Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with hands

How to keep dry hands clean

queseyo — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:25:12 -0800

How can I keep my hands clean without water or alcohol? I'm a waitress, so I have my hands in water a lot, and need to wash them frequently. Unfortunately, I also have eczema, and dry skin in general, and if my hands get too dry from contact with water, they will break out (I use Protopic pretty religiously so the breakouts aren't too bad). How can I keep my hands clean without alcohol or water (both just dry out my skin to the point of pain)? Does anyone have any recommendations for waterless soaps or alcohol-free sanitizers? TIA

Annoying sensual quirks filter: Why does he rub me the wrong way?

Anonymous — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 06:52:38 -0800

I'm female, just started seeing a guy, we're both in our thirties. We've made out a couple of times but are still fairly new to eachother physically. So far it's really nice, except for one thing: whenever, wherever he touches me, he does it in a repetitive circle. It never stops. And it makes me want to leap out of my skin and run screaming. Example: When we're standing and hugging, his arm will be around me, not just roving around like arms do, but rubbing his hand in a big circle on my back. ACK. Or, when we're laying down his hand will be moving over my shoulder in circles. Wax on, wax off. Or, his hand will be resting on my cheek, but his thumb will be rubbing my temple in incessant circles. As long as his hands are going from point A to point B on me it doesn't seem to happen. It's when they stop to rest that he starts boring a hole into me. I have tried nonchalantly putting my hand over his, but he keeps wiggling underneath it!

I have dated other guys with the same habit. Why do some people do this? I otherwise really enjoy his touch. How do I (kindly) ask him to for the love of god STOP what is for him probably a sub-conscious motor habit? And does this drive anyone else up the wall like me?

Is Halloween the only time straight guys can wear nail polish?

Alex Handcoding — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:51:29 -0800

Is Halloween the only time it's ok for straight guys to wear nail polish (either on hands or feet)? And even then, only black, is it? On the off-chance the answer happens to be 'not even Halloween', feel free to convey as much. Also, I realize there's a difference between "it's ok" and "it's attractive", so I'm interested in that angle too.

Hands on something other than a keyboard

sio42 — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 08:58:48 -0800

I am tired of staring at a computer screen all day. I think I want to work with my hands and definitely would like to be out of the office/cubicle most of the day. I have an BA in Useless, as I've seen it called as I've been searching on here for help.

But I'm having trouble finding answers to my ultimate question. I"m in IT right now (admin asst), I don't really like it. I enjoy technology and all, but as a hobby. I really HATE being an admin asst - yay, process invoices etc. And I really don't want to be in telecom. I hate managing our phone systems. It sucks.

I am taking some classes at local Community College in web design. I've always wanted to know more about it. But again - that's staring at a computer all day. I am making an appt to speak with a career counselor there soon, but I wanted the MeFi answers as well. The career counselor is bound to have their own biases.

I know all these questions get answers like "what do you LIKE to do?" or similar. The best I have ever felt, when I felt that what I had accomplished was indeed good, wonderful, and done to a level I felt confident in...it was when I was volunteering/working with a nonprofit that did creek clean ups. Spending all day in the sun or rain picking up trash and debris...not just candy wrappers, i mean serious put the waders and gloves on stuff - tires, cinder blocks, shopping carts, mattresses (yuck!!!!), etc. Then tossing all that stuff in the dumpster and seeing that huge pile of trash, muddy and stinking OUT of the creek.

I tried working for the nonprofit but the awful leadership and beauracracy of the whole thing ended up causing its downfall and my disillusionment with it.

I don't think I want to be a trash collector, tho (ha ha). The ability to physically SEE what I had done, not on a screen, not a paper report, but to SEE it, to FEEL physically like I had done a bunch work that resulted in something tangible - that was pretty awesome.

I am a strong NP (INFP, ENTP). I came out right in the middle on the I/E, F/T thing. When I take the career assessment though the community college, it comes back with electrician and diagnostic medical sonographer. I don't want to take care of people as far as helping them go to the bathroom etc, but otherwise like the idea of the medical stuff. It never really occurred to me before.

I don't necessarily want to leave technology behind (hence sonographer of any kind seeming interesting), but I'm kinda tired of sitting all the time and updating spreadsheets and databases and telling people how to work the damn lcd projector. I've been doing customer service and now admin asst work since, let's see, I was 20? ugh.

I'm 30 years old, female, with liberal arts degree. I'm willing and able to take classes online or evenings/weekends. I don't really dread going to work everyday, but want to take steps towards a fulfilling career/life path.

Anyways, ask questions, I'll answer and maybe I'll get my current brain soup to congeal into something more solid.

