Look at your knuckles real quick.

Are they a bloody disaster?

Of course they are, if youve foolishly chosen to build your life outside the tropics.

Its horrible, tundra-like winter so your hands are surely desiccated messes.

And for many of us, that leads to cracking, bleeding, and endless irritation.

There are no quick fixes.

But with a little common sense and tolerance for greasiness, you might fix your busted knucks.

Why does it happen?

Couple that with everyones obsessive handwashing to avoid the flu (you ARE doing that, right?)

and skin disasters are almost inevitable.

Our hands are one of the areas most susceptible to forming dry, cracked skin in winter, saysDr.

Meghan Feely, a board-certified dermatologist practicing in New York and New Jersey.

Its just tough for us to get the treatment where you want it to be, he says.

Its the first barrier between the outside and our insides.

The skin is not as elastic, he says.

Theres little breaks in the armor.

Its more or less inevitable if you live in a cold climate that youll have this problem.

But if you dont want to destroy your skin, thats a hard nope.

Hot water ironically draws moisture out of your skin.

Keep showers brief and tepid, no matter how tempting a long hot one is.

Seven minutes or less, says Bhanusali.

Once the mirror gets foggy, youre already in there too long.

All three docs say that humidifiers are your friend.

Feely says to aim for between 30 and 50 percent humidity in your home.

More than that and you risk mold.

Drinking water is a great health practice in general, but it wont really help with your skin.

Creams, Lotions, and Ointments (and Krazy Glue), Oh My!

After every handwashing and every shower, youll need to moisturize right away.

It may seem like a lot, but consistency is key.

The docs recommend the thickest creams or ointments you might stand.

Anything in a pump is simply too watery and I dont recommend it for the hands, Radusky says.

You want to move to creams, which have less water, or ointments, which are petrolatum-based.

Those are nice and greasy.

But we need to make concessions to reality, of course.

Theres a difference between what we can treat functionally versus what we can treat ideally, says Bhanusali.

Its harder if its glopped all over your hands.

All three docs say sleeping in gloves is a good idea.

It may keep your sheets a little cleaner, but thats not the most important reason.

Gloves will help the cream or ointment penetrate your skinBhanusali says it leads to a 30 percent improvement.

Radusky says cotton gloves are a mistake.

They slurp up the cream or ointment themselves, instead of helping it penetrate your skin.

He recommends nitrile gloves instead.

Lets say your hands have already split open, and you are past the point of creams and ointments.

You could use a liquid bandage, but why not get a little krazy?

Yes, actual doctors recommend usingKrazy Glueon your skin if its split open.

Its a fun derm hack, Bhanusali says.

I told my own mom that.

She was like We sent you to medical school for this?

Your Shopping List

Ok, youre ready to grease up.

What should you look for?

Feely says to look for fragrance-free and oil-based products that include ceramides and humectants.

Humectants such as alpha-hydroxy acids and glycerin draw moisture to the skin.

Radusky looks for products with urea, a low percentage of salicylic acid, or lactic acid.

He likes CeraVe Renewing SA Cream and AmLactin Ultra Triple Action Alpha Hydroxy Acid Hydrating Body Cream.

Bhanusali also calls for ceramides and CeraVe, as well as Vaseline.

Both Bhanusali and Radusky (and your humble correspondent) come out strong forNeutrogenas Norwegian Formula Hand Cream.

You want this stuff.

It comes in an unscented version.

Thats the one Ive been using since med school, says Bhanusali.

Its a staple of my bag.

If none of this stuff works, it may be time to go see a dermatologist.

You could be suffering from eczema, contact dermatitis, or an allergic reaction.