Save Your Skin: Dermatitis An Itchy Fact Of Life

The second type, contact dermatitis, results from exposure to a skin irritant like detergent.

Save your skin: Dermatitis an itchy fact of life in Southern Colorado - Red, swollen and itchy is unpleasant skin to be in. Inflammation of the skin, or dermatitis, can have many causes and occur in many forms. It can make life miserable but isn’t contagious and usually isn’t life-threatening. It’s a scourge that plagues dry-skinned people — which is just about everybody at this time of year in arid Southern Colorado.

Dermatitis occurs in two basic types, says Dr. Sharon Kessler, a Pueblo dermatologist. There’s atopic, from the Greek for “hypersensitivity,” and there’s contact. “Atopic dermatitis is also called eczema; it’s exactly the same disease,” Kessler says. “It tends to be genetic, tends to cluster in families. There are three genes for it, all closely linked on the same chromosome.” People with atopic dermatitis often have asthma or hay fever as well. While there’s a genetic predisposition, exposure to environmental factors such as dryness, dust and pets, especially cats, can trigger atopic dermatitis.

The second type, contact dermatitis, results from exposure to a skin irritant like detergent or an allergen like poison ivy. Again, it’s not totally clear-cut, Kessler says, as some people may be genetically predetermined to be sensitive to nickel, for example, and break out in a rash if they wear nickel-containing jewellery.

Harsh climate a factor

Dr. Michael Babcock, a dermatologist who practices both in Pueblo and Colorado Springs, says he sees more people with atopic and dry skin dermatitis than contact dermatitis. “A lot of people who relocate here from elsewhere, from the South or the coasts, come in with a weird rash that’s a form of eczema. They’ve been susceptible to it all along but it didn’t appear until they were here” in Colorado’s harsh climate.

For people with mild eczema, some education and over-the-counter products often are the answer, he says. More severe cases may require medication. Babcock says he likes to joke with patients that he has a cure for their dermatitis: a first-class trip to Hawaii once a month.

Skin is a good barrier. If intact, it keeps out toxic agents, but if it’s broken, “all sorts of things can be a problem.”

Skin as barrier

Kessler says the three main offenders in contact dermatitis are grease-cutting dish detergent, furniture polish with lemon oil and window cleaner with ammonia.

“I see a lot of hand dermatitis, usually in women and particularly in winter before Christmas when they’ve been cleaning house like crazy,” Kessler says. “I always ask them if they’re using (brand name) detergent or any lemon-scented products or ones with ammonia. These change the environment so much it allows the skin to crack.”

Skin is a good barrier. If intact, it keeps out toxic agents, but if it’s broken, “all sorts of things can be a problem,” she says.

So what’s a person to do? Keep the skin from getting excessively dry. Kessler advises drinking lots of water; taking cooler showers — even though hot water may feel soothing to irritated skin; minimizing the use of soap — “Water is the universal solvent”; and applying a good-quality moisturizer right after bath or shower while the skin is still well-hydrated. She recommends using a thick cream rather than a thin lotion and choosing a product that contains alpha hydroxy acids.

Preservatives a problem

Babcock says people have become more aware that chemicals in products can cause skin problems, but they always think it’s the fragrance or because they changed products. “The most common cause of contact dermatitis is preservatives — parabens and formaldehyde derivatives,” he says. “Fragrance is the next most common.”

Antibiotic ointments also can cause problems. “One of the things everyone says is, ‘I’ve used X, Y or Z product forever.’ What you have to remember is a company can change its product ingredients at any time, and a person can develop sensitivity over time. You have to have exposure in order to have sensitivity.”

Dermatitis data

Atopic dermatitis or eczema is a chronic skin disease that’s most common in babies and children but can occur at any age. This red, itchy rash occurs on the face, scalp, hands and feet in infants, and where the skin flexes inside the elbows or behind the knees in older people. Skin changes can include blisters that ooze and crust, dry skin all over, raw skin from scratching, and leathery areas that occur after long-term irritation and scratching. Atopic dermatitis can be caused by both genetic and environmental factors. It can get worse, improve and then flare up again.

