Cracked Fingertips: Causes and How to Heal Them

Painful, cracked fingertips are usually due to dry skin. Causes may include cold weather, harsh cleaning products, or excessive handwashing. Cracked fingers may be a sign of a condition, like eczema, psoriasis, or in rare cases, cancer.

Whether you are dealing with cracked fingertips alone or dry and cracked hands, it’s important to seek treatment and investigate any underlying medical issues.

Common Causes

In most cases, cracked and peeling skin around the fingertips is caused by dry skin.

Peeling fingertips are a sign of very dry skin, known as xerosis. Many people experience dry skin from products and exposures, such as:

• Harsh chemicals in hand soaps and cleaning products
• Dry climates
• Aging
• Winter weather
• Exposure to the sun
• Long, hot showers

Many people also experience dry skin from frequent handwashing because it removes the natural oils that keep your hands moisturized.

Medical Conditions

In some cases, cracked, painful fingers can indicate an underlying medical condition that may require treatment. Possibilities range from eczema and a skin infection to diabetes and cancer.

Skin Conditions

Painfully dry skin is associated with chronic skin conditions, including eczema and psoriasis.

• Eczema: An inflammatory skin condition that causes a scaly, inflamed, itchy rash. Eczema is more likely to occur on the fingertips, but if you have flaky, scaly spots, these might indicate psoriasis.
• Psoriasis: An inflammatory autoimmune disorder that leads to lesions or inflamed scaly patches on skin

Both of these conditions are believed to be associated with an overactive autoimmune system, and both can be triggered by environmental factors including allergens and changing temperatures.

Fungal Infection

Dry, cracked skin on the hands may result from an underlying fungal infection, known as ringworm. This type of infection is highly contagious and can occur on most areas of the body, including the feet (athlete's foot), groin (jock itch), nails, and scalp.

When it occurs on the hand, it can cause dry skin and deep cracks on the palm and finger joints. There may also be a ring-shaped rash on the back side of the hand.

Diabetes

People with diabetes often experience changes to blood flow in their extremities, particularly the hands and feet. This can cause skin to become dry and cracked.

Dry skin as a result of diabetes usually affects the feet first.

Cancer

In rare instances, dry, cracked skin on the fingers may be a sign of cancer.

Squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma can appear on the fingers in the form of small nodules or sores that can become scaly or crusty.

Vitamin Deficiency

Two vitamins that play a vital role in skin health at vitamin E and vitamin C. If you don't get enough of these nutrients, you may be more prone to dry, cracked fingertips.

• Vitamin E: An antioxidant that protects skin from free radical damage, vitamin E is found in plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains.
• Vitamin C: The body cannot make vitamin C on its own, but you can get plenty by eating foods such as berries, broccoli, cabbage, kiwi, oranges, peppers, and tomatoes. It can reduce inflammation caused by psoriasis and atopic dermatitis and protects your skin from sun damage.
  

If you are worried you're not getting enough of these vitamins from your diet, talk to your healthcare provider about taking supplements.

Certain Medications

Some medications can cause dry skin as a side effect. This may make the skin more susceptible to cracking.

These medications include:

• Statins
• Diuretics
• Retinoids

Related Symptoms

Cracked fingertip skin can be superficial or deep. Symptoms associated with cracked fingertips may include:

• Very dry skin, which may appear red, flaky, or inflamed
• Pain, especially when working with your hands
  
• Discoloration in the fingernails
• Brittle or broken fingernails

In some, the discomfort associated with cracked fingertips can affect everyday activities.

When to See a Healthcare Provider

If your symptoms persist or you're otherwise concerned about your peeling fingertips, it's best to visit a healthcare provider to determine what's causing the scaly skin. Specific signs that indicate you should see a healthcare provider include the following:

• You have diabetes and are experiencing persistent dry, peeling fingertips, which indicate circulation problems.
• Your fingernails become brittle, yellow, or thickened, which could mean you have a fungal infection.
  
• Scaliness on the skin is accompanied by small growths or sores, possibly a sign of a cancerous growth (although this is rare).

Diagnosis

A healthcare provider might be able to make a diagnosis by examining the skin and asking about your medical history and circumstances that may have contributed to your cracked fingertips. Eczema, psoriasis, and ringworm can be diagnosed this way.

If your healthcare provider is unsure of the cause or wants to rule out other factors, they may suggest a skin biopsy, in which a small sample of skin is taken so it can be examined under a microscope. This can help determine whether you have psoriasis, eczema, athlete's foot, or cancer.

Your healthcare provider may suggest a blood test to measure glucose levels if they suspect your cracked fingertips are a sign of diabetes.

Treatment

If you’re experiencing dry, painful fingertips, you begin a regular moisturizing treatment at home. If your skin starts to heal as a result of at-home treatment, continue the routine in order to keep dry, cracked skin at bay.

When choosing the right moisturizer, dermatologists recommend:

• Occlusives: These prevent moisture loss from the skin's surface. Occlusive ingredients include mineral oil and petrolatum.
• Humectants: These hydrate the skin by pulling moisture from the air, and attracting and binding water on the skin. Humectant ingredients include hyaluronic acid, lactic acid, and glycerin.
• Emollients: These create protective layers on the skin. Emollients can be found in palm oil, coconut oil, and wool fat.
• Moisturizers that are fragrance-free and dye-free: These can help you avoid irritating your skin more.

At night, use your product of choice and sleep with cotton gloves on to help your hands retain moisture.

If your peeling fingertips don't respond to moisturizing, speak with your healthcare provider about other treatment options.

A steroid cream or antifungal cream might be needed to help your fingertips heal if the dry skin is a result of an infection.

For underlying conditions like eczema, psoriasis, or diabetes, your healthcare provider will talk with you about lifestyle changes and treatments that will help reduce your symptoms. For example, a psoriasis soap may be recommended if your cracked fingertips are due to a skin condition.

Prevention

The key to maintaining soft skin and avoiding cracked skin is to moisturize well and often.

Follow these steps to keep skin hydrated:

• After washing your hands, leave them slightly damp or allow them to air-dry.
• While your hands are damp, apply hand cream, focusing on the fingertips and nails.
• Apply moisturizer immediately after using hand sanitizer, as the alcohol it contains can make dry skin worse. 

Cracked skin results from environmental exposure and lifestyle factors as well. To protect your hands, make the following changes:

• Protect your skin from the sun: Spend less time in strong sunlight and apply sunscreen even to your hands when outside.
• Wear gloves when you go outdoors in cold weather, perform tasks that require you to get your hands wet, work with chemicals or other substances.
• Take shorter and cooler showers and baths to avoid drying skin out with hot water.
• Stay hydrated by drinking water throughout the day.
• Avoid excessive handwashing.
• If you smoke, quit.

Summary

In most cases, cracked fingertips are caused by dry skin resulting from environmental triggers, such as a dry climate, aging, or harsh chemicals in soaps or cleaning products. Less commonly, it may be caused by eczema, psoriasis, diabetes, or another underlying condition. Cancer is another possibility, though a rare one.

Moisturizing your hands should help your cracked fingertips. If they're still dry, it's best to speak to a healthcare provider about other treatments.