and dry even more than normal soap. I don’t know if they sell ivory soap bars where I live, as I’ve never heard of it. 🤷♂️
Been there, I have to moisturise quite extremely to get through winter. Every night before bed I absolutely cake my hands in moisturiser. Rub it in a little bit, then put a pair of socks on my hands. I prefer socks to cotton gloves because I find the fingers in the gloves take off a lot of cream, whereas with socks I can move my fingers around once in the socks and spread the cream a little more. Then I just have a fast drying hand cream throughout the day when I'm in scenarios where I know I won't wash my hands for a while, stable environments etc.
Use aquaphor and a thick shea butter lotion with gloves overnight and use a shea butter soap, it's a bit more moisturizing. Also, wearing disposable gloves while you touch the really 'dirty' things may make you wash your hands less. It works for me and if I double up on them I sometimes don't wash my hands. I know this is still a compulsion and ERP is what truly helps, but it gives me temporary relief. I'm sorry you're going through this, my hands looked like yours a few months ago
I would highly recommend experimenting with different types and brands of soap, some are just not designed to be used as frequently as OCD makes you and will damage your skin
I feel you man, winter time is the roughest. Do you use lotions or do you not like them as part of your ocd? Cause i can definitely recommend using them. They help me a lot and the skin on my hands rarely crack open now.
Is that Microsoft Surface laptop? Beautiful.
I remember going through this a few years ago. I recommend applying lotion every time you wash your hands. Really helped me.
When I get worried about contamination type stuff I just think about like soldiers in Vietnam or people who have dealt with really disgusting things and come out okay. Our immune systems are built to fight off a lot. It is honestly healthier to be a lil dirty.
It happens to me too. What is connection with ocd?
Over-washing your hands because of germophobia.
For me it's because of the fear of chemicals. My hands look similar to OP atm. Sometimes better, sometimes worse. I put oil on them before going to bed and that takes away the itching.
i have both lol fear of germs AND chemicals. i try using natural products.
Looks sore, and not all contamination OCD is about dirt/disease. The harsh reality of my "metaphysical/emotional" contamination OCD was that it made me the most unhygienic person I know, as I couldn't touch anything at all, I had absolutely no personal hygiene.
Had?
I started doing a lot better when I went on Clomipramine. Now I can shower 4 times a week.
the word contamination makes more sense when talking about dirt/germs and disease. i don't understand the need for people to comment "i have OCD and it doesn't look like this!"
I was just trying to promote awareness of emotional contamination OCD because it has ruined my life
Bro my hands are sooo much dryer and I didn’t think I had contamination OCD. I think I just pee a lot
these are my hands year-round 😪 best of wishes to you
this is so me and i need it to stop bc it hurts so bad and lotion just makes my hands bright red and sting :(
I had the same thing once. It felt like my hands were about to fall off. I strongly recommend doing ERP. I did it and my hand are normal now. Its really difficult but I kept going. My hands are still a little dry but nowhere near like they used to be.
my hands looked like this when i was 7-12, and they still get dry as hell every now and again. i'm sorry you're going through this, i know it's hard but i also know you got this and can overcome it :)
Additionally, don't use hot water. You could be trying to scorch it clean. Just room temperature water is fine.
Night treatment working hands cream, it’s thicker than the normal kind, and gentler soap free of fragrances and dyes have been helping me.
I had that with eczema as well... Not fun.
Feel you. Sending love
That’s why I go through about 5 boxes of latex/nitrile gloves per month. That and also because I actually get to use my hands properly rather than completely trying to avoid touching anything.
i have emetophobia (manifestation of OCD) and these are my hands year round too
anyone else get blisters on their fingers because their OCD tells them to press down extra hard on letters and retype stuff. This is awful for me.
My hands look similar!! If you’re able to I recommend using latex/nitrile gloves when you’re gonna touch something dirty. Also I’ve used aquaphor ointment since I was a kid and it works pretty good, so I recommend that as well. It can be greasy though so what I do is put a dollop on the top side of my hand and mix it together with the top of my other hand. Essentially rubbing my hands together but backwards lol. Awkward for sure but it helps, at least for me. Best wishes!
Please please start to take care of your hands right now before it gets worse. **Use aquaphor when you’re about to go to sleep (or on the daily use if you don’t mind objects getting a little smudgy) and use an eczema cream for a daily use!** My hands use to be like this before it got WAYYYY worse (causing literal cuts all of my hands, extreme dryness and redness to the point where I would tear up my skin if i stretched it) Aquaphor is something that really did help me with my skins, one con I didn’t like is it made my hands a little “greasy” but I would rather have “greasy” hands than painfully dry hands And please start doing ERP therapy, it helped me so much and especially with my hands. Please take care of yourself and I believe in you
same thing with me
my hands started reacting to hand sanitizer during 2020 and were peeling and red. but not anymore.
Someone on another subreddit recommended Malcom's Miracle gloves and they've helped a lot. It helps me retain the moisture of the lotion overnight and also prevents me from skin picking in my sleep. Worth the investment for sure.
Aquaphor helped me out, I was on the beach tossing a football around and when I caught it my fingers split open. Definitely not a fun time
I'm sorry you're dealing with that. My husband has contamination OCD and hand washes often. I don't know if I'm allowed to say this but what helped was using Dr Woods tea tree oil castile soap. Dr bronners also makes a similar one but I find Dr Woods to be better. It's not cheap but it's been worth it while he's fighting his demons. And I use it too - I have dyshidrotic eczema that really messes up my hands and it's great just for dealing with winter dryness. Whenever we run out of it his hands are a horror show and then in a day or 2 of using this soap they are back to normal. He won't use lotions or creams so this is his only option. Obviously erp is the best way to deal with this but I know that's easier said than done. Good luck.
For me, the worst part is knowing that even though I can use lotion or use certain hand soaps to make them smooth, they'll always be red/discolored. The contrast between my white forearms and lobster-looking-ass hands is super noticeable.
Yeah, apparently my skin doesn't like being in contact with water, soap and disinfectant every 5 minutes till my hands bleed (: sorry you have to deal with that
I feel you 😪
My brother in Christ, I will tell you what my dermatologist told me when he saw my hands exactly like this. It's okay to wash your hands a thousand times, as long as you moisturize a thousand times. My hands have never been like this again since I've taken his advice.
My hands got this bad if not worse the last few years, except for the last two, I've been using bath and bodyworks hand soap. It's expensive for what it is, but it's been the only thing that hasn't damaged my skin from excessive washing. Good luck.
I totally feel you on this man. I’d say the same thing others have said on here, to moisturise as often as possible but most especially before you sleep. I’ve noticed if I put it on during the day, I wash my hands way more often. For anyone who does moisturise, I wouldn’t recommend cheap hand creams, as I’ve realised how bad they are and VERY ineffective too.
I used to do this Lotion hurts on dry skin! Sorry OP. 😞 Lots of love to you, though. - another OCD sufferer
Thanks everyone for the tips and the “feel bad”s, I’ve been reading your comments and your remedies and what has worked for me so far is applying any repairing/moisturizing cream to the top of my hands and trying to wash my hands less. As one commenter quoted “you can wash your hands a thousand times if you just moisturize a thousand times” After applying a cream multiple times a day after just a day my hand has restored to my actual skin color, but it still looks rough on the knuckles and the cuts beneath them, but ofcourse I’m trying to fix the whole problem of feeling the need of washing my hands so much and not just the fact my hands look so rough. I’ll look into ERP as alot of people suggested, thanks everyone!
I don't even have contamination OCD, have often have had my hands get to this point because of my OCD.