Are you suffering from hand calluses due to climbing? Calluses are part of your climbing but maintaining smooth and hard calluses will allow you to climb longer. Taking proper care of calluses results in fewer flappers and more climbing. However, it is important to know how to take care of calluses in such a way that is ideal for climbing. Before this, let’s discuss what are Calluses and How climbing causes Calluses.
What are Calluses?
Calluses are yellowish in color. They feel lumpy when touching but the skin formed on it is thick. This area is sensitive to touch compared with the skin around it. Sometimes calluses are bigger and wider, and it has less defined edges.
How climbing can cause Calluses?
For beginner climbers, calluses feel like a major milestone. If you let your calluses build-out of control, yellow and hardened then one day while climbing your calluses may rip of completely leaving extra raw skin below. That’s not to say, you should not build up your calluses. But you should take care of it if you don’t want them snagging on a climb.
How to take care of your Calluses?
Taking care of calluses is key for healthier hands. The best ways to trim calluses are:
1. Building The Initial Callus:
This is the initial and easiest part, maintaining calluses. When you first start climbing on the rock, you may notice calluses forming on your palm and underneath your knuckles. Calluses can occur anywhere that rubs on the rock.
2. Wash Your Hands After Climbing:
This technique is easy and important for all climbers because dirt, sweat, and grease all get on your hands while climbing. These things can irritate your skin. It is an essential step for callus management to wash hands with soap and water after you are done with climbing.
3. Apply Climbing Salve or Lotion Before Bed
Hydration of your skin is necessary to lessen the risk of cracking and peeling dry skin. The best way to keep your skin hydrated is to apply a Callus Performance Healing Salve. Lotion and salve are formulated to moisturize and reduce ripped calluses. Therefore, we recommend starting with the healing salve. You can apply it to your calluses before going to bed and let it repair your skin.
4. Use a Hand Callus Remover Tool for filing calluses
Flappers happen when a callus catches and tears while holding. By filing down your calluses to the same level of the rest of your skin. Therefore, filing your calluses is recommended and it is very simple. Be sure not to trim them too much. You can just get them down to the level of non-callused skin. You can use the Hand Callus Remover Tool for filing/ trimming your callus skin. Monitoring your calluses like this in real-time will help in avoiding flappers.
5. Minimize Exposure to Hot Water
If you really care about your calluses, you may focus on preventing calluses from hot water exposure. Hot water and a hot shower can peel your calluses. It happens when you get exposed to hot water for a long period of time. In hot water, your callus skin softens and may shield skin badly.
Therefore, if you focus on keeping your calluses in their best shape, limit the amount of time your hands are exposed to hot water. Practically, take shorter showers and cover them while washing dishes. You can take cold showers and wash your dishes in cold water.
6. Rest Between Climbs
It is important to rest tyour hands while climbing. Climbing continuously with calluses becomes hell on your hands and there is no way around it with or without calluses.
7. Drink and Eat Right
What you are eating and drinking, also affects your skin. In many sports, athletes intake a whole-food diet with very little sugar or processed foods, and this helps them a lot. Going vegan may be unrealistic for some of you but focus on all things.
Hydration is key to maintain healthy skin. Getting dehydrated is normal on long climbs and climbers may know that it affects everything from flexibility to mental sharpness. Dehydration takes a toll on the skin and reduces the ability to heal the skin. So drink some water!
8. Find the Balance
Keep your skin from drying out which can lead to cracking and tears. You can use a moisturizer or the Callus performance healing salve at night to soften your skin.
Final Words:- Mostly all climbers get calluses due to friction and pressure. However, it can be treated with proper care and prevention. Above mentioned tips are helpful in reducing ripped calluses due to climbing.