Dry skin on your hands may cause discomfort if it itches or begins to crack and bleed. If left untreated, dry skin can develop into more serious conditions -- such as eczema, inflamed hair follicles and bacterial infections -- that require medical attention, according to MayoClinic.com. Determine the underlying cause for your dry hands so you and your physician can choose the most effective treatment plan.
Improper Hand Washing
The way you wash your hands can lead to excessively dry skin, particularly if you cleanse them multiple times each day. MedlinePlus says that washing hands with hot water, using harsh soaps and failing to use a moisturizer after drying your hands thoroughly can make dryness worse.
Dry Atmosphere
The skin on your body, including the skin on your hands, may become extremely dry if the humidity in your environment is low. Harsh weather conditions, such as the combination of low temperatures and low humidity in winter or the combination of high temperatures and low humidity in summer, can dry out your skin. Dry, cracked skin can become even more flaky and irritated if you use central air conditioning to cool your home or rely on central heating, room heaters or a fireplace to warm your home in winter because the devices can cause the humidity in your home to drop.
Rough Treatment
If you participate in activities that require you to submerge your hands in water, work with chemicals or frequently expose your wet hands to the open air, they may show signs of dryness. The Virginia Cooperative Extension says that gardening, for instance, may lead to chapped, irritated hands from digging in abrasive soil, touching acidic fertilizers or wetting your hands and letting them air dry, which can reduce the restorative moisture on your hands.
Allergic Reactions
When your hands touch a material or substance that you're allergic to, the result may be dry, inflamed hands. Penn State's Milton S. Hershey Medical Center College of Medicine notes that contact with irritating cleaning solutions, metals, poisonous plants, cosmetics, creams, detergents, soaps or latex can trigger hand dermatitis. Fungal infections may also generate an allergic reaction and result in itchy, swollen, blistered and dry hands.
Medical Conditions
Dry skin on your hands may be the result of a skin condition or medical disorder. Hypothyroidism, for instance, can impair your body's oil and sweat glands and lead your skin to become dry and leathery. Skin problems, such as psoriasis, can cause the skin on the palms of your hands to become rough, scaly, itchy and sore. MedlinePlus adds that anxiety, medications and infections can also make psoriasis worse.
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