Contact dermatitis is caused by exposure to an irritant or an allergen and it causes red, sore or inflamed skin. Itching — sometimes severe — is common and a rash can occur; the rash may have bumps that become blisters. It often shows up on the hands, although hair products, cosmetics and perfumes can lead to reactions on the face, head and neck. Skin may become inflamed with long-term exposure to an irritant.

Also see: Dry, Cracked & Chapped Window Cleaners Hands, Fingers & Skin 

Capital Window Washers Shake Off The Cold

Supervisor Richard Dominguez says, "I remember when we washed in Indianapolis, that was freezing," he said. "I mean, we was hanging up there on the 36th floor building and once you put the water on the windows, it froze right away."

Window washers caught in winds while cleaning Capital One Tower in Lake Charles: A group of window washers caught the eyes of many Wednesday morning while they were cleaning the exterior of the Capital One Tower during some heavy winds. "This is the first time I've seen it," said onlooker Michelle Horak. "I posted on Facebook and said 'This is something new!' You know, I've never seen it here."

Workers with AAA National USA Building Services came in from Georgia to work on the building. Supervisor Richard Dominguez says the last time they were here was about 6 years ago. He says fortunately, the wind wasn't too bad and managed to sustain the weather with no safety issues. Though the workers were just doing their job, some people were still amazed. "It's cold, I mean, anything can happen," said onlooker Shaydriana Rhodes, who took time to snap a picture of the workers on her phone. "The winds could be really strong, you know; you never know what can happen with mother nature."

Dominguez says he's been a part of the building services for 15 years and says it's always tough when the temperature drop. "It's real cold," he said as he overlooked his team of six workers. "Your hands get real real cold. I mean, it's hard but if you've been doing this for a long time I mean it's not hard to do. It's just like every other jobs."

The workers are based out of Georgia and are headed to Houston this weekend to continue their work there. He says compared to his past jobs, the weather in Lake Charles was a piece of a cake. "I remember when we washed in Indianapolis, that was freezing," he said. "I mean, we was hanging up there on the 36th floor building and once you put the water on the windows, it froze right away." AAA National provides high-rise interior and exterior window cleaning services, from 1 to 100 stories, for office buildings, hotels, hospitals, universities and residential homes.

Window Cleaners News + GiveAway

Livid: Window cleaner Andrew Wilson was given a £70 parking fine because his van was overhanging yellow lines by one inch.

'Milking it': The van was parked near the end of the driveway because of building work going on at a neighbour's property.

Jobsworth traffic warden hands out ticket because window cleaner's van was overhanging yellow lines by one inch. Andrew Wilson, 50, was parked on his own driveway at home in Lincoln - Double yellows are intended to stop motorists blocking him in - Warden wouldn't listen to reason and handed out £70 fine. A window cleaner has accused parking bosses of trying to 'milk people of every penny' after a traffic warden gave him a fine because his van was hanging one inch over yellow lines. Andrew Wilson, 50, has been left livid after the jobsworth official slapped a £70 ticket on his van which he parked on his driveway at his home in Lincoln. Ironically, the double yellow lines are intended to stop other motorists blocking his way out.

Reason: Andrew Wilson said he tried to explain to the female warden that he couldn't move his van any further down the drive because of building work but his words fell on deaf ears.

Mr Wilson has been unable to pull any further onto his drive because of building work being carried out on a neighbour's property. But he said the female traffic warden would not listen to reason when he explained. 'I went out ranting and raving and saying 'what are you doing?' he said. 'There was about three or four people in our street shouting at her. She said there was nothing she could do about it. 'I said 'you can see the driveway, I can't use it' and she just walked off. The wheels are on my drive but the tiniest part of the vehicle is overhanging the lines. 'I would say it was hanging maybe half way over the first yellow line, probably only two centimetres. 'The warden must have got a ruler out and measured just how far over the line I was. 'The galling thing is the lines are there to stop my and other people's cars being blocked in by other people.'

Angry: Andrew Wilson of Derwent Street takes a look at the position of his vehicle after a warden issued a ticket because his van was parked slightly hanging over double yellow lines.

