Callous Challenges

Are kettle bells, pull-up bars, and barbells a regular part of your workout of the day? If so, the chances are you are spending time cross-training or at a crossfit style gym. As a crossfit style athlete you are likely to see callouses on the pads of your hands that have formed as a result of gripping the pull up bar or barbell during workouts. Callouses are a natural protection of your skin that your body develops. Problems occur when these callouses are ripped open. Prevention is your first line of defense for this painful and often bloody display. While some may celebrate bloody palms as a badge of honor, there is no reason to limit future workout time because of your ego! A few tips for prevention:

  • Improve your grip to avoid excess skin compression
  • Wear sweatbands that keep sweat from running onto your palms
  • Wear gloves
  • Keep callouses smooth using a pumice stone or callous shaver as this prevents tearing

Despite your best efforts, you will inevitably encounter torn callouses. When this happens, treating it promptly and effectively is your best means to getting back to training without further damaging your hands. One common treatment when this occurs is to lightly grip tea bags which helps stop the bleeding. The acids in tea act as an astringent, resulting in a faster constriction of the damaged blood vessels, slowing the flow of blood. Hold a cool tea bag against the cut for one minute followed by a cool rinse.

Follow this by applying Brave Soldier’s Antiseptic Healing Ointment. The tea tree oil works to heal the tears while the lidocaine eases the stinging and pain.

While others apply hemorrhoid cream to their tears to stop the pain, you are applying Antiseptic Healing Ointment that stops the pain, starts the healing and prevents infection. Scabs are to be avoided because they are likely to be torn back off. Apply Brave Soldier’s Antiseptic Healing Ointment 2 or 3 times a day and keep a fresh bandage over the wounds so they will remain moist, which will prevent scabbing.