Home remedies for dry split skin

Dry split skin causes painful fissures (colloquially known as hacks) most often at the tips of the fingers or around the heel. There are several good proprietary preparations including Lotil and 'New Skin' which one contributor says should be 'painted over a whisp of cottonwool placed over the crack first.' Two other popular remedies are as follows:

Superglue: Mr J. C. Clarke, a retired anaesthetist from Belfast, reports that 'painful fissures can be instantly rendered painless by the use of Superglue. The fissures should be clean and dry. Carefully fill the open fissure with bubble-free Superglue and allow to dry. As healing takes place, the scab falls away spontaneously.' However, Mrs Mary Elliott from Essex was not so impressed. 'The Superglue certainly healed the crack but a few days later the skin around the thumb started to peel away all the way down to the first joint.' There is also the obvious danger of inadvertently sticking your fingers together - or to other things.

Sellotape: Mr David Fairburn from Argyle reports: 'I have suffered for many of my 68 years from "hacks". Some years ago in frustration I wound myself up in Sellotape — the hacks were completely cured in a matter of hours. Being quite unscientific I proceeded to treat some of the hacks with the tape and to leave others untreated. The untreated hacks remained for days but the treated ones cured without exception overnight.'