November 16, 2010
Burn baby burn
I have a non-paleo related question......is that allowed? Anyway, I have to put my hands on people all day long for work (minds out of the gutter people) and in between have to sanitize my hands with hand sanitizer. I also have to handle scalpels and other dandy instruments with at least a little precision. Last night I tore my hands open again and am wondering if anyone has some suggestions as to how to avoid this. If anyone has ever dumped alcohol onto an open sore you can appreciate what I go through about 50 times a day. Any suggestions?
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I don't think there is a way to not rip your hands doing crossfit, unless you want to wear gloves. I do know that Vitamin E is the only thing that helps my hands not sting after the first day and heal a lot quicker. Your stuff will get vitamin E all over it, but it's a very small price to pay for what works.
ReplyDeleteTried Eucerin Aquaphor? I use it as my hands get odd cracks and stuff in them (hoping some of that will clear with the Paleo), but this stuff has helped heal stuff fast!
ReplyDeleteBest stuff for healing fast is actually a chinese herbal burn cream... Ching Wan Hung. The stuff is just plain miracle cream!!
ReplyDeleteAs for not ripping... ugh... taping helps a lil but you can still rip when you tape.
Another WCCF member, Pat, is a massage therapist. He is religious about taping his hands for any WOD with pullups. There is definitely a method to use that provides the most benefit, and probably any of the coaches can show you (Justin for sure), particularly if you ask about Pat's method. I can also show you if we see each other. I also bought a pair of gymnastics gloves that didn't fit well, but some people swear by them. You are welcome to try or have them if you like.
ReplyDeleteAnother preventative measure is 'shaving' down the caluses on your hands. The reality is that it takes a few rips to get a good feel for what works best for you to both prevent and treat ripping.
As for treating the ripped skin, I find that neosporin and a band aid is best for day one after cleaning it well, of course (while screaming your ass off from the pain) That night, I leave it alone (no band aid)to let it breathe. On day 2, I coat it with NewSkin several times a day, continuing for 1-2 days before they are good as new.
The good news is that ripping seems to happen less as you get stronger, all things being equal. For example, if you're doing band pullups and rip, that will happen less and less until you switch to kipping, then the cycle starts over again...
the shaving calluses work really well for me.
ReplyDeleteI use one of these, a day after a tough on the hands day, out of the shower when the skin is soft.http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?sku=10820030&utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=shopping Ped Eggs do nothing for me. Other than that, Vitamin E to soften the skin after I splash it with peroxide or alcohol, and neosporin. Multiple times daily
ReplyDeleteI rarely rip these days, and while it may be a buildup over time, routinely shaving my hands along with knowing WHEN to let go of the bar and regrip is a big part of it. There's no pride in knocking out 20 pull ups only to have your hands useless for the next week.
Lastly, grip the bar as tight as possible.
Don't grip the bar as tight as possible, and take care of your hands daily. Why do you use hand sanitizer, this is a product that is not needed. Your skin provides a great defense against bacteria.
ReplyDeleteI touch very sick people with all kinds of funky diseases on a daily basis. I'm not a believer in hand sanitizer either but unfortunately most patients rooms don't have scrub sinks in them and we are required to wash our hands before and after leaving a patient room. So basically it is the only option as I am a firm believer that you should actually touch a patient without gloves if you can. Soap and water would be preferred, but as I said before, not readily available. I keep my hands filed down but I just switched to kipping yesterday from the band so I'm guessing that played a part.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the good advise!