Andrew, who lives with his wife Keely, 39, and daughter Shania, 13, slammed Lincolnshire County Council for 'milking people of every penny' and vowed to appeal the fine. 'It's a £70 fine but if you pay it in 14 days then it's £35. I'm not going to pay it. I've appealed against it and sent the photos I took. 'I have been living here for three and a half years and the yellow lines have always been there but I've never had a problem. 'After 6pm you don't need a permit so the traffic wardens are always down there at like 5.30pm trying to catch people out. 'I've seen them scraping the ice off trying to look for permits. 'It is just stupid. It is milking us for every penny we have. It is disgusting.'

Mick Phoenix, parking services manager for Lincolnshire County Council, said: 'Mr Wilson has appealed against his ticket, so we will be investigating this. This will involve comparing any notes or photos taken by the parking officer with the evidence supplied by Mr Wilson. 'We usually have a decision in around 14 working days.The parking officers are asked to take a common sense approach when issuing a ticket. If we find Mr Wilson has been penalised in error, we will, of course cancel his ticket. However, if the ticket is upheld, there is option to reappeal.' News story also here & here.

Maid falls 30 storeys while cleaning window: An Indonesian domestic worker fell 30 storeys to her death while cleaning the master bedroom window in Telok Blangah Heights, a coroner's court heard on Friday (Jan 18). Ms Eci Eriyani, 23, had been working for six months when she fell on March 29 last year. At an inquiry into her death, the court heard that the maid was alone with her employer's mother-in-law, Madam Chiow Gek Inn, at the time. About half an hour after lunch, Madam Chiow, 79, was in the living room when she heard Ms Eriyani shouting. Madam Chiow looked for the maid and later heard a loud thud. She went to the void deck and found Ms Eriyani lying on the grass patch and called the police.

Maid fell 30 storeys while cleaning window: Coroner -  An Indonesian domestic worker fell 30 storeys to her death while cleaning the master bedroom window in Telok Blangah Heights, a coroner's court heard on Friday. Ms Eci Eriyani, 23, had been working for the employer for six months when she fell on March 29 last year. At an inquiry into her death, the court heard that the maid was alone with her employer's mother-in-law, Madam Chiow Gek Inn, at the time. About half an hour after they had lunch, Madam Chiow, 79, was in the living room when she heard Ms Eriyani shout "Grandma''.
She went round looking for the maid and found a pail of water in the master bedroom. The window and grilles were open. She heard a loud thud and suspected something was amiss. She went to the void deck and found Ms Eriyani lying on the grass patch and called the police. Ms Eriyani was pronounced dead at 1.15pm. State Coroner Imran Abdul Hamid said in his findings that the facts showed that the deceased was cleaning the windows of her employer's unit on the 30th floor when she accidentally fell out of the bedroom window and to the ground.

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Neighbours’ shock at tragic deaths: The man and woman whose bodies were found inside their South Tyneside home have been named locally as mother and son Elizabeth and Robert Douthwaite. The pair were discovered inside their house in Heron Drive, South Shields, at about 12.20pm on Thursday. A window cleaner is said to have raised the alarm after becoming concerned that a light had been on for two weeks and there were flies at the window. Neighbours said Robert, 44, was a keen photographer, and in the 1990s was commissioned by South Shields Library to take pictures for a book comparing the town’s past and present. Residents in the estate off Mile End Road where they lived have paid tribute to 73-year-old Elizabeth and her son. Robin Johnson, 71, of nearby Wellington Drive, said: “A window cleaner spotted something was wrong. “He said a light had been on for a couple of weeks and he noticed flies up at the window. “It is such a shame. The pair were lovely. But we all keep ourselves to ourselves, and they did the same. “We knew them, but hadn’t seen them for a while and then we heard the news.

Man gets eight months in jail for slapping woman on bum ‘for the thrill of it’ - A man who followed a woman and slapped her on her bottom "to get a thrill" and because "she had a nice bum" has been sentenced to eight months in jail. Sean Cullen (23) followed the woman who was out walking on a summer's evening last July and when he caught up with her, he slapped her bottom. He told gardai he was under the influence of drugs at the time and is deeply apologetic. Cullen, of Ashton Avenue, Ashton Brock in Swords, pleaded guilty at Balbriggan District Court to sexual assault on July 26, 2011 at Drynam Road in Swords. 

