I think we had a competition for bad hands--I'd win. In the winter I usually have 4-6 splits. I found some stuff from Canada--a sealant--but Wal-Mart doesn't sell it anymore. So, this winter I've resorted to super glue. At night I plaster something on my hands--Glove Me Tender, or Burt's Bees Almond Hand cream, or his hand salve. I tried A+D ointment last night. I find I can only hand sew in the morning--my splits are too sore by night time. I hesitate to work with fabric without band-aids sometimes because one may bleed without me knowing.
I noticed yesterday that a big needle was much easier to get through the fabric that smaller ones. I thought it'd be the other way around.