Skin Care - Prevention and Repair | Hand Care for Climbers Part 1

Hands are the most important and precious tool a climber has, so in this three-part series, we talk about how to care for your hands for optimal performance. This is part one, which is for skin care - skin durability and recovery are key to building healthy skin so you can climb longer.
In addition to walking you through a pre-climbing checklist, what to do while climbing to maintain healthy skin as well as how to care for your hands after climbing and when they are recovering, I also walk you through the products that I’ve tried and the products that have helped me the most.
Skin Care Kit:
sendedition.co...
Favorite Prevention Lotion:
sendedition.co...
Favorite Post-Climbing Lotion:
sendedition.co...
Favorite Liquid Chalk:
sendedition.co...
Favorite Powder Chalk:
sendedition.co...
You may also like these videos:
What Is Chalk and Why Climbers Use It
• What Is Chalk and Why ...
Why Do Climbers Tape Their Fingers?
• Why Do Climbers Tape T...
CLIMBING BLOG:
sendedition.com/
My other recommended climbing gear here:
sendedition.co...
What I use for filming these videos:
sendedition.co...

[@julietdeane3128]

ive only been bouldering 4 times and ive gotten 5 bad flappers already, you are a godsend and me and my very lotioned hands thank you

[@ccolagio_]

you may be over gripping the holds if youre ripping off the skin that frequently and youre that new to the sport

[@postmanpat3244]

I've just started bouldering - been 4 times so far. SOOO glad I found you, loving the vids. definitely needed this vid, my hands are very sore after climbing. Subscribed :) o/

[@SendEdition]

I'm so glad that you're enjoying the videos! Thank you so much for your nice comment and the sub :) Have fun climbing!

[@sighcai]

Haha how wild that I was just talking to you last night about the flapper I got from bouldering club and now there's a comprehensive video on hand care! As a total climbing newbie, I absolutely appreciate informational videos like this. I feel like it's so easy to let the excitement over climbing take over that we neglect taking care of our bodies well. Looking forward to your next video! -Cai

[@SendEdition]

For real though!! Literally the same day that I published this video, you showed me your flapper - now you know why my mind was on skin care so much when we were talking, haha. I'm glad that you liked the video! I totally agree about the excitement over climbing -sometimes when I'm climbing on a really fun project, I catch myself noticing my skin getting tiered but I really want to do one more burn/try - that is usually when I get a flapper, haha!

[@Johnpauljones4455]

Thanks for the awesome content! As cool as seeing all the crazy sends and such that the pros do, it is really refreshing to find an informative channel for us climbers who also have a day job! I finally got my first v4 the other day, and your video on the subject definitely helped :)

[@SendEdition]

Congrats on your V4, that’s an awesome milestone! And thank you for the kind comment, I’m glad my content has been helpful - let me know if there is another climbing topic that would help you with your climbing progression :)

[@razzinijj5465]

Ha! So funny. Yesterday my brother and I was searching with loupes to find the splinter in my thumb after I had been climbing. Now i know what it was😅😅 Your videos are by far the best for us beginners, and also for intermediate climbers.

[@feliperamos3322]

Awesome video! Just finished my first climbing day and my hands are grooosss. I'll try following your tips, tks a lot :D

[@mndyD9]

This literally has been the most helpful video I’ve seen so far! Thank you so much for sharing 👏🏼💗

[@BlackedHawked]

your channel is so underrated!

[@SendEdition]

Glad you think so! Thanks for taking the time to comment David :)

[@FlarkeFiasco]

Thank you so much for covering the different situations, and the options for each one. I've seen quite a few skin care videos, but this puts it really simply. And it's clear you've done your research, unlike a lot of climbers you tubers out there. Thank you!

[@SendEdition]

I'm so glad that the video was easy to understand! Thank you for such a nice comment :)

[@petrasquietcorner]

Thank you for doing this video! Been climbing for about four months and got my first flapper yesterday DX NOW I know why climbing folks sand/file down their calluses... - For tattoo lovers out there. I've been using a tattoo ointment with shea butter, some oils, and panthenol on the fresh, sensitive skin, and it's much better after just one night.

[@mickijerry6530]

Thanks for making this video. Saving for later 🎉

[@silentdiscretion2657]

As far as skin care goes for me. I used to use a sanding block. And that worked well enough for a bit. However as someone who's climbing 4+ 3ish hour sessions a week, I can confidently say that sanding isn't enough. Get them down flush with the skin, and after my next climbing session I had to deal with my calluses again as if I never did anything at all. I found myself using my pocket knife to shave off calluses, and I've even jumped to using disposable razor blades. They cut like no other, and getting rid of calluses is a breeze. Just be careful. Little sanding after and you're good to go. That and some rhino climbing ointment after a sesh. Haven't had a flapper, or split in a long time. Nothing even close

[@chrisembryclimbing]

Terrific info and suggestions. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us.

