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genetic thick dry skin on hands and feet

My fiance has very thick dry skin on the palms of his hands and the bottoms of his feet; it's like the whole palm or sole is callussed. I know it's genetic, almost everyone on that side of the family have it. What is it?
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Avatar universal
It is surprising how encouraging and relieving it is to read that most people have this condition. I often always feel like we are just one out of a million people with this condition. it is annoying that i am a lady with chapped hands but what can i say, i have learnt to embrace it. I am particularly carefree and so i forget to even take extra effort like using moisturiser religiously. But its good to know that others have this condition. if i am going to pass it to my children il rather prefer to pass it to the male children than the female ones. BUT if i can avoid it then i wouldn't want any of my children to have to go through this HARD palms genetics.
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
Hello, guys. I have this condition too. I am a 24 yo black male. Apparently this condition is called keratoderma palmoplantar.

It really bothers me because I shake hands a lot and I feel kinda embarrassed about it. So, I remove the extra skin once a week and I feel much better and comfortable.

I start by letting my hands soak in warm water for 5 min or so and I use a gillette razor (the cheapest I can find) to remove the extra skin. Soaking in the water and a new razor will do a very nice and quick job to get all that extra dead skin out.

After that, I use a feet file to smooth everything out. The last step is to mix some white sugar with a small about of olive oil to make a thick paste and put on my hands. I scrub them hard with this paste for at least 1 min and remove it with warm water. After that, I just put some lotion or coconut oil and the different is night and day.

Before I knew about this process, I just avoided all contact with other people, even my girlfriend. But I've been doing this for a few years now and it gets the job done for me. Of course it doesn't get as perfect as other people's hands, but it is close enough.

I hope I helped someone out there!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hello all I'm a tall (5'11) 45 yr old female here.First are any of you tall? Are any of you with this condition by any chance major sweaters? I sweat alot just from my head and no where else,I have ever since I can remember. I also had warts on my hands when I was 11-13 yrs old; did any of you have this along with the condition? Just curious to see the range of folks that have this.

This is Fantastic to see others with this genetic issue. I've always wondered what it was, Doctors. (Finally I found out what it was in my adult yrs) loved touching my hands and always wanted to see my feet. They also had never seen it before. I have passed it on to my first born son, second born son didn't get it but does have eczema on hands and legs, he looked like he was shedding when he was born. My first grandchild (boy)from my first born has this condition. I also love the fact that I can pull hot pans out of the oven, flip a hot log on an open fire and sadly step on glass and not know it has puntured through my foot. I have always embrassed it and still do. Someone mention in the replys that being hit by these hands stings. Yes very true my youngest son esperianced this first hand. He punched a whole in my wall and well my reaction was a open handed right hook to the face. He was stunned since it was the first time I had to ever do that yet his reply to e right after was dang that really stung and said I have "man hands". They are leather like to the touch. I soak my feet in a foot bath with epson salt and use a mini cheese grater ...not kidding..to lower the thickness. I use a pumice stone on my hands every shower and every other shower for my feet to keep it minimized. I was told when I was young to do the vasaline on my hands and feet over night as I slept and eeeewww I just couldn't stand the suffocation feeling on my palms and soles.I do use Gold Bond Restoring Ultimate Skin Therapy Cream (Green Tea & Vitamin C....it smells so good too) with Urea I was told the urea is what I need on my hands and feet. Now, I ave started to take Blackseed Oil for it's suppose to help with eczema why not our condition; Im only a couple weeks in tho and have not seen a change.
I agree on this being a Blessing that not many other's have. I read in another reply that someone was descendant from Germany, as far as I know it came from my great great grandmother whom was Hungarian. Wondering if it originated from these regions.


Thank You for sharing your stories.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
palmoplantar keratoderma is the name of it.  Sometimes the callous are just on the feet (more common).  But sometimes people we get the callous on on both the hands and the feet. I have it on both

For me the condition ran along my grandma's branch of the family.  Both my dad and his sister have it.  I got it but my sister didn't.

My grandma's family came from northern Germany and we all have curly hair.  (But as I understand it there is no correlation with race)  My grandma once told me she heard it was called "The disease of Malta" but that doesn't come up with anything on google.  

And I think of it as an advantage. Never burn my hands, handle hot or sharp stuff.  The only down side is I can't feel texture really well.  I always joke if I were to go blind I'd be screwed because I wouldn't be able to read braille.  But in reality if I need to feel the texture or temp of something I just use the back of my hand.  

My go-to for keeping my hands smooth is a pumice stone and a PED EGG in the shower.  That seems to work best. Also that mechanic's hand soap, GOjo, works well too.  

