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Written by Martin Henderson
Friday, 19 March 2010 01:10
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The hands are perhaps our most valuable implement, despite our tendency to take them for granted. The list of things that we must do with them daily is seemingly endless, so when the skin on my palms and fingers became chronically dry and cracked, my life changed. Excruciating pain and suffering became omnipresent, even when doing simple things like tying my shoes or picking-up around the house. For over a year, I was afflicted with severely cracked, dry skin, and had tried almost everything possible to heal them, but nothing worked. I used all the varied over-the-counter lotions, and they all contained elements in them that prolonged their usage. They actually exacerbated the problems; eventually leading to a dependency upon these products just to move my fingers. I went to a dermatologist, even, and was told what I already knew; except for a need for frequent revisits. The fact that I have no health insurance would make these perpetual revisits an impossibility. Being in this cycle was a true handicap, because maintaining my active lifestyle became impossible.
I work in the restaurant business (sometimes two or three jobs), ride my bike or walk everywhere, lift weights, and play drums. All of these activities require the constant use of my hands. Without healthy skin covering them, I found it virtually impossible to do any of these things without intense, debilitating pain. In the kitchen, I washed my hands obsessively, unaware of what it was doing to me. For years, my hands have undergone abuse from chemicals in soaps, handling produce, chemicals outside work, and the dish room; which sadly is the "cleanest" part of a restaurant. My skin was slowly and constantly attacked by a plethora of agents, acids, detergents, bleach, drying agents, and, of course, dirty dishes. Combine these elements with scalding hot water and handling hot plates and hot foods, then you have the beginning of a nice toxic stew with cumulative burn damage. The list of toxins in the water itself is staggering, and all of it was absorbing into the skin of my hands. By the time that I realized I needed to wear gloves, the damage had been done. After four years of this abuse, I suddenly had to rethink everything that I did; from what I touched, to how long and how firmly I grasped anything. Daily life had become a new challenge.
I came to plan my day according to my hands and their special needs. No unnecessary actions were allowed, or else my skin would tear itself open, and picking up anything had become nearly impossible. I stopped washing my hands, even. Water was my new enemy; especially cold water, since it would cause instant cuts all over my fingers and palms.
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| This is what restaurant chemicals did to Martin Henderson's hands. |
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My thin skin absorbed things quicker, for it was constantly raw and peeling. It became necessary to use toenail clippers to clip off dead layers of skin everyday. Callouses would form almost immediately after picking up anything with any weight to it, and soon these callouses would flake off to expose the tender epidermis, which would later split open. The only way I could open my hands was to saturate them with various and sundry commercial moisturizers (usually containing alcohols and petroleum). These lotions would eventually dry the skin out even further, by causing my hands to lose their ability to produce their own moisture. Ultimately, this addiction became the main problem.
Gloves became an absolute necessity for me to even brush my teeth. I had to use them for literally everything I did. The pain of having the flesh tear on my thumb made me all too aware of my limits, and I had to reinvent methods of picking things up and using them. I even had to learn to tie my shoes with gloves on, or suffer painful abrasions leading to more torn skin. At work, it was especially important for gloves to be worn. I was afraid to take them off, for fear of grabbing something, and having it slice through my finger. I saw myself turning into the next 'Gloved One'. I was afraid to shake anyone's hand, or handle any object without being "gloved up". I was quickly turning O.C.D. by necessity. I came to learn (the hard way) that chemicals are literally on everything, and my hands were proof that the wrong combination of elements can lead to disastrous results. I had to take time off of work to heal, as my hands were becoming so butchered by this cycle that I could barely lift a glass, much less do anything else. The cold weather of winter also drained whatever residual moisture my hands could retain right out of them, making the cracks in them even larger and more painful.
Serendipity and Synchronicity
I searched the Internet and asked all of my friends for advice. I heard just about everything there is to say about hand care, and I am glad that people were genuinely trying to help. Meanwhile, the dermatologist offered nothing new except a guarantee of frequent visits, which I could not afford. Luckily, I just happened to get back in touch with a friend of mine from high-school, Thomas Corriher, who just happened to be a proprietor of a magazine that specialized in natural remedies. Serendipity and synchronicity all at once! It was he, his wife Andrea, and his collaborator Sarah Cain who would eventually guide me down a path of nutrition to address the root problems from not only the outside, but from the inside as well. They are experts on alternative medicine, so they suggested that I first do a liver cleanse, followed by a two week juice fast to correct what they believed was pre-diabetes combined with thyroid dysfunction. The dermatologist, by the way, never mentioned these possibilities (only steroids for treating symptoms). They were the first to suggest that the chemicals I had absorbed at work were causing my skin problems. Their suspicions were that the chemicals were playing a significant aggravating factor in causing my skin problems, but my overall lifestyle had left me particularly vulnerable to their effects. It was basically a wake-up call for a better lifestyle. It made perfect sense, as my hands needed (and my hands were telling me I needed) a completely different approach to overall health.
During their first visit (September 2009), they brought a colloidal copper-silver-mineral gel they had created specifically for me. They also brought me a bottle of iodine, flax seed oil, coconut oil, and vitamin E.
The first time that I put their gel on my hands, I was blown away at how well it worked. My hands tingled as if being charged with electricity. Later, I discovered that this stuff really does have electrical properties ― made by combining colloidal copper and silver with clean water using a D.C. power source. I could feel that this was the best stuff I have ever put on my hands, and was looking forward to using it. After trying everything else, I knew this had to work. After the first week, I felt the elasticity coming back into my hands. I could stretch my fingers for the first time in many months, and I no longer felt the pain of my skin ripping itself apart. The colloidal gel was restoring my hands' ability to produce moisture, but unfortunately I still needed to use moisturizers sometimes, like before I left the house.
More Problems. More Solutions.
I realized that whenever my hands got wet, they would almost immediately absorb the water and turn prunish, then become excessively dry. This let us know that whatever was in the water was not helping, so I got a chlorine filter for my shower, which yielded very positive results. I could wash my hands again (with chamomile soap) and not have my hands dry out. The skin was finally healing, but it was still quite soft and tender. Gloves were still a necessity for doing almost anything. In order to heal completely, I would have to think outside the glove. My diet has become a main concern in this regard.
As of this writing, I have restored the skin on about 85% of my hands. The left palm and the tips of my thumbs and index fingers are down to the last layer of skin. Therefore, careful maintenance and lifestyle changes have become absolutely essential. The colloidal copper gel, along with raw aloe vera, and applications of coconut oil seem to make the best moisturizing and healing combination that I have tried. I can again shake people's hands without shame, and my hands can function in at least a semi-normal way now. I am thankful for friends like the Corrihers, who genuinely care about finding cures for people.
Related Links
Our High-End Colloidal Copper Skin Lotion
Why Hand Lotion Is Usually The Worst Thing To Use For Dry Hands and How Hand Lotions Destroy Overall Health
It Is Unsafe To Eat Restaurant Food
Naturally Eliminating Joint Pain
More About Triclosan: How The Chemical Industry Is Secretly Poisoning Us Again
The Filthy Truth About Hand Sanitizers
Sunscreen Lies and Cosmetic 'Trade Secrets' or Why You Ought To Be Concerned About What You Are Rubbing On Your Skin
