It should come to no surprise to anyone that I wash my hands hundreds of times a day. Every time I put gloves on or take them off I am either sudsing up or reaching for the hand sanitizer. I never realized what a toll that would take on my skin. The soap in the clinic is harsh and drying so I try to do my best in my down time and at home to keep my hands soft and moisturized. I am constantly reaching into my white coat pocket for lotion. Some of the ways I have helped my hands after hours is by using soap that keeps the moisture in. I love the scent of the Next to Godliness Lavender and Chamomile hand soap from Trader Joe's. It's light and refreshing and no matter how many times I use it, it doesn't seem to have that harsh drying effect on my hands.
Even though we have fancy dish washing gloves, I can never be bothered to wear them so I purchased dish washing soap with Oil of Olay moisturizers built right in. Not that I love doing dishes or anything, but if I am doing good for my skin while washing away grease from our pots and plans, I'd say that's a plus.
Lastly, nothing beats a good manicure. After working 6 years in an ortho office where bright manicured fingers were a no-no, I have carried this with me to dental school. You will rarely catch me with painted nails unless there was a weekend event and I didn't have time by Monday morning to locate some nail polish remover. My compromise has been to find a nude shade that barely looks like I have anything on, but leaves my nails strong and protected. If you invest in a good topcoat and base coat, this helps to extend the life of your manicure. I like the Ulta brand polishes. They are reasonably priced and work really well. Plus, the store if always offering great sales on their brand of products. Keep nails short; it's OSHA anyway. And make sure to add a clear coat every few days to avoid chips, which I hate! Patients notice the little things and clean well-groomed nails definitely make you look more professional.
Happy Labor Day Weekend everyone! Hope people are having more fun than me and my weekend-long boards studying marathon!
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