|
|
Posts: 49
| Does anyone else suffer from peeling/cracked skin after fishing? I'm not talking about wear and tear on you hands. For example, if I cast a bait caster even a few times, within a week my thumb will be losing all of its top layer of skin and eventually cracking to the point of bleeding. Happens when I fly fish as well. It's not any sort of fish allergy, but definitely has something to do with the wet line making contact with my skin. I've had to start fishing while wearing rubber gloves, which is very annoying, not to mention uncomfortable on hot days. Any doctors or fisherman with similar experiences that actually forked out the dough and saw a dermatologist? |
|
| |
|
Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | If you have decent enough insurance a dermatologist is likely covered. But if you don't have insurance or high deductible, have you used moisturizer after/during fishing outings? I'm not a doctor but that's probably the first question they'd ask. Doesn't sound like a fun condition to have. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 32784
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Happens to me ice fishing. Daily use of O'Keeffes fixes it for me. It's absolutely no fun, and the cracking hurts like mad.
http://www.okeeffescompany.com/working-hands |
|
| |
|
Posts: 20178
Location: oswego, il | Some sort of hand cream. Really dry winters the skin on my knuckle will crack and bleed. I have a spot on my index finger and a spot on the side of my hand that will crack after fishing. Stay on it with some good hand cream to manage it. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 735
Location: Apparently where the Muskie aren't | This happens to me a lot. And I've naturally got really dry hands to start with. I just use some hand lotion and tough it out. That O'keeffes stuff is great too. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 49
| I have used plenty of moisturizers after fishing, but somehow my fingers (thumb and pointer finger especially) will go through The Who peeling and cracking scenario. O’keeffes has been the best lotion, hands down, for getting my hands to recover, but I’d love to know if there was a preventative approach, other than the rubber gloves. The weird thing is, my skin and hands are usually very healthy and don’t dry out even in the winter. It’s puzzling to me, but it sounds like I’m not alone in the suffering! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1168
| Use udder cream. Not the stuff you find at checkouts that’s marketed for humans. Go to the farm section of a hardware store that carries animal stuff. You want the stuff that smells like lemons and is yellow. The blue stuff (nolvasan) would work as well but that’s got a bit more kick in terms of being a topical antiseptic. The yellow stuff does have a mild antiseptic in it but not like the nolvasan. I carry a tub of it in my boat at all times. Excellent for sunburn. Better for dry hands and chapped skin. Since it’s intent is to create a barrier for a cow’s teats it won’t lose its effectiveness if you sweat. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 735
Location: Apparently where the Muskie aren't | TSMUSKY89 - 5/24/2018 11:33 PM
I have used plenty of moisturizers after fishing, but somehow my fingers (thumb and pointer finger especially) will go through The Who peeling and cracking scenario. O’keeffes has been the best lotion, hands down, for getting my hands to recover, but I’d love to know if there was a preventative approach, other than the rubber gloves. The weird thing is, my skin and hands are usually very healthy and don’t dry out even in the winter. It’s puzzling to me, but it sounds like I’m not alone in the suffering!
Are you talking about the pads of your finger and thumb? Because from constantly rubbing against line and reel they are going to peel and crack and there isn't much you can do to prevent it other than take care of it when you get home. This happens to me all the time. Even when I'm using mono or floro line for bass. Last September I fished for muskie 4 days straight and my finger and thumb were torn to shreds. Maybe to prevent it (if it's just the pad of your thumb) you could lightly wrap some electrical tape around your finger. I think I've seen guys do that before.
Edited by Musky_Mo16 5/25/2018 12:54 AM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | x2 on the real Udder Cream ... Bingo |
|
| |
|
| jonnysled - 5/25/2018 6:00 AM
x2 on the real Udder Cream ... Bingo
X3 on the udder balm. My late mother had a terrible time with her hands, cracking, peeling. In part because she worked as a cook for large groups, weddings, catering, etc. Constantly dealing with hot stuff. One day she said something to my grandfather who was a retired dairy farmer. He went to the empty barn, returned with the udder balm in a tin. She used it the rest of her life and didn't quit working as a cook until well into her 70s. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 2
| Sounds more like an allergic reaction to me than dry skin. I had the same problem 15 years ago and it lasted for 2 years. I think it had something to do with the musky slime which will get on your reels after you release a fish. I fixed the problem by cleaning all my reels and rods, thoroughly rinsing my hands after handling every musky and had a towel handy at all times. During the worst of it I wore surgical gloves when I fished.