And something called a "tooth nipper" (don't know why it's called that) but google it.  Its a trimmer just to cut away the callous when it gets too thick on my hands or feet.  It'll leave a weird patten on the remaining skin but that goes away in a week or so.        
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
palmoplantar keratoderma is the name of it.  Sometimes the callous are just on the feet (more common).  But sometimes people we get the callous on on both the hands and the feet. I have it on both

For me the condition ran along my grandma's branch of the family.  Both my dad and his sister have it.  I got it but my sister didn't.

My grandma's family came from northern Germany and we all have curly hair.  (But as I understand it there is no correlation with race)  My grandma once told me she heard it was called "The disease of Malta" but that doesn't come up with anything on google.  

And I think of it as an advantage. Never burn my hands, handle hot or sharp stuff.  The only down side is I can't feel texture really well.  I always joke if I were to go blind I'd be screwed because I wouldn't be able to read braille.  But in reality if I need to feel the texture or temp of something I just use the back of my hand.  

My go-to for keeping my hands smooth is a pumice stone and a PED EGG in the shower.  That seems to work best. Also that mechanic's hand soap, GOjo, works well too.  

And something called a "tooth nipper" (don't know why it's called that) but google it.  Its a trimmer just to cut away the callous when it gets too thick on my hands or feet.  It'll leave a weird patten on the remaining skin but that goes away in a week or so.        
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Finally I have found others who have this! I am the only one in my family that has it. I have a 6 month old daughter who I am noticing her toes are starting to peel some. (My mom said my hands and feet started peeling when I started crawling) I am guessing she will have it too, so I was looking to see what it was actually called. My mom took me to dermatologists when I was younger she couldn't remember the long official name for it and when you google stuff it's scary! Haha I have learned to live with it. My feet will hurt really bad if I let them get dry. But I also hate having so much lotion on them because they will get really sweaty. I hate hand washing dishes because after my hands have soaked and they get dry, they will hurt. I don't mind it anymore but I do hate that my daughter got this as I remember nobody ever wanting to hold my hand for games when I was younger. Or asking what was wrong with my hands. Or people staring at them and rubbing them saying how strange that was. At least my daughter will be able to say her mom has it too. Long story short...if anyone knows the medical name for this, please let me know. Thanks in advance!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Does anyone have this and know exactly what genetic mutation you have? I have this and am waiting to hear if I have PTEN mutation. Anyone ?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I too have the same genetics.. Hands and feet both have calluses. And I have managed to pass it on to my son. I would never change that even if I could. The hands and feet that I have given him are a super power. I have never had blisters on my hands and feet, pushing how far I can go... From walking across hot coals, to having my hand cut open by a barbed wire fence which also healed in 3 days. Though the downside is the bullying from kids that just don't understand,because it's different. But to show them the things that are possible is what really makes them envy what we have. For the fact that I can look at my hands and notice no scars after the many different times of burning, scraping,and even having them cut open to a point where normal people hands would need stitches but I simply folded the skin back over and it healed. That's what makes us awesome!! To pass this blessing in disguise is truly incredible!!!! And any one that reads this if you have frytag blood in you or just someone to talk to reply and I will message you!!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have had this issue my entire life. Inherited from my dad. I take a long bath like an hour then immediately use a very rough grit sandpaper disk and scrub off the thick skin. If I stay on top of I and do weekly i have almost normal soft pink feet.

If i don't remove the skin for a month or two it will crack and bleed.

