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Web Monkey

Omniheurist
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I just don't log dives
For some reason, my thumb and a couple of fingertips tend to develop cracks after a few days of diving in salt water.

Any idea what causes this and how I can prevent it? They don't bleed, but they hurt. Generally I close them up with the liquid crack stuff from the drugstore, but I'd rather not get them at all, since they take a while to actually heal.

Anybody have any words of wisdom?

Terry
 
Did they wrinkle first after diving? If so, its often desquamated skin caused by wrinkling. Its caused by prolonged immersion in water:

SpringerLink - Journal Article

The only way to avoid that is to have dry gloves.
 
Did they wrinkle first after diving? If so, its often dequamated skin caused by wrinkling. Its caused by prolonged immersion in water:

SpringerLink - Journal Article

The only way to avoid that is to have dry gloves.

Not sure what dequamated means, but before diving, they're regular fingers. After a few dives they look like I just took a too-long bath (all wrinkly), however the cracks only seem to appear after diving, not after a bath.

Drygloves work nicely at home when it's cold (like now), but seem to be a fashion faux pas in tropical waters. :D

I don't care about the wrinkling, but is there any way to prevent the cracking? It seems to appear at stress points like on my thumb and finger where I turn valves, flip buckles, etc.

It's not life-or-death, it's just annoying, and I like to eliminate annoying. :D

Thanks!

Terry
 
I presume your dive time are near 1 hour long, at least. Most people don't take baths that long.

Wrinkling is a caused by blood vessels response to cold, the cracking is skin coming loose, a severe form of desquamation.
 
I presume your dive time are near 1 hour long, at least. Most people don't take baths that long.

Wrinkling is a caused by blood vessels response to cold, the cracking is skin coming loose, a severe form of desquamation.

I guess it's drygloves, shorter dives, or deal with it. :cool:

Thanks!

Terry
 
Salt water can dry out the skin and cause such cracking of the skin as you've described. Simply using some good hand lotion a couple of times a day will help prevent that.
 
Salt water can dry out the skin and cause such cracking of the skin as you've described. Simply using some good hand lotion a couple of times a day will help prevent that.

Thanks, I'll give it a try.

Terry
 
Hydration of the skin through cremes and moisturizers should help... staying better hydrated by drinking a lot of water the day before you dive, and during dive days will also help.

And FYI.. desquamation refers to the Squamous epithelial layer of skin seperating (outer-most). Wikipedia has info if you need more details.
 

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