Garda Colum Donohoe gave evidence that the 27-year-old woman was out walking between 9pm and 9.30pm when she became aware of a male following her. She described him as putting his head down each time she turned around. “She began to walk faster and he sped up and when she slowed down, he slowed down,” said Gda Donohoe. “She rang her boyfriend and while she was on the phone, the defendant came up behind her and slapped her on the bum. He then ran onto the road. The woman's boyfriend arrived quickly and confronted the man and called gardai,” added Gda Donohoe. Cullen was arrested by gardai on December 12, 2011 and told gardai he “slapped her on the ass to get a thrill” and “she had a nice bum”.
Gda Donohoe told the court that Cullen, who has one previous conviction for theft, had spent ten to 15 minutes following the woman, who was in a terrified state. Gda Donohoe agreed with defence solicitor Fiona Darcy that Cullen was co-operative and apologetic when he was arrested. Cullen, who is a currently unemployed window cleaner following an accident, was under the influence of drugs at the time which, said Ms Darcy, was the reason he committed the offence. “He says it won't happen again,” said Ms Darcy. “He has learnt his lesson to stay away from drugs and he is worried sick as he did not think of the repercussions. He was so out of it and is deeply ashamed and apologetic.” 

A letter of apology was handed into the court but Judge Dermot Dempsey remarked that Cullen “seems to have made very little effort as the letter is dated January 2013”.  Judge Dempsey said he could not see his way around a custodial sentence despite Ms Darcy asking for community service for Cullen, as it was a “terrifying ordeal for the young lady”. He imposed an eight-month prison sentence but released him on his own recognisance of €400 and independent surety of €200 after Cullen immediately lodged an appeal to the sentencing.

Window cleaner Nick Glover with little Molly.

Window cleaner rescued kitten: A window cleaner became a hero for a day when he came to the rescue of a stranded kitten that was stuck on a roof in Bourne. The RSPCA has said a special thank you to cleaner Nick Glover who managed to rescue little Molly after she crept out of her home in Essex Way and climbed up onto a roof top. The 12-week-old kitten was spotted by a concerned member of the public who said Molly was being “dive-bombed” by some magpies and crows. RSPCA animal welfare officer Becky Harper was called to attend the incident but the cat was too far up for her to reach. But instead of calling out the fire service to rescue Molly, it was suggested a call be made to local window cleaner Nick Glover.
Becky said: “Nick immediately offered to help and arrived within 10 minutes. “He then climbed up his ladder and gently picked up little Molly and carried her back down to safety where she was reunited with her owner. “She was a little cold and hungry but apart from that fine. “I just hope this experience puts her off climbing on to roofs in the future although it’s still a bit of a mystery how she managed to get up there considering how tiny she is. “I would really like to say thank you to Nick for helping Molly so quickly and he gave his time free of charge. “He saved calling the fire brigade out and it is great that this had a happy ending.”

Burglary in Crystyl Ranch – Front Door was Kicked-In by Unknown Suspect(s): On Saturday, a home in Concord’s Crystyl Ranch neighborhood was burglarized. Here’s the information from an anonymous Claycordian…. Wanted to pass this information along about a burglary that occurred on Saturday in Crystyl Ranch. Got this from the HOA. Please help spread the word and remind people to be smart about opening doors for solicitors. “Please be aware that we had an early morning burglary on the 5300 Block of Crystyl Ranch on Saturday at around 8am or so.  The front door was kicked in–homeowners were away on vacation.  Fortunately they had an alarm which may have scared away the intruders. Two days ago, there were several men in the neighborhood offering window cleaning and gutter cleaning services–driving white vans.  The offering of services could have been a ruse to case homes for future burglaries.” Thanks for the heads-up!

Gatwick boss: 'Heathrow can't cope so send flights to us instead' - Heathrow is damaging London’s reputation with its inability to cope with snowy weather and should run far fewer flights in winter, bosses at rival airport Gatwick said today. “The way in which Heathrow chooses to respond to forecasted relatively minor snowfall is to cancel, with only 24 hours’ notice, hundreds of flights,” Stewart Wingate, chief executive of Gatwick, told Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin in a letter. “This causes a significant number of passengers to suffer days of misery, as well as damaging the reputation of London as a world city.” Mr Wingate’s attack came after hundreds of passengers were forced to camp out overnight at Heathrow, which had cancelled 187 flights by lunchtime today. Window cleaner Howard Allenby, 36, from Leeds, and his girlfriend Natasha were among 20 passengers who slept on the floor of the Aurora International hotel near Heathrow after their flight to Zambia was cancelled for a second day.