The ped egg is good for toes but I use a drywall rasp for the bottoms.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I was born with this genetic condition. On both my hands and feet. I grew up HATING it. My great Aunt has it, then I, my mothers first born child/daughter born with it as well as my first born child/daughter was born with it on her hands and feet. My mother took me to a dermatologist when I was 6 or 7, and they said they have never seen anything like it, and that there's no cream nor surgery that would cure it, if they removed it, the skin would just grow back thick, dry, and callused. I've learned over the years, best thing you can do is maintain it, soak you feet a few night a week in warm water with coconut cream or oil, for 30mins to an hour, dry them, use a pumus stone or foot file on them, and use coconut cream or goldbon lotion on them, put on cotton socks to keep the moisture in over night. As for the hands I like using Nivea hand cream, its non expensive, it comes in a dark blue tin or round lotion jar. It's makes my hands sooo soft and the dryness of my hands absorb the stuff, unlike most lotions out there, it works so good :) I used to always say I was cursed with these hands, but IDC anymore, it's who I am. And be careful when u smack someone BC these hands will hurt someone more than intended lol...:/ just try your hardest to keep up on them, if you go months without keeping up in them, they Will get BAD....
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Avatar universal
Hey!  Has the lanolin cream been working well for him?  I'm considering of investing in some!  Hope to hear from you soon....
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have excess skin development that appears as thicke layers of calluses on both palms of my hands and soles of my feet. The condition is called Palmo-plantar keratoderma.  It is caused by a genetic mutation of the keratin gene that is responsible for skin cell production.  I have tried Vaseline which can be great only for cracks.  Other than that it dries the hell out of my hands.  I always moisturize my feet with Vaseline and wear 100% cotton socks and rarely wear sandals.  The recent struggles have been my hands.  I work on a computer all day and it has progressed quickly.  Cocoa butter works best over urea cream based and every other product I tried out there which includes Glycerin/O'Keefe for construction hands/Topical Cortisteriods/5% glycolic acid with Vaseline/Coconut Oil/Olive Oil and even prayers etc. Of course it never helps living in a dry climate place. I will be looking soon into Lanolin cream and see that works.  To avoid the debilitating issue, I use a nail clipper and stay on top of the layering.  So far so good! As for the feet I let it buildup and then visit the podiatrist who peels it off like a potato! I don't have kids but my dermatologist informed me there is 50% chance of passing it down if both parents have it.  As per my family history I am the only blessed one to have this.  It concerns me as I am only 25 and super ambitious and knowing my career might be an obstacle when this becomes a bigger issue.  If anyone has tips on how to manage it that would be lovely.  I've done my share :)
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I'm a 40 year old black female with the same problem, I've dealt with it my whole life. The palm of my hands and the soles of my feet. I've tried many things, the best solution for me has been the PED EGG. I use it on my feet about once e very 3 weeks. It takes about 30 minutes per foot, you just have to scrub until you get as much dead skin off as you can want. Do this while your feet are DRY. Much better results than wet. Afterwards shower then apply a thin coat of vasaline to your feet, also put socks on for a while. The socks help the vasaline do it's job. Also, for hands and feet ALWAYS apply a very thin layer of vasaline every time you get them wet. I rub it in really good then wipe the excess away with a paper towel. If you stick to this you should have better results than lotions. I've been to lots of doctors and could never get a good ready for the dryness, this has worked for me for years, before the PED EGG I would actually have to peel the skin from my feet by hand after soaking them, which was horrible. I got it from my dad's side, and it skipped my two daughters and my son got it. I've been married 20 years now to a very understanding man, but even tho my hands feel really close to normal, I'm still embarrassed to touch his bare skin. Does any other married person feel the same way?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I'm a 40 year old black female with the same problem, I've dealt with it my whole life. The palm of my hands and the soles of my feet. I've tried many things, the best solution for me has been the PED EGG. I use it on my feet about once e very 3 weeks. It takes about 30 minutes per foot, you just have to scrub until you get as much dead skin off as you can want. Do this while your feet are DRY. Much better results than wet. Afterwards shower then apply a thin coat of vasaline to your feet, also put socks on for a while. The socks help the vasaline do it's job. Also, for hands and feet ALWAYS apply a very thin layer of vasaline every time you get them wet. I rub it in really good then wipe the excess away with a paper towel. If you stick to this you should have better results than lotions. I've been to lots of doctors and could never get a good ready for the dryness, this has worked for me for years, before the PED EGG I would actually have to peel the skin from my feet by hand after soaking them, which was horrible. I got it from my dad's side, and it skipped my two daughters and my son got it. I've been married 20 years now to a very understanding man, but even tho my hands feel really close to normal, I'm still embarrassed to touch his bare skin. Does any other married person feel the same way?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
This condition runs in my family, from my father's side. My older brother and I have it, my younger brother does not. My dad and one of his brothers have it, his other two siblings do not. My grandma has it, she's an only child. And my great grandfather had it, he's an only child. None of us have curly hair.

I'm not sure if I'm just the luckiest of all, but I wouldn't want to cure/treat/remove this condition if it was as simple as a one time lotion application. I love it, and consider it a blessing. I like to think we're just a little bit more evolved than the "normal" people. While it may have some disadvantages (mostly just do to the fact that most tools and products in this world are designed for regular hands to use them, which can be solved by simply wearing gloves) I've found it has many bonuses. It's heat resistant, which comes in handy when you're a chef. I don't even need to use oven mitts that often anymore. I've never gotten a paper cut or a blister. The coolest thing I've found is that my hands never scar. I've sliced through the palm of my hands many many times in my life, but no one would ever know because they not only heal faster than most people, but they always heal perfectly without a trace. These things make a little bit of cracking in the winter and poor grip on smooth surfaces like glass/plastic/metal worth it.
I would like more info on what its called, if anything. All I know is it came from the Scottish side of my family, and there's about a 50/50 chance of passing it to children.
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Avatar universal
I think I am the wrench in the curly hair theory.  I have had this condition for as long as I can remember on my palms and feet, but my hair is dead straight (stubbornly refuses to hold even a wave!).

