Q: I’m a 58-year-old female and at a healthy weight for my height and build. My nails are okay but this is the first time I remember my right thumb tip splitting. My fingers have split in the past but never my thumb. Anyway, the split is about an eighth of an inch deep and three sixteenths of an inch long. I’ve had it a couple of weeks.

From anxiety I gnaw on it and worry about the skin beside my nails. It seems to build up during the winter and these finger splits occur in the winter as well. I’m trying to avoid Neosporin, although I used it in the past to help heal these splits.

I realize a cut heals from the inside out but I regularly grab something heavy and re-injure or re-spit my thumb tip. I suspect that keeping the tip dry may help but my skin gets hard so I try to keep it moisturized. I worry about germs in this situation.

Can you recommend how I can avoid this in the future and recover from it in this instance?

A: Finger (and thumb) splits are caused by dry skin and are very common in the colder weather for some individuals. Generally speaking, they hurt like the blue blazes because the cracks are deep, they bleed, and people tend to hit them again and again! Some individuals are employed in positions that demand frequent hand washing throughout the day. Each time we wash our hands, we wash away protective oils and subject our fingers to splitting and our hands to chap. It is next to impossible to apply a lubricant again and again but the result could be, for some, painful splits to our fingers.

One method to treat splits is to purchase a pair of white cotton gloves and an ointment such as Bag Balm, A & D Ointment, or any petroleum jelly product from your local pharmacy or department store. Don’t be put off by the Bag Balm, a product originally designed to keep cows’ udders from chapping in cold weather. It’s a true winner. At bed-time, coat your fingers and hands with whatever salve you have and slip your hands into the gloves. The purpose of the gloves is simply to keep your bed linens from staining and to moisturize the injured areas while you sleep. By morning the cuts will feel a great deal better and they should start to heal. Many individuals I know also wear finger tip bandages or wrap their finger tips with paper tape once they awaken and have a job to go to or chores that must be done so the ordinary hits and bangs experienced will not cause additional stress on the digit tips. This process may need to be repeated a second night or longer, depending on the severity of the splits.

You may also choose to keep your hands and fingers moisturized while at work or in public during the day by using a good hand cream that contains vitamin E and additionally wearing bandages to keep the splits covered. Softening the finger tips in this way appears to aid healing and keep the fingers from splitting.

Liquid bandage products are available at pharmacies and department stores, as is aloe vera gel and citronella oil. These products can be used frequently throughout the day, if necessary.

Another consideration is to concentrate on your diet. Add vitamin-rich foods and fruits high in antioxidants. Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol. Drink sufficient water and fruit juices to keep your body well hydrated. Avoid washing dishes in very hot water and using harsh detergents or subjecting your hands to harsh cleaning chemicals without wearing rubber gloves.