I killed Gemma after she threatened me with a knife, brother tells court: The brother of ex-EastEnders actress Gemma McCluskie claims she threatened him with a knife on the day he killed her and cut up her body, the Old Bailey heard today. Window cleaner Tony McCluskie (pictured), 35, says he lost control and attacked the 29-year-old barmaid after weeks of humiliating abuse and criticism, jurors were told. He claims his last memory is of her picking up a knife during a blazing row about him flooding the bathroom by leaving the sink taps running. McCluskie is said to have battered Gemma — Kerry Skinner in the BBC1 soap — with a blunt object and then cut her body into six pieces with a meat cleaver at the family home in Shoreditch, east London. He was caught on CCTV taking the remains in a suitcase to dump in the Regent’s Canal in Hackney. Four days later the torso was discovered by a barge owner floating in the water. McCluskie, who admits killing his sister but denies murder on the grounds of lack of intent and loss of control, is due to give evidence this afternoon.

McCluskie murder trial: Brother told cabbie ‘I have my sister in suitcase’ - Window cleaner Tony McCluskie, 35, is accused of murdering 29-year-old Gemma (pictured) last March, dismembering her body and taking it in the minicab to be dumped in the Regent’s Canal. He booked the cab to take him to the canal from the flat they shared in Pelter Street, Bethnal Green, and was seen on CCTV pulling the luggage along the towpath at around 10.35pm on March 2—before dumping it into the water. Gemma’s torso was recovered four days later. The head was found six months after that. “I asked him what was in the bag,” minicab driver Jilul Haque told the Old Bailey. “He replied it is his ‘system’—I assumed it was a stereo or something. “He lifted it—it looked very heavy.” But McCluskie’s barrister Jeremy Dein suggested Mr Haque misheard the word “sister” and thought he said “system.”

Temperatures in Skegness drop even lower: Plunging temperatures continue to grip the region in an icy embrace, with the mercury dipping to its lowest level all winter, for the second day running. Skegness weatherman Brian Porter recorded a temperature of minus six last night and said it had remained below zero for the past two days. Despite beating this winter’s record once again, the icy blast has yet to reach the extremes of last year, when Brian took readings of minus seven on a number of occasions. And in all his 25 years as the town’s Met observer, minus eight has been the lowest temperature he has ever recorded. Although his detailed weather reports continue to be a talking point in Skegness - for Brian, who is a window cleaner when he’s not recording meteorological data, the freezing conditions have made it impossible to work. He said: “The water has been freezing on the glass as soon as I try to clean it so I’ve not been able to work at all today.” The Met Office has forecasted low temperatures, icy conditions and strong winds to last until next week, with snow expected to return to the East Midlands on Friday and Saturday.

Gwent battles on as more extreme weather forecast: An extreme cold temperature alert has been issued for Gwent over the next couple of days, with warnings of frost and ice. This is the first time Vantage Weather Services, an independent weather forecaster for Wales, based in Ebbw Vale, has issued such a warning since it was formed in 2006. Daytime and overnight temperatures will remain below freezing with –3C to –5C by day, and –4C to –7C overnight for the next few days. Temperatures will feel even colder in the windchill overnight with ‘real feel’ temperatures as low as –11C. Severe overnight frosts are expected along with icy conditions. Despite the sub-zero temperatures at the weekend, that didn’t stop people in Gwent getting out and making the most of the snow. Window cleaner Greg Williams, 30, built a snowman 20-feet high around a lamppost on Lime Crescent, Somerton, with Ben Prichard, 28. Children from the street helped the two collect the snow, spending all Friday building it. “We went out there at 7.45am and finished at 3.30pm,” he said. Pictured, some of the youngsters who helped build this snow sculpture in Lime Crescent, Newport.