Foot Cream and Hands - Cosmetic Capulets and Montagues?

boombot — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 17:36:12 -0800

Why is it so important that I wash my hands "thoroughly" after applying my foot cream (instructions/ingredients)? Texture and thickness aside, isn't skin, well, skin?

sensitve lotions for hardcore mofos

Infernarl — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 02:16:59 -0800

This one goes out to all you dish dogs and pearl divers out there: how do you keep your hands in good condition when working in a restaurant? Especially as a dishwasher. My hands are wet all day. They are covered with burns, cuts, pokes, calluses, etc. What do I need to do to fix dishpan hands? I want to be able to give someone a massage or shake someone's hand without them knowing instantly that I am either a street fighter or I cut fish all day. I live in Japan so more than specific product names types of products would me more help.

What makes palms different?

Morrigan — Tue, 12 May 2009 16:50:28 -0800

Why doesn't Ben Gay (or similar products) affect my fingers / palms? My hands are not calloused, if that matters. Aren't hands *more* sensitive?

What was this musical cups game I played in the 80s?

c:\awesome — Sat, 09 May 2009 15:14:55 -0800

When I was little (think 80s), a neighborhood friend taught us a musical co-op game that was played with one plastic cup per person (maybe?), and at least 4 people (though it could go up much higher as long as the number were equal). Basically, it went like this:

You'd sit in a circle, so that there was always someone opposite you, and have a flat surface in front (a card table worked well for 4 people, picnic table for more) where the cups would lay, upside-down.

The first person would start with a *clap* *clap* of the hands, followed by three slaps on the table, one more *clap*, and then you'd pick the cup up with your left hand, slap it against your right hand, slap it on the table, pick it back up with your right, with maybe a few more claps or slaps in between, and pass it to the next person. The person on your left is doing this too, and pretty soon the entire table is clapping and slapping cups in unison to the beat.

There was no drinking involved.

Did anyone else play this? What was it called? Are there any videos online of this? Help!

How can I warm or otherwise mitigate my cold dead hands vs. my loved ones?

cavalier — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 07:54:30 -0800

My long, thin, bony fingers do not retain heat. Quite conversely, they could be considered 10 deceivingly flesh covered dry ice appendages. With a baby rapidly on the way, does the hive mind have any suggestions or advice on how I might hold the baby without making him miserable? It's never been enough to bother me, in fact I rarely notice it, but boy, my wife has! After peeling her off the ceiling on more than one occasion, I've tried rubbing, running hot water over, breathing into, etc. Can't help it. I must moonlight as the angel of death while I'm sleeping.

Anyhoo, I wouldn't fret much about it, except I've just realized that while I can soothe and apologize to adults, the baby's not going to be too happy about it. Short of limiting interaction to a thick blanket betwixt us, y'all have any ideas?

I would make a horrible surgeon.

ocherdraco — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 18:28:00 -0800

Why do my hands mirror each other's movements? Something I've wondered my whole life, and that some anatomically savvy MeFite might be able to explain: moving one of my hands (say, making a fist or moving my thumb around in a circular motion, or writing with a pen) causes the other hand to make sympathetic movements (more like twitches of the corresponding muscles than exact copies of the other hand's motion). They aren't noticeable if I'm using both my hands to do something, but if one hand is at rest, it's obvious. It seems to be stronger one way than the other. My mother's hands do this too. Why?

Wii Dance With Our Hands

Greg Nog — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 08:23:10 -0800

I'd like a good hands-only dancing game for the Wii. I've really been enjoying Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party's dance mini-game, but there's only seven songs. And lots of the other dance games for Wii seem to involve a DDR-style dance pad (which, while fun for me, will be way less fun for my downstairs neighbors). We Cheer seems to be along the lines of what I'm looking for, but in an ideal world, I could get this kind of game without a bunch of prepubescent large-headed midriff-baring girls manically screaming rainbows at me.

Un-supersize it, please!

yersinia — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 18:05:07 -0800

Yet another recommend-a-good-starter-guitar question. Criteria: acoustic, fairly cheap, suitable for small (adult) hands with stubby fingers, and ideally an easy action. I know the conventional wisdom is that any sized person can play any guitar, and that technique matters more than hand size. Having given up learning guitar in the past because of the havoc all the stretching and straining wreaked on my RSI-prone hands and wrists, though, I'm looking to start out with a model that's better proportioned to my size, at least until I can work up some momentum and skill. Additional details:

I've been looking mostly at 3/4-size guitars, but I'd be open to a smaller-bodied regular guitar, as well, I guess.
Easy action would be nice, although I understand it's possible to lower the action yourself?
Looking to spend about $150 tops, ideally less. Either used or new is fine.
And of course the nicer the sound, the better, although I'll probably have to make some concessions on that front given the price range.
I'm 5'4" and have about an octave reach on the piano, if that helps.

