Most athletes are known for their physical strength, speed, and endurance. Engagement in physically challenging sports and repetitive physical activity with high-impact exercising has particularly been linked to hyperkeratotic (thickening process) wounds such as calluses. Athletes develop calluses from repetitive pressure on the same spot. However, cyclist develops calluses from holding handlebar grips. Gymnasts develop calluses from weight-bearing positions. In addition, wrestlers can suffer from knee calluses while doing knee paddling.
How does Calluses form?
Callus formation is the skin’s natural attempt to develop from friction, pressure, and other forms of local irritation by increasing its thickness at sites of excessive mechanical stress. Initially, calluses form on an athlete's skin are helpful, but when it builds up, it becomes a source of comorbidity. The increased mass of the sore results in increased pressure and discomfort.
How Calluses Affects Athletes?
The callus is a build-up of hardened and thick skin area due to friction and pinching. Callus affects athletes through various activities such as weightlifting and constantly varied sport activities. If you are an athlete and run with uncomfortable shoes for long you may get callus.
On the other hand, if you play Tennis you may also have calluses on the inside of your thumb from gripping your racquet. However, if you lift a heavyweight such as a deadlift, the callus may develop on your palm just under your fingers.
For athletes, the callus is a common fact of sports life. Moreover, if you don’t have Calluses on your hands and feet, it may show that you are not working hard enough.
Are Calluses Painful?
Although Calluses are mostly incidental, sometimes their pain creates problems in physical activities. It creates irritation with the pain and can tear off which may result in a bloody wound. Athletes suffer from it a lot. To know how athletes should treat their calluses. Have a look at this guide.
How to Care for Calluses
Calluses are a sign of hard work and workouts. Athletes can avoid problematic calluses by treating them properly by shaving/trimming them. Have you ever picked or bite your calluses and get fresh skin along with it? I’m sure you have, but it could potentially create a wound. The same happens when you trim your calluses with a nail cutter or clipper.
According to the Dermatologist, four steps should be followed by Athletes to treat Calluses.
- Soak your Calluses in warm water for a few minutes to soften your skin. A warm shower can also do this job for you.
- Gently Shave the Calluses. You can shave and safely trim your calluses with the Callus performance remover Tool.
- Don’t take off too much skin because you also need some of that callus to protect your hand.
- Apply any moisturizer or lotion to calluses every day. You can use Callus performance Healing Salve made with all natural ingredients like shea butter, organic coconut oil, organic vitamin E and among others which helps in healing your Calluses.
How can I keep it from growing back?
Once you’ve cleared up an area of thicker or hard skin. You should follow a few steps to keep that area soft. From the above information, it may be clear to you, how calluses form. To prevent yourself from growing this hard skin of calluses back, you should avoid using certain objects and wearing an improper size of shoes. In addition, the most important solution for this is to work on strengthening the grip.
Another way to prevent growing thick skin of calluses is to regularly use moisturizer, lotion, or healing slave to soften your skin. Callus Performance healing slave helps keep skin tissues soft. You should use it immediately after taking a bath or shower. If your skin remains dry every time, use it regularly.
What About Shaving And Other Methods?
We recommend not to shave your Calluses completely off because it removes the protective layer of skin and it creates pain as open wounds do. Avoid removing hard skin with these objects such as razors, nail clippers, and scissors. Cutting extra skin from these objects is like leaving an open wound that’s vulnerable to infection.
Soaking and using a callus performance remover tool for trimming callus skin will definitely work for you. You can read the benefits of the Callus remover tool to know how it is beneficial for athletes. As hundreds of athletes also used the above steps to prevent their calluses. If the problem still continues then you should consult the doctor immediately. They can either physically remove the thicker skin or prescribe something to heal it.
Tips To Prevent Large Calluses
- Wear shoes of your proper fitting. It should be of your foot’s width and size.
- You can use extra padding to prevent Calluses.
- Do you perform Deadlifts? If yes, you should use strong Knurling (for the better grip of the bar). It helps in improving your grip on the bar.
- If you are suffering from consistent pain while lifting weights, you may face problems in gripping. On the other hand, if your grip is not solid, the bar will slide in your hands. Its solution is to strengthen grip.
Conclusion
For athletes, Calluses are the result of their sports hard work. It can be frustrating, but in most cases, they can be prevented through caring, prevention, or by following a few gripping techniques.