Skin Care for Climbers

Double Cap

Read Time - 5 minutes

May 2020

Skin can be make or break on many climbs. As climbers we give our skin a beating, and although most of us don’t consider it an injury, we should treat it as such. It’s a far more common complaint than musculoskeletal injuries.

This article is broken into two parts, before and after climbing, prehab and rehab; and during climbing.

Prehab and Rehab

Keep your hands clean throughout the day. The range of substances you come into contact with on a daily basis, remove moisture and essential oils from your hands. That moisture and those oils are essential for healing and the growth of new skin.

Everyone has different skin, but broadly speaking those with dry skin should look at soaps which moisturise, to put moisture back into their skin, and those with oily skin should focus on removing oils with soap. Cheap unfragranced bar soap is best for this. Whichever soap you’re using, wash with lukewarm water, and rinse with cold. Water which is too hot will remove oils from your skin too aggressively.

Diet and hydration is key to long term skin health. Good fats, such as omega-3 and 6 fatty acids are key for regulating your oil production. Stay away from bad fats found in fatty animal products and processed food. And, keep yourself hydrated, well hydrated skin is far more resistant to injury.

In between sessions it's a good idea to prep your hands with some kind of moisturiser. There are a range of climbing specific moisturisers. All of these moisturisers contain similar compounds, and are designed to work in a similar way. The differences between the brands lies in the differing quantities of these compounds. All moisturisers should be effective, however it's worth seeking out a few different brands and seeing which work best for you and your skin.

Hyperhidrosis

Hyperhyrdosis essentially the Greek for sweaty tips, is a condition which most climbers experience, but realistically is not something that should hold you back unless you’re operating in the superhuman grades.

For many years, elite climbers have turned to Antihydral. Antihydral is an anti-perspirant which works by denaturing the proteins in a sweat gland to form a plug to block the secretion of sweat from that pore.

Antihydral is a heavy handed solution to what for most climbers is a mild problem. So proceed with caution, overuse can lead to significant skin problems, which will put you out far longer than sweaty tips will shut you down on your project.

Rhino Skin offers less aggressive solutions to the sweaty tips problem. Rhino Skin dry products contain the same compound as Antihydral, Methanamine. However, the quantity of Methanamine is lower than in Antihydral, and Rhino Dry uses an aloe base rather than a talc base like Antihydral; this makes for a less aggressive user experience.

To use Rhino Dry spray your hands with their dry solution 8 hours prior to use, the night before is ideal, and climb harder with sweat free hands the next day. Those with particularly chronic sweaty tips might want to turn to their tip juice solution and paint it on using the applicator brush specifically to the hands.

During Climbing

Now you’re at the crag, it’s time to think about the chalk you dip into each time you climb. Certain chalk products are more aggressive than others.

Liquid chalk is a solution of alcohol and chalk. Liquid chalk works by evaporating on contact with the skin leaving a smooth even coat. This process rapidly removes moisture from the skin, and is the most likely chalk product to cause problems for those with sensitive skin.

Many chalks contain additive drying agents. Typically this will be some silicon based compound like silica gel. It’s the same stuff that comes little packet with certain products reading ‘silica gel do not eat ’. These chalks work well for many climbers, but may cause problems for those with particularly sensitive skin. If you’re not sure if your preferred brand of chalk does, check the packet next time you stock up.

Premium chalks will often contain no drying agents, instead relying on the quality of the magnesium carbonate itself to dry your skin.

If you’re using a liquid chalk or a chalk with a high additional silica content, and experiencing skin problems, consider if you really need all that drying power.

It is worth bringing a set of nail clippers and sandpaper to the crag. You can use these just before and during your session to keep your tips smooth. Keeping on top of any small tears or frays on your finger tips. When these catch, they can cause larger tears or flappers to develop.

When treating your skin remember, you can always take more skin off when needed, but you can’t grow skin back on demand.

Taping

Tape is a great tool to isolate a weakness on a specific part of your hand. But, be wary if you’re covering your hands and fingers in tape, chances are you’re overdoing it and you’d be better off resting.

To tape correctly, get a thin width of tape and wind down the finger in overlapping Xs. Standard zinc-oxide tape is best. Buy a big roll, and you can cut or tear it into strips of the right width for each application.

If in doubt, the best strategy is to rest. Wrecking your skin a few hours into your session, or on the first day of your trip can put you out for days.

This article is an extract from our eBook ‘Bouldering Basics: A Handbook for Beginners’.

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