I hope this helps because it was really painful and took a lot of the fun out of fishing. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 255
| I have only had this with my curado, and my thumb will be reddish and cracked. I assume it is a component of the handle not going well with my skin. No cure yet, but try to keep it o'keefed. Going to switch handles and see. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 3469
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | I know on longer trips into canada, my hands would dry out and crack from handling a lot of fish over the week whether in the boat or on the fillet table.
Of all things that seemed to work really well for me was vaseline jelly. I would put it on at night before bed...enough so I didn't really want to touch anything, but not horribly greasy. In the morning, my hands were in good shape... Not sure why it works, but it seemed to work for me...
Steve |
|
| |
|
Posts: 166
| Happens to me alot on stained green fertile lakes like Lake of the Woods, etc. I know I must be somewhat allergic to a lake that is subject to get algae blooms. Hands will itch a little from just the water. Clear northern Minnesota lakes don't bother. Maybe try taking a allergy pill plus alot of hand lotion. Helps me. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 983
| ever try to coat those fingers with the new skin to add layer of protection over our skin...sucks wearing gloves all the time...maybe you could put down couple layers of new skin over those fingers atleast take awhile for it to wear through and you could reapply in boat if needed |
|
| |
|
Posts: 32784
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Udder Cream works too, but I found the O'Keeffes to stay on better through getting my hands wet. Either works great when getting up and heading to bed to heal and protect. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 416
Location: Madtown, WI | I have the exact same issue, as does my mother. Unfortunately I have never come up with a solution. I've seen a dermatologist about this and other skin things, no offense to any dermatologists out there, but they are pretty worthless imo. High quality waterproof bandaids help but sounds like the same you are doing with gloves. I think the problem is related to hands getting wet from line spray and then drying out repetitively with each cast more than any type of allergy. So lube up when you can and protect the worst spots with high quality bandaids is my best recommendation. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1181
| Instead of band aids, or electrical tape, try athletic tape. The white kind used to tape ankles and such. I was a day and a half into a 7 day pike trip in northern Manitoba, and my casting thumb was quite raw. I put two layers over the tip of my thumb, and then two layers around the thumb. Stayed on all week and totally protected my thumb. Handled the moisture no problem. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1126
Location: Minnesota. | Taylor, methinks you really should seek some medical advice from a recommended dermatologist. Sounds like you have some ugly stuff going on and not something you want to live with. Also could be indicative of something else going on in your system. Just a guess but that's not something to tolerate.
Some good tips given here, esp. that O'Keefe's cream - which I use every night at bedtime and love...also the last post about using athletic tape. All good info.
Go get some prof. help. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 49
| I appreciate the responses! I have tried udder cream, and every tape you could imagine. My best lucks been with o’keeffes. The new skin idea is something I might have to try to prevent it... probably right after a visit to a dermatologist. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 238
Location: Illinois | I would have to check into the udder cream or o’keefe’s, but I have had some good results with patients coming into the pharmacy with extremely dry and cracked hands using lubriderm or eucerin cream. When you’re not fishing, the Vaseline or even aquaphor ointment after the cream application would be a good idea as well. Any of these could be found at most local pharmacies and are not expensive. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 512
| i developed something similar years ago, i call it the fishermans curse. everytime i get in contact with fish my first couple of fingers would get hard and crusty and peel bad and burn! it sucked!! got to the point i didnt want to fish, or wore gloves to handle them or used the dreaded boga type grips (for bass) i also went to dermatologists right after so they could see it, they said its just from getting your hands wet. BS! ive been fishing for over 40 years and this just started happening the last 10 or so..
ive found one thing that helps, its called glove in a bottle. i put it on before i fish now, when i remember. and its helped a lot. i still will get it a little, or feel it coming on after a trip, but if i use a ton of lotion everyday for a week or two, its nothing like it used to be.. it was nasty and painful. heres a link to it.. https://www.glovesinabottle.com/
i used to be able to get it locally, but the pharmacy i got it from sold out, so i ordered my last batch on Amazon.
give it a try, it works for me! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 176
| I'm an O'Keefe's guy too. I always have the green tube with me.
Especially on my remote canoe trips where I'm paddling or hand landing Muskies, Pike and Lake Trout for the week. The first trips my hands were terrible and hurt. Now I apply in the morning and at night and at the end of the trip you wouldn't know the difference.
There may be a difference in your case, but it certainly is an easy first step to try. I would hate to use rubber gloves and can understand what a pain that must be for you.
Good Luck
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 330
Location: SE Wisc | Another vote for the udder balm, it works and it tastes good good! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 5129
| When you're done fishing ,at night put Vaseline with a pair of light cotton gloves on and go to bed.The next morning you will be in good shape. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 75
| If it is an allergy, some Benedryl might help. |
|
| |
