Ok, so I need you ladies to chime in here. I have a VERY physical job that really takes it's toll on my hands and I therefore have very thick calloses(<--- spelling?) on my hands. They aren't the cracked and scratchy kind, just very hard hands. My question is this...do you mind if a guy has hard hands? Do you like it? My girlfriend says she doesn't mind, but she's a total sweetheart and probly wouldn't tell me if it did bother her. She's a virgin and wants to stay that way until marriage which i'm ok with, so my hands haven't been everywhere yet, but I do get self concious sometimes that it might bother her. Ladies?

 

ugggh ... virgin until marraige .... run ... run now ... run quickly ... don't look back ... run run run!

 

It might not bother you now, but it'll bother you later down the road... sorry for off topic.

 

It really is ok with me. It's something that's really important to her so I'm on board with it. I love her and what's important to her is important to me. Anyway...ladies....hard hands...cool, not cool?

 

lotion?...moisturizer?

 

don't worry about the hands, the girlfriend will make you use lotion.

 

5 dudes posting...No women.....But SS will save you....$10 bucks she says that Dan Martin has silky smooth girly hands.....

 

I thought about that, but I'm just afraid that lotion will make my hands more likely to get sliced up at work (lifting 80-100lb ladders, pulling myself up onto rusty catwalks...). Would just using lotion on the weekend make my hands softer during the week? I'm just afraid that if I do soften them they will get all scratchy and nasty when I go back to work.

 

Start doing paraffin treatments on your hands (try going 3-5 times on a regular basis). Aside from maybe filing some of the rough spots, these treatments should really help (but you'll prob need more than one to notice any dramatic difference). Here's a description of a paraffin treatment:

The paraffin treatment begins by submerging hands into a warm wax distributed over the skin's surface. Hands are then covered until the form mimics a silky glove of wax. Next, hands are placed in toweling mitts. During this rest interval, the wax relaxes muscles and is allowed to deeply penetrate pores promoting hydration. When all coverings are carefully removed, hands are left supple and smooth.

Keep in mind that softness is not the only benefit of such treatment. Paraffin Wax also increases blood circulation and allows for the restoration of improved skin color. This treatment also eases stiffness and discomfort of joints associated with injury, arthritis, overworked muscles, and other "ailments."

I know people (*not Dan Martin) who have done this and had great results. Also, try to keep your hands well moisturized as much as possible....that should help cut down on some of the dry, cracking, rough skin.

* Edit done after reading Whiskers' post

 

guys with overly soft hands is a bit :ghey:

it should have at least a lil bit of roughness from lifting

 

BTW, when I suggested going "3-5 times on a regular basis" -- I meant, try 3-5 treatments (total), done at regular intervals to see if you notice a longer-lasting effect. I'm sure you'd notice a different even after doing it one or two times. These treatments can be done at home (if you have paraffin wax and the appropriate heater to dip your hands in), but they're usually offered by spas/day-spas/estheticians/some nail salons.

 

Interestingly, I find myself to be MORE prone to cuts and scrapes when my skin isn't well moisturized. But I think you mean if you get rid of your hard outer layer, it will make the skin below more vulnerable, which could be true. Every time I get a pedicure I find it difficult to walk barefoot outside for a couple of days; it's probably the same concept. Anyway...

As for whether I find them unattractive or icky or whatever, I don't. The only way it might be a problem is if you were giving me a back rub or something and they were so hard that they scratched me... like broke-the-skin scratched me.

However, if you do choose to soften the skin, you can do two things: 1. get a file in the podiatry section at the drugstore, to file down the hardest, most callused parts. Then go ahead and do the paraffin wraps like SS suggested (they feel AWESOME, by the way, you'll be glad you did it even if no permanent results happen). Or if you don't feel comfortable going to get something like that done professionally, a nice thick hand cream, applied right after you wash your hands, and in the evenings before bed, will work wonders.

