UrbanUpdate

It’s not as gross as overgrown nose hair, or as complicated to fix as a hairy rear end, but you need to stop ignoring your dry, ashy, cracked hands already. For one, they feel like wads of sandpaper or the bottom of an elderly dog’s foot to your partner, and for another, they’re making you look a bit like Shrek. That is, older and more ogre-y than is actually necessary. Here, ten ways to combat this common winter malady, ranked from hardest to easiest.

Super Annoying, Not Advised:Cover your hands in lotion, wear gloves to bed to lock in moisture.Takes Some Effort, Mildly Inconvenient:Buy a humidifier for your bedroom so the heat doesn’t dry you out while you sleep.Make sure you’re eating enough Omega-3 fatty acids, which keep skin looking young.If you’re cooking with coconut oil, rub a little bit onto your hands. Weird, but it works.Very Doable but Requires Some Thought:Use moisturizing hand soap at home instead of the antibacterial stuff.Don’t wash your hands in scalding-hot water—as good as it may feel.Avoid air-dryers in restrooms; use paper towels instead. (You can be good in other ways.)Use facial scrub on your hands a few times a week in order to slough away dead skin. Feels. So. Good.Stupid Easy, The Only Stuff That Really Matters:Wear warm leather or cotton gloves outside, even when it isn’t absolutely freezing.Drink water, drink it often. Dry skin is partly a sign of dehydration.Buy a heavy-duty hand lotion, use it several times a day.

Now, onto more important things, like seducing your partner with your soft hands and pondering whether you’re man enough for a man bun.

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