Can you get hold of Climb On balm, or any of the similar climbers' hand balms -- basically, waxy solid balms with essential oils in? They're ideal because they speed healing without softening the skin, and the essential oils are generally mildly antiseptic.
(I also have a DIY recipe, but that depends on being able to get hold of essential oils and also enjoying melting and mixing things, which may not be your cup of tea.)
Alternatively, the department store option is Elizabeth Arden Eight-Hour Cream; I kid you not.
I never ran into this problem when I climbed before, and I guess it's just because I've been out of the game for a while
Yup. Your skin will start to toughen up quickly.
Just tape it up?
I'd tape up anything that's torn or about to tear (if there's open skin, maybe a sticky plaster then tape over the top to keep it in place).
If you climb regularly, do you just expect calluses? Or do everything to avoid them?
You expect (and hope for) calluses, but you also want to avoid spots where the calluses get hard and rough or ridged up, because it means they can snag on things and rip off (or lead to a blister underneath the callus, which is unpleasant).
So lots of climbers will sand or file down rough skin so that it's smooth but still tough.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2015-02-17 09:17 am (UTC)*rubs hands*
Can you get hold of Climb On balm, or any of the similar climbers' hand balms -- basically, waxy solid balms with essential oils in? They're ideal because they speed healing without softening the skin, and the essential oils are generally mildly antiseptic.
(I also have a DIY recipe, but that depends on being able to get hold of essential oils and also enjoying melting and mixing things, which may not be your cup of tea.)
Alternatively, the department store option is Elizabeth Arden Eight-Hour Cream; I kid you not.
I never ran into this problem when I climbed before, and I guess it's just because I've been out of the game for a while
Yup. Your skin will start to toughen up quickly.
Just tape it up?
I'd tape up anything that's torn or about to tear (if there's open skin, maybe a sticky plaster then tape over the top to keep it in place).
If you climb regularly, do you just expect calluses? Or do everything to avoid them?
You expect (and hope for) calluses, but you also want to avoid spots where the calluses get hard and rough or ridged up, because it means they can snag on things and rip off (or lead to a blister underneath the callus, which is unpleasant).
So lots of climbers will sand or file down rough skin so that it's smooth but still tough.
Ah, just found an old post in the comm here: http://disobey-gravity.dreamwidth.org/12303.html , with more people's experiences and tips.
ETA: I've just added a "hand care" tag to both posts, to make this stuff easier to find.