 

 

monkey, i'd start off using an over the counter good hand moisturizer such as cetaphil or cerave. cerave lotion is not too greasy and is sustained release through microemulsification which means the moisturizing effect lasts longer, even if you wash your hands. you can do this at home 2-3 times at night and maybe once before work which should help. if you want to be more aggressive you can use amlactin 12% cream or lotion (you'll probably want the lotion since it's less greasy and lighter/smoother to apply) which has lactic acid. this used to be prescription but is now over the counter, i know they have it at sam's club and costco. lactic acid acts as a "keratolytic" meaning it exfoliates the scaly upper layers of the epidermis (hyperkeratotic stratum corneum). in other words, the skin becomes less scaly and smoother. if that still doesn't do the trick you can see your doc about prescription topicals such as salex (6% salicylic acid). sometimes i even compound 5 to 10% salicylic acid into topical steroids for my patients which seems to work pretty good. keep us posted.

p.s. i have callosities from lifting weights and golfing (don't use gloves). the ladies don't seem to mind and if it doesn't bother them, it doesn't bother me

 

start washing your hands with pumice soap... they'll be tender in no time

 

 

dont you wear gloves??

 

hard/dry hands are more likely to get cuts and sliced up than moisterized hands

edit: i worked in shipping for 5 yrs so i used to have that problem

 

I'm not a lady nor do I have any advice for you. Just wondering, is your girl Amish?

 

Don't feel conscious of your hands. Hard hands are sexy! Personally, I find it weird if guy has soft hands. But if you think your hands are too rough, just keep it moisturized by applying lotion right after you take a bath in the morning.

 

Put lotion and gloves on before you go to bed...do it everynight for a week, and you're golden

 

There are products out there that can make your hands soft moisturize your hand each night before you go to bed If you like, I can guide you to some great products

 

Ok, I dont know how to do multiple quotes so when I respond, you know who you are. Anyway, thanks for all of the advice on keeping them moisturized, but that's not really a problem for me. Even in the winter my hands don't get dry, they just get hard. It's defenitely a blessing. It's like I'm wearing thin leather gloves on just the inside of my hand. They dont crack or anything, their just hard. 2nd, no I dont wear gloves at work because of he glue on the posters that go on the billboards is very slippery and gloves actually make it worse. Third, no she's not Amish. She actually Jewish, but not the normal kind of Jew. It's actually a mixture of Judiasim and Christianity. I dont completely understand it myself yet. Anyway thanks a bunch.

 

 

im with you on that one

 

Might be Jews for Jesus then............they believe in the Old Testement,but also believe Jesus was the Messiah (son of god)....The other Jews believe Jesus was just a prophet like Elijah,and currently are still waiting for the Messiah to come and take all of Israels Son and Daughters back to Jerusalem,and fix the world clear our sins yadda yadda yadda

 

Rough hands are sexy.

 

Moisturization helps with hardness, too. Not just cracks. We know what we're talking about dude, we're chicks. Moisturize to reduce hand hardedness.

 

^^ And yes, "hardedness" is a word.

 

Well the group she's with are called Messianic Jews, but yeah same principle. anyway thanks everyone for the advice. I'll try softening them up a bit and see if she likes it.

 

Good Luck with the hands make sure to give her a nice neck massage when your done..
Messianic Jews......I have never heard of this group will do some research,I happen to be a Reformed Jew.....its basically one notch below Orthodox.

 

Suite!

 

 

I have rough hands due to my work place too plus I work on my own cars + misc cars. So I'd really prefer if the guy's hands are more manly (er) than mines :P

 

I know most of the gals here said they did not mind the rough hands, but I hate it. I would love to find a man who is white collar and has a professional manicure but instead, my man has rough ass hands from his job and it's no fun. His nails are always dirty and jagged. I hate this a lot and I contantly ask for him to at least keep the nails trimmed and clean.

As a note: My step-dad works for UPS and his hands are jacked up. They crack and bleed in the winter and he has to use "corn huskers" lotion and "udder cream" and then sleep in gloves just so that he can tolerate another day of working with heavy boxes. Udder cream does work, by the way. I use it in winter myself. (Winters here suck.)

 

bag balm works well too.

 

Well like I said, it's not a case of rough cracked hands...just hard. Think brand new work gloves. They aren't cracked or anything like that, just tough. And BTW I agree jagged dirty nails are on a guy or girl. I don't get guys who think that it's not "manly" to clean and clip their nails.

 

I never got the concept of Jews for Jesus either.