Best/fastest way to heal crack in DIP crease?

I've had a gnarly crack in my right index finger, just above the distal interphalangeal crease, since about mid-July. I've kept it taped during climbing to the point where I thought it was healed, only to remove the tape and painfully open it back up again, maybe even deeper than the initial crack. I'm mildly frustrated by the long healing process. I guess short of stopping climbing on it, I'll need to keep the tape on for even longer than I think I should.

Anyone have experience with healing this sort of injury?

Tape is a stop gap, you need to treat the cause, which I'm guessing is an issue with your skin moisture.

May want to try to clean any dead dry skin. Then clean with peroxide and wrap up with some neosporin and a bandaid for a few days. Change it and keep the area moist for a few days

Is it from poor Antihydral application by any chance? You need to keep it moist, preferably some beeswax and oils, Vitamin E helps rebuild skin as well, most commonly used on the cuticles for womanly uses. Also, as suggested above, cut back the affected area with nail clippers or something similar, create a flat surface that will heal over nicely, rather than a deep gap.

I got one from Antihydral use on my left middle finger, between the first and second digit (from the tip). I solved it by taping, moisturizing on off days, and super-gluing to keep it shut. This actually helped a lot. Probably took about a month or two to heal, certainly terrible though.

wash, clean, superglue, tape. when the superglue peels off put some ointment on it. repeat next time you climb.

some people aren't too keen on superglueing....if that's you, soak the tape in water for a while before you take it off and it doesn't pull quite as much

I've got these things down to a science, I have had quite a few over the years.

File down the edges with sandpaper and super glue liberally before you climb. Stop if it starts opening up.

You may need to take a week or two off to get ahead of it.

In the future if a tear is beginning, stop climbing on the sort of holds that aggravate it (i.e. do more moderate stuff, usually bouldering is the culprit for me), let it heal for two days. The next time before you climb file down the edges and apply superglue over the crease before you go out.

The filing and super glue will let you climb normally for a good session without it getting worse, eventually it will get better all together. Filling gets rid of the edges that catch and pull the skin apart making the wound deeper and harder to heal.

Even the filed down edges will eventually get bigger during a session and open up. The super glue provides a protective barrier that keeps this from happening. If you can get through a day without the wound getting worse, you are ahead of the game. I find tape is actually usually unecessary, the glue works fine and you can climb harder without the tape.

You may need to tape it so that the crack edges are kept together, but not so much tape that it gets moist. Try butterfly closures. I get finger cracks in the mountains as well due to cold and dryness and I have to tape them closed to get them to heal..

Thanks for the input everyone. Pretty common sense stuff, but always nice to hear anecdotes.

Brendan Blanchard wrote:Is it from poor Antihydral application by any chance?

PatrickV wrote:I find tape is actually usually unecessary, the glue works fine and you can climb harder without the tape.

I've had a re occurring split on the side of the tip of my middle finger for over a year now that started during a boulder problem, going over the same move again and again. I tried super glue and it would peel during hard climbing so i taped it every time for a while and as soon as I took off the tape and climbed hard, it split again!

I learned it is from minute dirt in the split not getting cleaned out and then it healing over the dirt.

I had to let it split again then SOAK it in hydrogen peroxide, dry it, then apply a liberal amount of joshua tree climbing salve or all good goop or equivalent, then cover with a band aid to allow the salve to seep in, moisturize and heal.

Trimming away surrounding, dead skin helps too.

Jam the salve into the split

I have a spot on my thumb near the nail that splits and cracks all winter long.
The tissue is damaged from a sheet metal cut from years ago.
Trim the dead skin as suggested above and use several coats of liquid bandage rather than glue. Allow each coating to dry (hair dryer works quickly) between layers.
The coating yellows after a few days and the whole patch will peel off in one chunk as well. Re-apply as needed to keep the moisture in.
Hope this helps, and as always; YMMV.

I too am plagued by splits. I never had any glue or tape or whatever work. I would get to the point where I'd have a half dozen or more splits at most creases and the sides of my fingers also.

I tried every lotion I could find. Nothing helped. I think udderly smooth and climb on actually promoted drying.

A year ago or so I found O'Keefes working hands. In a week the small splits were gone and in two, I had normal hands again. It's odorless and isn't greasy. I put it on in the morning and evening. If things have been particularly epic, I wear basic cotton gloves to bed. This stuff worked miracles for me.

I posted about it and was told I was an asshole for not addressing my dry skin internally. And that a non-asshole would take 10-20 fish oil pills a day and some other ridiculous shit. I guess I like being an asshole. Sure my hands are a little rough but the O'Keefes keeps them from splitting and bleeding.

nicelegs wrote: And that a non-asshole would take 10-20 fish oil pills a day and some other ridiculous shit.

I'm going to piggyback on this old thread...

I have what might (or might not be) a unique situation. I have generally wet skin, and I battle with friction and thin skin on my tips. I also am plagued by splits in the creases just below my pads, which I think are more common to people with dry skin.

I've use O'Keefe's regularly, which is great, but I'm struggling with it keeping my pads soft. I can use salve more and reduce the crease splits, but in turn I end up with softer skin and blown out pads. Yes, the culprit is hard climbing on small holds, but that's what I love to do!

I haven't tried the superglue yet. Perhaps it's time...

Does anyone have some new suggestions for this problem? Every time I think I've gotten it to heal I split it again...