Facebook adds free calls for US iPhone users: Facebook's search tool announcement may not have thrilled investors or many of its users, with both groups hoping for the release of a Facebook phone, but the social networking firm has added a new tool that allows users to make free calls. The service, which according to the Telegraph, is being tested in Canada, will allow users of the Facebook app on the iPhone to make phone calls to friends over Wi-Fi or a cellular data connection instead of traditional voice services.

This will enable heavy users of voice minutes to avoid hefty call charges, as they can potentially use connections that they already pay for or are available to them for no extra charge. "We started testing this in Canada the first week of the year and today we're extending that test to the US," Facebook said in an email sent to the Telegraph. "We were able to expand the test so quickly because it went well in Canada and we wanted to expand the audience". Facebook is expected to roll out the new feature overseas - and possibly the UK - and on other operating systems including Android and BlackBerry.
The calls can only be made to Facebook users that have Messenger installed on their iPhone - meaning that people using Facebook in a browser will not have the new feature available to them. A Facebook spokesman told the BBC that the tool was different to the software used in Skype, which is already integrated into the Facebook website. Earlier this week, Facebook launched its social graph feature dubbed Graph Search, which allows people to use the network as a search engine to find people, photos, places and interests.

POS will become truly mobile: New entrants into the payment market, such as Square, iZettle and mPowa, are giving retailers a whole new way to accept payment transactions via mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones. This is just as applicable to the large multinational retailers as it is to the local UK tradesmen. There will be less scrambling around for cash to pay the window cleaner in 2013, as mobile becomes an even more integral part of a transactional process for the digital and physical world. The launch of 4G will only accelerate this.

Student entrepreneur joins the next 36: A summer running her own window cleaning service convinced University of Windsor business student Alyssa Atkins to ditch plans to study law. It has also earned her recognition as one of the top undergraduate entrepreneurs in Canada. "I knew right then I wanted to run my own business because I got up every morning so excited about going to work," said Atkins, who is due to graduate from the Odette School of Business in the spring. "It wasn't so much the window-cleaning as the chance to be my own boss, make my own decisions and be responsible for my own success."
Her business instincts have led to her being selected to join The Next 36, a program which offers promising entrepreneurs seed money, nine months of mentoring and technical support in setting up a new company. Atkins will be teamed with two other students from across Canada in developing a mobile technology business. "It's an amazing opportunity because it not only connects you with other students with similar interests but also provides you with access to entrepreneurs across the country," she said.
More than 1,000 students applied for this year's class with 72 making the initial cut for an intensive interview weekend before the final three dozen were selected. Atkins, who applied to the program last year but wasn't accepted, started preparing for her new interest in business studies by spending the fall of 2010 in Jonkoping, Sweden as part of an entrepreneurial exchange program. "They made us start a business almost right away with people we'd never met and it opened up my eyes to the whole idea of co-operation, travel and working with people from different countries and cultures," said Atkins. "When people from different backgrounds can laugh at the same jokes you know you have much more in common than you initially think." 

Toddler falls eight storeys, survives due to snow: Kiev: A three-year-old boy from the Ukrainian city of Kharkov fell eight storeys but survived because a huge heap of snow broke his fall, the interior ministry said. The child apparently opened a window of his room, leaned out and fell when his mother left him unattended. "The child fell into a huge snowdrift under the window. He survived and was rushed to the medical emergency hospital. Doctors said his condition is grave, but stable," the ministry said.
Several cases of lucky survivors have been reported in the past years. In 2008, a window cleaner plummeted 47 storeys from the roof of a Manhattan skyscraper and survived. In 2009, a 29-year-old Chinese woman miraculously escaped death after she jumped off the 27th floor. In 2010, a 10-year-old Chinese boy who fell 20 storeys from an apartment window survived after landing on a parked car. Last year, a 22-year-old Australian woman survived an unsuccessful bungee jump from a 111-metre bridge. She suffered only bruises and a broken collar bone when her safety cord snapped, sending her into the crocodile-infested waters of the Zambezi river.

