Water and sebum (oil) create a "barrier function" for the skin, not just the hands, to protect it from external stimuli.

Sebum is secreted from the sebaceous glands, but the number of sebaceous glands in the skin of the hands is actually small, and the barrier function tends to deteriorate due to lack of sebum.

In short, the barrier function is easy to decline, so the hands are easy to get rough.

When you hear the cause of rough hands, the first thing that comes to mind is probably "dryness".

But dryness is not the only cause of rough hands.

①Drying

Humidity starts to drop in autumn, and winter is the driest season. As mentioned above, hands with few sebaceous glands are prone to chapped hands due to external factors such as dryness.

(2) Physical and chemical stimulation

There are various types of external stimuli, but let's look at some familiar examples.

If you touch paper or cardboard frequently, it can strip your skin of necessary oils and make your hands rough.

Also, I think that there are some people who have experienced rough hands due to the increase in the number of times of alcohol disinfection. Not only does alcohol remove oil, but it is also a chemical substance that can irritate your hands and make them rough.

Dishwashing detergent contains oil-removing ingredients. The ingredients that are included to remove oil stains on dishes can also remove oil from your hands, which can make your hands rough.

I think there are people who use dishwashing detergent all year round, but their hands get rough only in the cold season. One of the causes is that the barrier function is degraded due to dryness, but one of the causes is washing dishes with "hot water".

Oil stains on dishes are easier to remove with hot water than water. The same can be said for skin oils.

Your hands will be rough by dropping the oil that your skin needs.

③Constitution

Even if you do the same thing, there are people who have rough hands, and there are people who don't.

Originally, people with weak skin tend to have rough hands.

Touching allergens can make your hands dry.

④Disturbance of autonomic nerves and poor blood circulation

When the autonomic nervous system is disturbed, it can lead to poor blood circulation.

Poor blood circulation prevents adequate nutrition from reaching the skin and weakens its barrier function.

You may have heard it with the skin on your face, but the same is true for the skin on your hands.

Excessive stress can disturb the autonomic nerves and cause poor blood circulation, so it can be said that stress is also one of the causes.

⑤Disturbance of metabolism (turnover)

The skin has a life cycle. This is called turnover, and if this turnover is disturbed, it can lead to a decline in the barrier function and can make your hands rough.

There are various causes of turnover disturbance, but stress may be the cause as well as ④.

⑥ Finger sweat

Some people get blisters on their hands and fingers in hot weather. These blisters are called pompholyx, and they are sometimes accompanied by inflammation in the state of heat rash, in which sweat accumulates in the skin.

There are many people who heal naturally, but there are also people who progress to rough hands. (There are cases where blisters do not necessarily mean pompholyx. If you are concerned about the symptoms or if they do not heal easily, we recommend that you see a dermatologist.)

[To prevent rough hands: Hand care methods]