{"id":39919,"date":"2022-12-30T07:20:42","date_gmt":"2022-12-30T06:20:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/test-01.bergfreunde.de\/blog\/hand-and-skin-care-for-climbers\/"},"modified":"2022-12-30T07:29:48","modified_gmt":"2022-12-30T06:29:48","slug":"hand-and-skin-care-for-climbers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alpinetrek.co.uk\/blog\/hand-and-skin-care-for-climbers\/","title":{"rendered":"Hand and skin care for climbers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

They\u2019re the most important tools we have for climbing: our hands. And because they\u2019re so important, it\u2019s crucial that we take good care of them. There are basically no calluses, scrapes, gashes, cracks or blisters a climber isn\u2019t familiar with, and every single one of them is usually quite painful. What can you do to prevent such injuries and what\u2019s the best way to take care of your fingers after a hard day at the crag or your local climbing centre? Well, I\u2019m glad you asked!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What kind of injuries can you get from climbing?<\/h2>\n\n\n
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A hard day at the crag can take a toll.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The most common injuries to the hands are probably blisters and tears. But how does does skin actually tear whilst climbing? This has to do with the callosity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A callus (or callosity) is a toughened area of skin<\/strong> that has become thicker because of repeated friction. This may sound bad at first, but it\u2019s something climbers strive for<\/strong>. Callused skin is stronger and keeps the other layers of skin protected as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One downside, however, is that callused skin is less flexible, dries out more quickly because of chalk<\/strong> and tends to fray and rip when not cared for properly. Once a rip is there and it starts bleeding, it pains me to say that it\u2019s time to take a break from climbing. Unfortunately, your skin needs some time to recover and it can\u2019t do that if you keep climbing. The bit where your fingers bend on the inside of your hand is a particularly at-risk area, since calluses<\/strong> are often smashed together<\/strong> because of pressure and movement. These raised areas are particularly likely to rip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Preventing injuries to your hands<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Taping helps prevent injuries whilst crack climbing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

As a general rule, it is important to make sure you have your calluses under control<\/strong>. The best way to do this is to file down the raised bits, like around where your fingers bend, with a file<\/strong> or a rasp<\/strong>. Ripped areas can be filed down as well as long as they aren\u2019t bleeding. Basically, you can do this whenever you feel like it. Just be sure have a piece of sandpaper<\/b> with you to treat the area in question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first signs that you\u2019re getting a blister<\/strong> is a burning sensation and slight redness in the same area. To remedy this, it can be helpful to relieve that area of pressure<\/strong>, meaning stop climbing for a day or two so that your skin gets a break. Blisters can take significantly longer to heel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Skin care<\/strong> plays an extremely important role in all that. Many manufacturers, such as Climb On<\/a>, Metolius<\/a>, Joshua Tree<\/a> or KletterRetter<\/a> make lotions<\/strong> designed specifically for climbers to give them just the right amount of moisture and\/or oil<\/strong> to keep them smooth.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Small can with a rich content. ClimbOn lasts for quite some time.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

You can also prevent injuries to your hands by using proper gripping technique<\/strong>. This means: always try to position your hand on the hold so that your actively holding it and not just hoping for enough friction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to do when it happens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s hard to keep a cool head in the heat of battle, but it\u2019s even harder to give up at the crux just because you feel like you\u2019re getting a blister or your hands are getting a bit torn up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, even despite your best efforts to prevent blisters and skin rips, you can still get skin injuries<\/strong>. However, when you tend to your battle wounds, it\u2019s important to be patient and treat them according to what type of wound it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n