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Hands beat up from making pizzas everyday?

N

NYFLPizza

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I’ve had a nagging problem now which has been around close to a year at this point.

My skin cracks and peels, is very itchy, and becomes irritated with tiny clear blisters. I wear gloves at all times when touching dough now (i’ve tried latex and non latex, no difference) and the problem only seems to get worse. When it gets busy I’ll be using the same set of gloves for an hour straight with my hands sweating and trapping in the moisture.

The problem started just on my left pinky. Now it’s not on my pinky anymore, but on most of my other fingers, and has even started up a bit on the right hand.

It’s weird because it come and goes and switches where it is, but my hands are taking a beating from these 70-80 hour weeks. Fortunately with school out, some employees have more flexibility so I’ve gotten to take a couple half days here and there which may end up helping.

I’ve tried every type of cream possible. There are only a few things that seem to help.
  1. Not working with pizza. This isn’t very realistic.
  2. Lotramin powder spray. This stuff that’s meant for athletes foot jock itch, ringworm etc. I use this and then put gloves on and it keeps my hands dry for the most part which is a plus. It hasn’t helped a ton, but I’ve noticed an improvement since using it over the past week.
  3. Penicillin was my greatest remedy so far. I took this after a dental procedure I had done. After 7 days of taking the recommended dosage, the problem was 95% gone. The day the antibiotic wore out, it started to sprout back up.
Anybody else suffer with this, know what it’s root cause is or the best way to deal with it? I may end up having to bite the bullet and hit the dermatologist if I can’t figure it out on my own.

If you can help me with this than you can also probably help me raise sales by 50% too 🙂
 
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Hmmm. I’m no doctor, but a yeast infection came to mind. I’m not sure if you can get it on your hands, but it might be worth checking out or Googling. Good luck bud!
 
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Just curious, why wear gloves? Can’t you just wash your hands regularly? According to the health department in my area, it is acceptable to not wear gloves as long as you are not handling any ready to eat foods, such as salads, subs, or anything that will not be cooked in any fashion. I too suffer from severe itchy and dry skin. The only lotion on the market that works for me is Gold Bond in the white bottles, not the yellow. I apply whenever not handling food, which again is challenging in a 70 hour work week. Good Luck!
 
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The Calzone Kid:
Hmmm. I’m no doctor, but a yeast infection came to mind. I’m not sure if you can get it on your hands, but it might be worth checking out or Googling. Good luck bud!
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Since it responds to Lotrimin and penicillin, you almost certainly have some sort of skin infection. I’m no doctor either, and recommend you spend a couple bucks going to see one. You can probably clear it up with a $4 prescription, so go for it. The flour is probably desiccating any competing organisms and/or feeding the fungus/bateria that you have going on. Do everyone a favor and get it wiped out. If it’s beena year, you deserve to give yourself some relief.
 
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Its called eczema. Keep wearing your gloves. Go to your Dr. or Dermatologist. Not a lot they can do, give you some special hand cream and maybe some light therapy. Good Luck to you.
 
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yup go to a doc…there are so many things which can irritate our skin. When something begins to affect our life for an extended period of time…it is time to get help. That is what they do…deal with skin problems. Just as if someone was to ask you about pizza it is your expertise not figuring out skin problems. Irritations like this tend to spill over into our general health when we don’t resolve them especially if it is trying so hard to fight.

I get it during winter months, if I use too much bleach, if I use lotion that has alcohol or steric acid in the first few ingredients, if I use hand sanitizers and etc. Not as severe as yours but irritation all the same…
 
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I know that ultimately the doc is going to be the best choice.

At this point, I’m just curious if anyone has had a similar problem to this before because of working at the pizzeria all the time.
 
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NYFLPizza:
I know that ultimately the doc is going to be the best choice.

At this point, I’m just curious if anyone has had a similar problem to this before because of working at the pizzeria all the time.
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One of my managers had a very similar problem. Turned out he was having an allergic reaction to the flour. I switched from Assoluti (Roma House Brand) to All trumps and his problems went away. You may consider switching flours and see if that helps, in our case the price difference between flours and the finished pizza were very very minor.
 
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I know the feeling! I’ve been going to a dermatologist for a year … same problem. It started on the back of my fingers and has gone to the palms and between my fingers. Cracking splits everywhere. Wearing gloves too much only makes it worst because of sweating. The only relief for me has been steroid shots. But the doctor says she can not give anymore. I have tried all creams but no luck. Carmex healing lotion has worked the best. Like you it comes and goes. I have found no solution. 😦
 
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since it responded to steriods you might ask your doctor about a steriod cream that is used for eczema and is prescription only and low dosage.

Bryan
 
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Ok after the updates of your problem… go the doctor route! :!: I would not like to see any employee with such a problem preparing my food with or without gloves! :shock:
 
I had the same problem for a couple of years but for the last year or so it has gotten better. Here’s what I did … After I take a shower and before I go to bed I rub lotion into my hands. I also wear gloves when I make dough. It took a while but that seemed to help me.
 
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I’ve had a weekend of the worst splits yet. My hands had 3 deep splits and several small splits. Sunday night sitting in the dining area, a lady told me about an ointment that she guarenteed would work. I’ll try anything once. Yesterday I started using an oinment that seems to work! Aquaphor made by Eucerin. I purchased it at Walgreens. After 2 days of using my hands are the best they have been in a long time. I’ll keep everyone posted of my progress.
 
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Yikes…if they are that bad that you are sitting and someone says something you need to go to the doc. As a customer I would not want to see an employee with hands like that. :!: :!:
 
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Come on . . . give me more credit than that. She was a friend and I’m in the dining area talking to friends and customers, not cooking. My fingers have band aids on them and she asked how my hands were doing. When doing anything in the kitchen I have gloves on. :x
 
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I wonder if my problem is different than everyone elses.

I actually get these small clear blisters on my fingers, almost like the ones you’d get from a poison ivy rash. They’re very itchy and obviously become irritated if scratched. They then break open and leave red cracked and irritated skin.
 
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brad randall:
Go see a doctor already.

Please.
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Seriously.
The Dough Doctor isn’t even in this thread! And while we may claim to be labor attorneys, real estate agents and nuclear physicists . . . .we are restaurateurs. Go to a doctor and make your life more pleasant.
 
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