I am a 31yo single female (white) and have found myself becoming more self conscious of it in recent years.  As a kid it was never an issue, other kids thought it was cool I could push a needle through my skin and not feel it!  I am glad I have finally got a name though, I met a dermatologist years ago who identified it straight away, but I was there for another issue and then promptly forgot the name.
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Avatar universal
I have this samething and I'm so glad to hear other people with it. I'm a black male and have had the feet problem from a kid to the point at times I couldn't walk to school without crying, eventually my feet would soften from the heat. Recently like in the last 12 years my handds have developed it! it feels like I'm wearing some sorta rough glove so at times I go to town peeling it away...and what seems like seconds my hands grow another layer it's kinda comical, the amount of dead skin that I'm able to peel away without it bleeding...I notice whenever I DRINK TEQUILLA, the following days my hands and feet are much softer...it's like a magic...a shot of tequilla and my hands are soft almost gone but you can't drink tequilla everyday so what do I do?
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Avatar universal
I have this too. It our family it affects every other child. I've been to several dermatologists from Southern California to Western Washington State. All have said they have not seen condition before. I've been diagnosed with Hyperkaratosis or ichthyosis. The treatment for hyperatratosis was urea cream with did nothing at all. I noticed my palms and soles get a little smoother and don't get as peely on the sides and around my finger nails if I'm in the chlorinated swimming pool a lot. This is coincidental with a treatment for the  ichthyosis. I do like that I can grab hot things and not get burned but the condition is a lot of maintance to sand and moisturize. I would like to know exactly what it is as well.
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Avatar universal
omg !!!me too. I had always blamed it on the rough jobs I had. bricklaying and constant driving. but the truth was, that this was an issue long before I was even grown. I hate to touch men or give hand shakes. or even people. I notice the difference in the texture of our hands instantly. recently ive found that if I just use regular fine sand paper it will smooth them completely out, like a babies bottom. its annoying but it works.
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Avatar universal
I have curly hair and I think I may have it... You may be onto something
Helpful - 0
13874630 tn?1431876804
I too have the same condition, i've been doing research on it trying to understand the cause of it and gain little understanding of myself. I am 33 year old male and i was born with it, i believe its from my fathers side as none of my mothers family has it. I've been very negative about it in the begining but then i began to appreciate who i am with a positive attitude, i was teased alot as a kid and often called "double skin" in school and this has affected my social life growing up. These days i just dont care what others think of me, i told myself i am unique - a positive mindset. However, i do sometimes wish i was normal, thankyou for some of the suggestions made here in terms of controlling the thickened skin.
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Avatar universal
I am a women that also has the callus on my hands and feet. I do not like how it looks or feels, I have tried so many different treatments, it makes it better for a short time. I inherited it my from my Dad,my bother also has it. I had five Children, out of the five two have it. I wished all my life I did not have it. I have went to so many doctors to see if it can be cured? There is none. I have 15 Grandchildren, 4 have it from the Son and Daughter that have it. I wished taking something from pregnancy would of prevented it. My Dad remarried and had a Girl and Boy, but they were lucky it passed them by. People have told me this? God made you the way he wanted you. I love God and believe in him with all my heart, but I can not ever say I am happy he gave it to me. Oh well it is what it is.
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Avatar universal
Oh. I thought i was the only person who has this condition. And yes,i'm a girl which makes it harder for me. Guys' hands are even softer than mine. :( Btw, I'm Asian.
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Avatar universal
I have this too..it's taken me years, but now I actually like it- and I encourage every "sufferer" to think of themslves as lucky- a few times in my life I shaved the skin on my feet to "normal" and walked on stones or hot things- it hurt!! and we can pick up hot pans or plates and not get burned, I pick up broken glass , everyone yells,"don't do it!" but I've never been cut. I prefer now to think of it as an evolutionary blessing than a genetic curse. As a woman it has not always been easy to explain to men whose hands I've held, but I've found that really most don't give a damn if the rest of you is in good shape. I have used stones on my feet and hands since I was a child to keep them smooth, and when I do a good job no one notices, just the color will never be the same as "normal" hands. But I don't mind- one other nice thing - if you take good care of them, they will always look the same "age" as when you were a child, unlike most people whose bottoms of feet and hands get wrinkly and pruny with age!! so, ha! :)))
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