For the majority of men, hand and nail care is way down the list of things to do after a day at work. But for those who work extensively with their hands (e.g. on a farm, on the factory floor or in construction… not at a desk) dry, rough, chapped hands can be as painful as they are unsightly. A simple hand and nail care routine could keep troublesome hand worries at bay (even if the tools and skin care products are stealthily hidden away between applications!)
Dry/Calloused Palms
Those men who spend a lot of time lifting or doing repetitive strenuous tasks can be left with very dry, rough callous-covered palms. Obviously the urge to pick at the dry skin is strong, but it takes no time at all for that idle picking to become a wound, causing still more damage and discomfort.
Alternatively to potential infection and ongoing pain, soak hands in warm soapy water 3-5 minutes before gently pumicing-away obvious dry skin. Soak hands again for 3-5 minutes, let them air-dry for about 2 minutes, then gently rub off any further excess skin with a sponge or rough cloth.
General Roughness
For those unwilling to invest in a specific skin care hand softener, a weekly massage (or at the end of a particularly labour-intensive day) in vegetable oil is an age-old smoothness-inducing trick. Soak hands for 1 minute, massage for between 3-5 minutes (or longer if the adverts aren’t on yet), and finish with a rinse in warm soapy water. Don’t dry hands roughly. Dab dry using a soft towel.
Nails
Biting fingernails and the skin around them is very satisfying. True. But keeping nails neatly trimmed, free from nicks and flaking skin, is an issue of workplace safety as well as grooming.