When you are a gymnast, the potential of developing calluses is high, and if you are not careful, it can lead to rips and tears. A lot of people tend to neglect the fact that calluses should be taken care of to have the best use of your hands.
Gymnasts most times focus on achieving the goals rather than taking care of their hands, and over time, it gets worst and takes more than the usual to treat and care for. Preventing rips and tears does not have to be a difficult task, as making the right choices will help you a lot. Practicing the best tactics will help you care for your hands before, during, and after performing your various activities.
Prevention Tips for Rips and Tears (Before You Rip)
Rips and tears come as a result of bad handcare practices, and the best way to prevent all of this is to administer proper prevention techniques. Before your hands become torn, there are certain things you need to put in place that include:
Wash your hands after every workout
When you finish working out or performing the different workouts, you need to ensure you wash your hands properly. Washing your hands will help to remove any potential dirt or bacteria which may have been stored on your hands. It is a critical move, too, as each time you workout, you come in contact with other potential bacteria that may have been left on the machines and gym accesories.
Soak your hands regularly on warm water
After you workout, it is critical to soak your hands in warm water. This move not only removes potential bacteria and viruses from your hands but also helps to soothe and release the tension of the muscles in your hands. The warm water provides a therapeutic solution to relaxing your hands as well as reducing the burns you may have from putting pressure on your calluses.
Apply Hands Lotion before you go to Sleep
Keeping your hands moist is the best way to protect your hands from rips and tears. As such, after a day of workout, it is essential to dose your hands with moisturizing lotion before going to bed. This will reduce the chances of your calluses caution friction against any surface your hands may touch during the night. The lotion also creates soothing and healing elements for the callus.
Trim Down Calluses and Smoothen it
You need to treat your calluses by shaving or trimming them down when they get too high. When they get too high, you may not be able to effectively work out as it will be uncomfortable and create a lot of issues for you.
However, Callus Performance has created one of the most effective tools you can use to trim your callus without having to worry about damaging any underlying tissue. The callus remover will efficiently shave the high-rising of the callus to create that safe and comfortable barrier between your hands and the gym equipment.
The tool shaves lightly without damaging any other area of the hand. Once done trimming, you will use the emery cloth to create a smooth texture and remove the loose edges which may have developed. Removing the loose ends will reduce the chances of rips and tears happening.
Treat Your Rips and Tears (After You Rip)
If you happen to rip your hand, the best method to go for is to treat it. There are multiple ways to treat the rips and tears by cleaning the area thoroughly, moisturizing, using a healing salve, or by adding a soft bandage over the area to remove the chances of further damage or infection. Though prevention is key, the rips can occur, so treating is an essential part of the process.
Wash Everything You’ve Touched
When you have rips and tears from untreated hand calluses, there are certain things you need to do, including washing or cleaning every surface you have touched. This, of course, is proper hygiene as well as protecting other persons who use the equipment or area. The rips can most times cause a blister, and whenever this happens, it tends to leave a light fluid on everything you touch.
Remove Excess Skin from Ripped Areas
When you have a rip, you will notice there are lots of loose skin hanging around the area where the callus is. As such, it is best to safely remove the skin to reduce the chances of further harm to your hand. Removing the skin will eliminate the chances of rips getting bigger or deeper.
Clean the Wounds Properly
This move by far is one of the most important as it will determine how far the issue goes as it relates to your hands. Whenever you have a rip, you want to ensure you clean your hands thoroughly to reduce the chance of developing infections. You may want to wash your hands with soap and water and soak in warm water for an extended period to kill existing bacteria.
Apply Callus Performance Healing Salve
When you have rips and tears, the next best move is to treat and repair your hand. Our healing salve is effective in the treating and healing process as it contains extracts from tea tree oil, shea butter, and coconut oil, which is rich in healing oxidants. Once the salve is applied to the area, you can add a bandage or leave on overnight.
Moisturize Regularly
You may want to keep your hands moist when your calluses are ripped to reduce the tension or friction in spreading the opening. When your hands are moist, the chances of the rips becoming worst are minimal.
Let the Skin Layer Grow
After your hands get ripped, the next step is to let it heal and repair itself. By doing so, you should let the skin layer grow as this is a part of the protective element for your hands. Once the muscles and nerves cells get better, the layer of the skin will eventually fall back into place, and your hands returned to normal.
Final Words
Dry skin is one of the main reasons that lead to rips and tears of the hand during a workout in addition to not treating your calluses. If you have an issue with dry skin, you may want to keep it moist by using appropriate lotions and moisturizers. Also, another important way to keep your skin moist is by having a dietary change that will improve your body from inside out.