Destroyed my skin. Help??

1. How dare you be out climbing right now jeez....

2. Second vote for moist during the day and dry at night. I thought this was common knowledge for any cut like that. I learned that as a young lad from my mum when I'd come back all bloody...

3. dealing with the same thing but not nearly as bad.

Edit: when climbing during the day I have been supergluing tape to my finger (super thin strips) and then super glue on the tape before another layer and super tight. 

Tristan Bradford wrote:

John what am I looking for in a breathable bandage? 

A generic flexible-fabric bandaid works well.  

I agree it seems like when it’s pruned it heals slower.

The white, "pruned" skin is the callused epidermis, the outermost layer of skin.  Healing doesn't happen there, it happens in the innermost layer, so it doesn't matter if the epidermis gets "pruned".    The callus is, of course, what caused the split in the first place.  It's non-flexible, so when you hyper-extend the joint, all the stretch is focused in a too-small of a patch of skin.

You have to keep the skin moist and flexible or you'll just re-split it.   Cutting or sanding off the callused epidermis, which caused the split in the first place, will restore the flexibility of the skin across the joint so you don't repeatedly re-split it.  

 I’ve been loosely putting a bandaid on it at night with some salve neosporin combo. It’s so deep though I imagine i need 5+ more days to heal it completely.

It may well take 5 days, or more.   When I get a split there (done it too many fucking times!)  I cuss myself out for neglecting to proactively sand down the callus.  Then I bite the bullet and painfully sand down the callus immediately (I sometimes cut the callus away with a tiny diagonal cutter; faster.), restoring the flexibility to the skin.  Then I salve & cover 24x7 until it heals.

Listen to Jon - you need to file down the edges, it will hurt but is needed. It will keep cracking constantly if the edge get thick. File, neosporine, and tape/bandaid.  

Tradiban wrote:

What was your protocol? Maybe we can fine-tune your treatment for better results.

Tristin, looks better! pack that baby with neo and tape during the day so you can climb on it, clean really good at night, air it out, and then reapply neo before bed time. Should be 100 in a day or two.

Very similar to John Byrnes for the same reason. I air it out during the day so that I can trim and sand it and then re-cover it 

Jon Frisby wrote:

Very similar to John Byrnes for the same reason. I air it out during the day so that I can trim and sand it and then re-cover it 

You can't air it out during the day, you should be climbing.

John Byrnes wrote: A generic flexible-fabric bandaid works well.  

The white, "pruned" skin is the callused epidermis, the outermost layer of skin.  Healing doesn't happen there, it happens in the innermost layer, so it doesn't matter if the epidermis gets "pruned".    The callus is, of course, what caused the split in the first place.  It's non-flexible, so when you hyper-extend the joint, all the stretch is focused in a too-small of a patch of skin.

Yes, but if the epi is pruned the "innermost" layer, as you so eloquently put it, is too moist to heal. The pruning is the indicator, the wound needs to dry out a bit.

You have to keep the skin moist and flexible or you'll just re-split it.   Cutting or sanding off the callused epidermis, which caused the split in the first place, will restore the flexibility of the skin across the joint so you don't repeatedly re-split it. 

I agree and use a clipper to cut off all dead edges, just don't go too far or it will sting like a bastard. Wound trimming is an art, really

It may well take 5 days, or more.   When I get a split there (done it too many fucking times!)  I cuss myself out for neglecting to proactively sand down the callus.  Then I bite the bullet and painfully sand down the callus immediately (I sometimes cut the callus away with a tiny diagonal cutter; faster.), restoring the flexibility to the skin.  Then I salve & cover 24x7 until it heals.

It will take 5+ days if you don't air it out! Climbers don't need the skin to heal up as good as new, they just want to climb on it. It doesn't look as pretty but letting it air out will get you back on the rocks faster.

Tradiban wrote: Yes, but if the epi is pruned the "innermost" layer, as you so eloquently put it, is too moist to heal. The pruning is the indicator, the wound needs to dry out a bit.

So you're saying that covering the split with salve and tape/bandage, somehow, makes the dermis (the innermost layer where healing occurs) MORE moist than when it is normally completely covered by the epidermis, and that impedes healing?   Total Troll-shit.

It will take 5+ days if you don't air it out! 

Letting it "air out" kills the top layer of the new skin making it less flexible, more likely to re-split and requires more growth just to get back to where it was.   Troll-shit again.

Climbers don't need the skin to heal up as good as new, they just want to climb on it. It doesn't look as pretty but letting it air out will get you back on the rocks faster.

Who said you couldn't climb?  Not me.   Trim/sand the callus off, a little bit of salve and tape over the split.  The tape takes the place of the epidermis and keeps the dermis moist & flexible.  

John Byrnes wrote: So you're saying that covering the split with salve and tape/bandage, somehow, makes the dermis (the innermost layer where healing occurs) MORE moist than when it is normally completely covered by the epidermis, and that impedes healing?   Total Troll-shit.

Sorry you don't understand. Keeping it covered overnight keeps the whole area moist, retarding healing in the dermis.

Letting it "air out" kills the top layer of the new skin making it less flexible, more likely to re-split and requires more growth just to get back to where it was.   Troll-shit again.

Yes, kill the top layer of old epidermis and cut it off, the new dermis and epidermis will be flexible, the whole thing will heal faster.

Who said you couldn't climb?  Not me.   Trim/sand the callus off, a little bit of salve and tape over the split.  The tape takes the place of the epidermis and keeps the dermis moist & flexible.  

Yes, you can climb with the tape on, but with the tape on you won't get maximum healing, that's why you need to take it off at night.

Tradiban wrote:

You can't air it out during the day, you should be climbing.

Just for like 2 hours in the evening 

Tradiban wrote: Sorry you don't understand. Keeping it covered overnight keeps the whole area moist, retarding healing in the dermis.

Yes, kill the top layer of old epidermis and cut it off, the new dermis and epidermis will be flexible, the whole thing will heal faster.

Yes, you can climb with the tape on, but with the tape on you won't get maximum healing, that's why you need to take it off at night.

John Byrnes is actually giving good medical advice and I wouldnt be surprised if he was a doc. We all know you are a troll and that tradiban advice is generally sht. 

Have you tried my method? It works, I think there's just a communication problem.

Ryan PK wrote:

We all know you are a troll and that tradiban advice is generally sht. 

Bullshit: False/misleading advice or statement, often espoused in good faith by someone who actually believes it's true.  Learning may occur.

Trollshit: False/misleading advice or statement, espoused by a troll who knows it's untrue, and is posted merely to provoke a reaction or argument.   Eventually, the troll loses all credibilty and respect.

Sometimes climbers need different solutions than the normies and the "data", for many reasons, doesn't reflect reality.

Quit the group-think and try out creative solutions instead, you will thank me later.

I recently have been introduced to Hydro Seal bandaids and they have changed my life in terms of cuts.  I often get the same type injury that you have as my skin cracks from the dry winter then gets hung up on crimps and tears.  During the day I put on one of hydroseal bandages on ( walgreens.com/store/c/band-…) and it basically stays on for multiple days.  They are amazing.  Even over a crease they stay on.  Then when I want to climb I take it off and just put tape over the split.  Once done climbing I put on a new hydro seal and go from there.