The chemicals used in most household cleaners can have an irritating effect on the skin and body especially those found in all- purpose cleaners, dish and laundry detergents, window cleaners, furniture polish, drain cleaners and toilet disinfectants. One ought to wear protective gloves when handling substances such as ammonia, butoxyethanol, monoethanalamine, diathenolamine, triethanolamine, nonylphenolethoxylates, phosphates, silica powder and sodium hydroxide, commonly known as 'lye', which can all be found in household cleaners such as oven, window, bathroom, surface cleaners, deodorisers, disinfectants, abrasive cleaning powders, fabric softeners and degreasers. A good practice when using these products is to cover your skin, leaving openings for your eyes, mouth and nose, with plastic wrap. This actually helps hydrate the skin too as it forces the pores to sweat bringing moisture to the skin's surface.

A city vacated lets its dullards do the work: In the 1970s, in an attempt to take his country back to Year Zero, a prehistory from which he could refashion it, Pol Pot and his henchmen drained Phnom Penh of its intellectuals and elite. When he and his Khmer Rouge had finished their societal reconfiguration, only a drone proletariat of ditch-diggers and factory hands were left in that town. Anyone with a spark of intelligence or drive was gone. There was a rumour at the time that the dictator had once spent summers working at the Cambodian Consulate in Melbourne. The story goes he was agog at our Christmas diaspora, and determined to emulate it in his own capital once he had one. ''Everyone from area manager to dental hygienist and upward goes to the beach,'' he apparently told his politburo. ''Melbourne becomes a ghost town of nightwatchmen and window-washers. A place of pliable dullards.''

Dry, Cracked & Chapped Window Cleaners Hands, Fingers & Skin

The winter months usually mean dry, cracked, and sometimes bloody hands and skin for many window cleaners, especially for those living in cold, dry climates. Unfortunately, hot showers and hand-washing are two activities that cause significantly dry skin. Regular lotion doesn't really do the trick, it doesn't really take care of the deep, persistent dryness that sets in after a few weeks of cold weather. The best strategy has been to invest in a really good, heavy-duty lotion at the beginning of the season and begin applying it a night before bed. Dry chapped hands, it is one of the biggest skin problems in the winter season. These are caused due to reduced water and moisture content of the body due to harsh cold weather. The skin surface only holds a certain amount of water and moisture, and when it's exposed to extreme cold conditions, water content decreases and this results in dry, uncomfortable itchy hands. If chapped hands are not cured, window cleaners may face difficulty in doing work without gloves and bacteria may enter the skin cracks causing eczema or other skin infections. A little knowledge will help you to get off all these problems due to dry skin. Drink a lot of water to moisturize from within! Here are a few lotions that may help:

Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream - A hand lotion for use during the day. This clinically proven, highly concentrated formula rapidly heals dry hands. It noticeably improves the look and feel of your skin. Hands feel soft and smooth after just one application. Available in Original and Fragrance-free.

L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream: A super-smoothing--and best-selling--synergy of 20% Shea Butter, honey and sweet almond extract, blended with the light and alluring aromas of jasmine and ylang-ylang essences. Texturally pleasing balm glides on and absorbs to help heal and protect dry or dehydrated skin. Anti-oxidizing vitamin E helps nourish. Invites even the most hard-working hands to a fresh beginning.

Lush's Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter - From Lush. Rub in as much of this lemon-scented lotion as your cuticles, knuckles, and fingers will take before you go to bed at night. inside is a thick, nourishing butter that moisturizes the hardest areas – elbows, heels, cuticles and nails. You just need a tiny dab (one pot lasts us months) of this rich lemon cream. Rub the Shea butter, cold pressed avocado oil and mango butters in to moisturize and nourish skin. Massage a bit in daily and you won't have to deal with hangnails and cracked skin any longer!

Intense relief hand cream from Aveeno: This unique, non-greasy and fragrance free hand cream is specially formulated with Natural Colloidal Oatmeal and rich emollients to help heal dry skin and form a protective glove against the elements. Unlike ordinary hand creams, Aveeno Intense Relief Hand Cream protects and moisturizes skin for 24 hours and even lasts through hand washing.

Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream - Pumpkin Seed Oil, rich in fatty acids, combines with Olive Oil and Wheat Germ Extract to hydrate and nourish dry skin. Protein-rich Bee Pollen nourishes and rejuvenates, while emollient Beeswax holds in essential moisture.