I was originally thinking about Daisy Rocks, but they're aesthetically less than delightful, plus there seems to be some question of whether they have a rough action/horrible sound. Any other ideas?

Looking for headset for Samsung Mobile (cell) phoine

olddogeyes — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 11:03:29 -0800

I am looking for a new *wired* headset (headphone / microphone) for my cellphone... My current cellphone is a Samsung SCH-R430 (also called a MyShot). The thing that makes it hard is that this phone has a proprietary headphone jack (see picture here) - not a standard one. Ideally here is what I am looking for:

Wired
Over the head style with TWO ear pieces - ideally sound would come out of both - realize it won't be stereo as phone doesn't support stereo. Bonus points for ear piece that covers the ear (to drown out sound) like the ones broadcasters and DJ's use...
Boom mike
Don't need it for music - just for making calls.
Has to plug into the R430 port OR if anyone makes a dongle that converts R430 into regular headphone jack...

*or* If this doesn't exist, does anyone make a Bluetooth headset like above (over the head, two speakers, boom mike)?

LOOKS LIKE THIS ONE

Many thanks!

Who was the artist who learned to draw hands really well?

lore — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 10:07:07 -0800

Who was the comic book artist who improved his hand-drawing skills to mastery? A friend of mine is attempting to recall a story he heard. In it, an artist, possibly a comic-book artist, realizes that he's much worse at drawing hands than most of his peers. He decides to focus on learning to draw hands well, and eventually he becomes well-known for being one of the best artists at drawing hands in his field.

Does this sound familiar to anyone? He'd like to know the name of the artist in question, and an actual cite would be extra-great.

A manicure primer, please.

peachfuzz — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 12:42:20 -0800

(shallow-question-filter) French manicures - yea or nay? Is a sheer, short French manicure clean and presentable, or dated and tacky? If the latter, what is the freshest look for hands/nails - clean and bare, nude/pink polish, something else? And how do you keep the tips bright and crud-free throughout the day? And how often do you do your hand-care stuff, whether salon manicure or at-home maintenance or whatever - once a week? every two weeks?

(I asked this question a while back, discovered the pleasure in actually being somewhat kempt, and am trying to figure out the rest of the Girl Rules about these things).

Help me entertain my fingers.

valadil — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 11:02:25 -0800

My hands get bored easily. If there's food nearby they make me eat it. What can I do to occupy my hands so they stay out of the doritos? Ideally I'd like something that occupies my hands but not my mind. So far I've come up with two things. Lockpicks/masterlocks and a rubik's cube. Both are excellent entertainment for my fingers, but take a little too much brain power. They're also heavy or bulky so I can't bring them everywhere.

How can I keep my hands busy?

zardoz — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:08:29 -0800

I want a new hobby. I like to use my hands. Any suggestions? Anything from simple origami to a full-blown woodshop, but at least the origami is cheap. I'm not looking to break the bank here. I have a guitar that I pluck every now and then, but I'm not so musically inclined. What do you like to do with your hands? Bonus points for activities that can be done during train/bus commutes.

How to cure sweaty hands?

Anonymous — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 13:31:54 -0800

My hands sweat even when I'm not nervous or hot. It's more of in social situations (even though I'm not nervous). Any tips? I don't think it's Palmar Hyperhidrosis because it is not excessively and not all the time. (and that's the only thing that comes up on a Google search) It's just enough to make it embarrassing to have to shake someone's hand. Since it's most likely not Palmar Hyperhidrosis I don't want to have surgery. More of home remedies or even over the counter medicine that I can just apply at the beginning of the day and not have to worry about it again.

Identify this horror movie from two brief memories.

greatgefilte — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 15:00:05 -0800

Help me identify this horror movie from my youth. So, there was movie I once saw when I was a kid in the 80's, and I can only remember one or two scenes from it. I'd love to know what it was, though. Here's what I remember:

* A TV reporter interviewing one or two kids (brother and sister?) about the disappearance/death of some other kids. They feign sadness because they're the ones responsible.

* Hands, lots of hands, pushing and reaching out of a wall.

Help me, MeFi, you're my only hope!

out damn spot!

jalebi — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:07:07 -0800

Besides sunspots/liver spots, what could be the reason that my hands have developed little brown spots on them? Because I come from Mediterranean-ish descent, I tend to be a wee bit hairier than is generally desired for an American woman. Because of this, about 3 weeks ago, I waxed my arms including the tops of my hands. I only do this a few times a year.

