Bleeding Fingers

I've really stepped up the amount of climbing I'm doing this winter to almost 4-5 times a week. I always benefit by high frequency training but my fingers develop pretty painful cuts where the joints create creases below the finger tips.

I've heard a number of remedies from filing down calluses to using burts bees wax just curios what suggestions you folks could offer me. Thanks!

Big problem for me too. I get cracks coming off the edges of the fingernails from gym climbing in the winter.

No joke, but I superglue them shut (and file down the excess glue). Works great.

Do you guys moisturize? The chalk may be drying out your skin excessively.

I think it has a bit to do with the dry air in our part of the country. Try using moisturizer. Especially on the cold days like we're unfortunately getting.

Yeah, use some moisturizer before hitting your woody; that'll help a lot of things there young fella.
Not only good for your hands, but you'll be a bit more relaxed too!

Mike Lane wrote:Yeah, use some moisturizer before hitting your woody; that'll help a lot of things there young fella

Am I the only one reading this right. Moisturize hit woody. Maybe just me and my sick mind...

Andy Laakmann wrote:Big problem for me too. I get cracks coming off the edges of the fingernails from gym climbing in the winter. No joke, but I superglue them shut (and file down the excess glue). Works great.

+1

google sypeland climbing balm this guy in england i know makes that stuff and it's gold. but ya otherwise some decent hand cream work good after each climb. i try to moisturize almost everytime after i climb.

SubantZ wrote: Am I the only one reading this right. Moisturize hit woody. Maybe just me and my sick mind...

He gave it away when he mentioned relaxation.

Climb On or Neo and rubber gloves to bed. Works wonders! Finger cots work well too if you have access to them and don't want to wear the full on rubber gloves.

Andy Laakmann wrote:Big problem for me too. I get cracks coming off the edges of the fingernails from gym climbing in the winter. No joke, but I superglue them shut (and file down the excess glue). Works great.

Better than super glue, try "New Skin".

I file calluses. If they're pretty deep I take climb on! bar, scrape it with a knife and cram the paste into the split. Stuff works great. After it heals, I use hoof alive (it's used to heal/prevent cracks in horse hooves). The hoof alive is great for making the skin tougher and develeping softer, but thicker calluses.

Superglue works great for split cuticles, but I don't put it on parts that I usse for grippinng because it makes yoour hand slippery.

Mosturizing is great, and climb-on bar works wells.

When I lived in Denver, the only thing that helped my splitting hands and elbows was a humidifier in the bedroom. Problem solved.

Evan

Bag Balm
This stuff works great!

kiamarie wrote: nipple cream

I just LOVE handing stuff like that over to the teenage girl grocery clerk!

My wife had a cracking hands problem, we finally figured out anti-bacterial soaps were a huge contributor. Humidifiers are a big help in dry places where you heat with forced air.

The Burts hand salve is really good, but kinda expensive. Super glue is cheap and works well, and it helps so that those cuts don't hurt. I get those all the time and their so painfull, and you can put it on a 'gripping' part of your hand as long as you file it smooth... super glue!

darth jables wrote:The Burts hand salve is really good, but kinda expensive.

This stuff works great! I use it every night in the winter.

Brandy Persson wrote:Climb On or Neo and rubber gloves to bed. Works wonders! Finger cots work well too if you have access to them and don't want to wear the full on rubber gloves.

Same here. Dry air does it to me in midwest too. Fingers crack, split at edge of nail and are #$@*^&* most annoying pain you can imagine. Any moisterizers, BadgerBalm, Joshua Tree salve, Burts Beeswax and such are great. The fingercots work but left on too long leave a nasty 'dent and restrict healing blood circulation. And of course, the crazy glued fingertip is the immediate solution while on route.

Try to change chalk, i know it may sound a bit odd but some companies, like metolius, use a drying agent in their chalk. Depending on how bad your hands are cracking changing chalk may not be enough but it could help out a bit.

I have similar issues when my skin gets dry and cracked in the cold, dry winters. About a year ago, my family recommended pure Shea butter. I know this will sound like an advertisement, but I now swear by the stuff... it's like magic. Get a tub of this stuff and it will last you over a year. I get mine from nesheabutter.com and it's all natural with no added junk or chemicals.

kiamarie wrote: nipple cream for breastfeeding mothers. sounds weird but it totally works!

+1! Was going to be my suggestion too. It is pure lanolin.