Sudocrem Antiseptic healing cream: Sudocrem is made up in a base with water-repellent properties which form a protective barrier, therefore helping to stop any irritants (urine and stools) coming into contact with the skin. In addition, the emollient effect can help to soothe sore inflamed skin whilst leaving the skin feeling soft. Sudocrem’s formulation helps to reduce the risk of infection and contains a mild local anaesthetic to soothe the pain. In addition, it helps a wound to heal and forms a protective barrier over the vulnerable area.

Badger balm is organic salve for your cracked, chapped, rough, weathered and dry skin. This is the stuff you want with you if you are lost in some vast, uncharted wilderness. It has the mild scent of Sweet Birch and Wintergreen Oils, which have been traditionally used as an antiseptic, a muscle rub, and to ease the occasional symptoms of skin problems like psoriasis and eczema. Badger Balm is tough enough to soothe rough, dry skin, but gentle enough to use every day.

Bag Balm: In 1937, Admiral Byrd’s provisions for the trip to the North Pole included Bag Balm, which helped protect the udders of base camp cows that provided milk to the expedition amidst severe climate conditions. Helps soothe bruised, sore or injured teats & people who do water sports!

Udderly Smooth - Udder Cream for Dry Skin. Made in the USA for over thirty years, Udderly Smooth products contain rich moisturizing ingredients. Not your average moisturizing lotion - Udderly Smooth can be used on dry, cracked skin. This company does not engage in animal testing in it's products.

DIY:  Honey and Lemon Juice with Oil:  Mix 1 teaspoon oil with 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of honey. Apply and rub this mixture over knuckles, crusty elbows and other hardened areas. Keep it rubbing for 8-10 minutes and rinse off. This will nourish your skin and will keep it soft.

How to Treat Fingertips Cracks:

They're annoying and uncomfortable. Painful fingertip cracks are more common in the winter when the temperature drops and hands are exposed to sub-freezing temperatures and harsh winds. The small cracks and fissures are worsened by exposure to water or harsh detergents and chemicals. This can be a particular problem if you wash dishes frequently or work in a profession that requires exposure to chemicals. What can you do about this annoying symptom?

Fingertip cracks and fissures need moisture to heal, but the problem with applying simple hand creams is that it may not be enough. Your hands need intense moisture. Fortunately, there's no need to buy expensive moisture creams. Your best ally in fighting fingertip cracks is good, old-fashioned petroleum jelly that you buy at your local drugstore. You'll also need a pair of cotton gloves with a little lycra to help them conform to the skin. These are available online and in most drugstores.

The best time to treat dry hands with fingertip cracks is at night before you go to bed. Use a mild, unscented soap and warm water to wash your hands. While your hands are still slightly moist apply a heavy layer of petroleum jelly to the cracked areas and a thinner layer over the rest of your hands. Slip on the gloves and leave them on overnight. You can do this during the day if you don't have to leave the house. Repeat this process several times until you start to see improvement in the fingertip cracks. Some people notice a significant difference after only one or two treatments. If the symptoms fail to resolve with this treatment, see your doctor. Sometimes a fungal infection can cause this symptom which may require use of a prescription anti-fungal cream.

Once your fingertip cracks and fissures have healed, it's important to keep them from recurring. Moisture is the key to keeping the uncomfortable cracks from wrecking havoc with your fingers again. Although you can use petroleum jelly for a daily hand moisturizer, some people prefer almond oil or coconut oil, both of which are excellent for keeping fingertips moist. These are inexpensive and can be purchased at most health food stores and natural food markets.

Other tips? When you place your hands in water, make sure they're covered by gloves and use only the mildest, all-natural hand soaps and bath products. Avoid extremes in temperature when you bathe, particularly hot water which can be very drying to the skin and worsen not only fingertip cracks. When you go outside in cold weather, apply petroleum jelly to your hands and always wear gloves.

There's not need to suffer from cracked fingertips. With a few inexpensive products, this uncomfortable symptom can be a thing of the past and you'll be well on your way to smoother looking fingers and hands.

For those that need more ingredient advise - this may be the web page for you!