A few days after doing so, I noticed light brown spots on my hands - only between my thumb and index finger (on both hands). I'm certain they're not broken capillaries. The look like small and pale(er) liverspots, that develop along with aging. I'm 28 and have never seen these spots before.

What could the be? Should I be scared? It's been about 2-2.5 weeks now. They're just a few shades darker than the general color on my arms (a Mediterranean-ish hue. I'm kind of pale, but my arms are naturally, and weirdly a shade or two more golden/dark than the rest of my body - even in the winter when they don't see the sun for months).

From about 3 feet away, the spots are not visible. In fact, at first glance, it looks like I ate something - maybe a sandwich with a generous amount of sloppy balsamic dressing - that just got my hands a little dirty.

I'm pretty conscientious about sun exposure, having had a relative die from skin cancer when I was a kid. I wear sunscreen, don't go out tanning, but follow the common sense rule - stay in the shade, but a few minutes of sun is generally fine.

Are they just sun spots? Should I be worried? What else could these spots be?

Rubbing hands together

tellurian — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 22:51:19 -0800

Rubbing your hands together as an indication of anticipation. Is this gesture common to all cultures?

Make plastic look new?

ooklala — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 15:21:23 -0800

How can I clean the plastic of a cellphone that has become matte again without ruining it? On my phone the place where your ear goes, and the keys are now shiny from ear oil and fingerprint oil/sweat. I personally make sure that my hands are not greasy from other things when I touch the phone and have had it for only a few months. What can I do to stop this shininess problem?
Also, does my obsession of never ever having hands that are the least bit greasy (from things like french fries, etc) touch my phone actually doing anything? Will the grease just "wash out" or does it harm the plastic? If the oil does not do it, what does?

A Compulsion that's Hard to Handle

rileyray3000 — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 10:27:58 -0800

How do I keep from picking at the skin around my fingernails? I've been doing it since I was a kid with, presumably, no real ill effects other than gnarly hands. That said, now, under doctor's orders I'm to avoid possible infections for the foreseeable future. Even minor ones. And I'm sure this is a way to get em.

So how do I stop? I do it subconsciously. I'll make an effort and then, without noticing, I'll look down and I'm doing it. If any of you have had this issue I'd appreciate any insight.

Which comedian did this joke?

Bakuun — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 22:53:14 -0800

Looking for the name of the Comedian who did a "Dad! Look at my hands! Look at my hands! Look at my haaaands!" joke. I -believe- I saw this on Comedy Central, but it was so long ago that I've no recollection of what the comedian looked like and what the rest of his routine was comprised of. All I remember is him talking about having a really active son who wouldn't quit pestering him with "Look at my hands! Look at my hands! Dad, look at my hands!" So he said he got tired and sent the kid off to a (Buddhist?) monastery, hoping the boy would calm down. Except when he returned, he came up to his dad and calmly stated, "Hello, father. Look... at my hands."

The entire thing really cracked me up, and even though I haven't been able to find this video again to show to others, my boyfriend and I have incorporated "Look at my hands! Look at my haaaands!" into our world of personal silly :) Now I'm wondering if anyone here might remember it and point me in the right direction, so that I may share the real thing.

I worry that this entire thing is too vague, but y'never know. Thank you in advance!

Hand care for dummies

peachfuzz — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 19:17:31 -0800

How do Ladies get their hands looking good? In eight days, I start hosting my company's new PBS show (I have no idea what I'm doing, or I suspect I'd know these things already). I'm kind of an idiot about this stuff in general, but I've figured out that I should get my split ends trimmed, find some decent clothes, lay off the booze and salt, and maybe crack open the moisturizer. My hands, though, are a mess - and this is a how-to show, so they'll be subjected to frequent close-ups.

I'm a constant cook, baker, gardener, and tinkerer. I'm also pretty clumsy, and worst of all, careless. Right now, I've got a few minor nicks, dings, and burns in various stages of healing, one almost-but-not-quite healed wound (I sliced the very tip of a knuckle off on a mandoline) that's still scabby and surrounded by red skin, serious callouses on the palms, and dirt shadows around my cuticles even when I scrub with Go-Jo until I'm raw. Plus, the skin over my hands is chapped overall, very thin, and wrinkly over every joint - I'm 25, but my hands look 50.

So - what kind of Girl Boot Camp can I put my hands through in the next week to get them presentable? I know I should get a manicure - my nails are nearly non-existent and pretty ragged, but I figure they can at least all look the same - drink more water, and be more careful in general. But are there any more tricks I can use to deep-clean, smooth the skin, speed healing, and in general refine things a little? Like, can I file down my palm callouses with a pumice stone? Is there some kind of magic lotion you swear by? Help!