My first blog post – and it’s personal!
I do generally have quite dry fingertips but keep them in check with regular use of a good hand cream. So what went wrong?
The really cold weather last week, hauling logs for the fire, a couple of afternoons batch cooking for the freezer (and therefore batch washing-up) and sorting through some admin papers (paper dries fingertips by soaking up the essential oils in the skin) all seem to have got the better of me.
I immediately declared that my husband would have to do any further washing up (!!) and tried various hand creams, including a cracked heel cream which often help, but no change.
Time to call in the big guns. As a Homeopath, I have used homeopathy as my primary medical system for me and for family acute illnesses for over 14 years.
See below the amazing result that I had using homeopathy to treat this painful condition.
1st March 2018 - Ouch, my fingers are red, they feel tight, they are cracked and bleeding.
ABOVE: 3rd March 2018 - You can see that my fingers are less red, and the deep cracks are healing.
BELOW: 6th March 2018 - my fingers are so much better and well on the way to healing properly within a week. What a relief!
There are a number of homeopathic remedies that can be used for treating dry skin acutely:
- Petroleum: Excellent homeopathic treatment for cracked skin, mainly used when the cracks are deep and accompanied by bleeding. These cracks can be anywhere on the body but particularly on the hands and fingertips with dry, hard skin, sensitive and painful to touch. Cracked skin worsening in winters in another symptom that points to the need for Petroleum. Petroleum is also a major homeopathic medicine for dry, itchy skin, eczema and psoriasis with deep cracks. Labourers, farmers, hairdressers/beauticians, photographers, hospital workers, cleaners etc often need Petroleum due to the exposure of their hands to the elements or to chemicals or repeated cleansing of the hands.
- Graphites: Graphites is also an excellent homeopathic remedy for cracked skin but the cracks are more likely to be in the folds of the skin – the bends of the elbows, behind the ears, corners of the mouth or between fingers and toes. The cracks may ooze a thick, honey-like pus that forms crusts. There is a chance of infection with this as the skin is unhealthy and is slow to heal. This is very effective for eczema and itchy skin and works well with both dry and moist eczema.
- Sulphur: Think of a volcano – the skin is cracked and accompanied by itching and burning. The itching is worse after washing and in the evening/night, and can drive people to scratch until the skin bleeds. Sulphur can also be a very effective homeopathic medicine for dry lips.
- Sepia: Dry, parchment-like skin. Hands and feet always cold, particularly the hands which may be cracked, Cold weather can bring on Raynauds Syndrome where blood circulation to fingers is affected leaving the fingers cold, numb and white or blue, often followed by pins and needles. Sepia is a major remedy for ‘stasis’ or sluggishness which can be reflected physically in Raynauds or other issues such as constipation or prolapse, or mentally/emotionally in feeling sluggish, overwhelmed, irritable or depressed.
- Lycopodium Clavatum: Lycopodium is one of the best homeopathic remedies for cracked heels, especially along the side or the back of the heel just at the edge where the heel hits the ground. May be accompanied by digestive problems.
My choice: I used Petroleum 30c night and morning for 3 days and was very relieved to see the redness and swelling disappearing quickly then the cracks healing and now my fingertips are no longer painful. I will continue to take the remedy but at longer intervals until my fingertips are fully healed or another remedy becomes apparent.
If you have skin problems and haven't thought of using homeopathy, this shows what can be achieved in a very short time.
Call me on 01823 216500 to book a consultation or check out my website www.somersethomeopathy.com regarding learning how to use homeopathy at home.
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