[@MeshiMeshi-vu2hs]

Thank you for great video. I really enjoy watching content on your channel.

[@SendEdition]

I appreciate that, thanks for the nice comments!

[@monica2757]

Great video! I find CeraVe moisturizing cream helpful after climbing, it has ceramides which help repair the skin barrier.

[@SendEdition]

Thanks for sharing!!

[@sebjan180]

Definitely do a chalk review! And also if you can explain some of the differences between different types in more depth. On the surface it seems like it wouldn't matter that much, but the price range indicates that there's more to it than that.

[@SendEdition]

I will be sure to include that if I make the video! Thanks for sharing your input

[@lalystar4230]

Lil bit late to the party, but rather than neosporin etc, I liked to put simple vaseline on my flappers/tender skin. Now I've been making my own salves and lotion bars more recently, with beeswax (for lotion bar, or sheabutter for salve), apricot kernel oil and calendula oil (or if I have dried calendula heads, I"ll infuse the apricot oil with calendula) and a few drops of vitamin E, lavender essential oil and/or tea tree essential oil. Other things to try might be salves like La Roche Posay Cicaplast baume B5 (yes, it's a facial cream, and rather thick, but I've found it works wonders on my hands when used overnight, just apply it before bed on sensitive skin or skin splits, to me this was a little upgrade from vaseline, as it helped heal it a little bit faster and it stayed on my skin a bit longer than vaseline) As for sanding off calluses, I've never done that on my hands tbh, but I might give that a try. I do use a small rasp/callus scraper thingy for my heels tho, I'm pretty sure those would also work on calluses on my hands! But many thanks for this video! It's always very helpful to see what other climbers/boulderers do and recommend!

[@LoveBystroem]

Ive never sanded and havent gotten a flapper yet… weird. Probably should start tho to stay safe

[@eden9036]

could you make a video about your accident, if it is okay for you to talk about it? I'm interested in hearing your experience and what you learned from it!

[@SendEdition]

Thanks for your comment - there is definitely an opportunity to learn from our mistakes. At one point, I wasn’t able to talk about it without crying because of the trauma and guilt over the mistakes that resulted in the accident but over the last year, I’ve noticed it has become a lot easier. Hopefully, we’ll be able to share it so we can help prevent others from making the same mistakes but it probably won’t be for a little while.

[@Mebh547]

I haven't used chalk yet (except every now and then if someone I know offers me some from their bag 😆) because I don't get to climb often and I'm still such a beginner I thought it would be unnecessary, and I can't climb for very long before I get exhausted... Also thought I might look silly waltzing around with a bag of chalk while butchering VB's and V0's 🤣 But now I'm wondering if that's a mistake because I always end up with a flapper or two if I climb for long.

[@markusj.hassigsinus8460]

Very good infos. Another user has asked about gloves. You gave no answer. But would that not be a logical question? Just asked a AI :-) It has written (in German, I translated it with deepL): Special climbing gloves or chalk gloves are more suitable for bouldering. These offer: Grip: They improve your grip on the holds. Protection: They protect your hands from abrasion and injury. Flexibility: They are designed to offer freedom of movement. Breathability: They prevent excessive sweating of the hands. It is important to choose gloves that fit well and are made of high-quality materials to ensure the best performance and safety when bouldering.

[@TheDiabeticBiker]

Chalk review please🙂 Also any tips for sprained knees?

[@SendEdition]

Thanks for the comment - what kind of chalk do you use? As for tips for sprained knees - That sounds horrible and I'm sorry if you're going through that. I don't have any tips for recovery right now (outside of a google search, that is) but if I get a chance to talk to a specialist, I'll be sure to share them in a future video! Hopefully, someone with experience will see this comment and respond with their tips though :) Good luck with your recovery!

[@TheDiabeticBiker]

@@SendEdition I'm currently using Metoulius Super Chalk for bouldering and a Metoulius chalk ball for climbing. Still quite new to climbing so haven't had a chance to try out any others yet. Knee is getting better even though it's only been a few days, I'm just thankful it wasn't broken😅 desperate to get back to the gym though!

[@sarahb.6475]

I never thought climbing on those plastic-looking holds at a gym could actually hurt your hands! Never been to a climbing gym (but I sometimes watch videos on them). My hands + my skin is very velvety smooth. Never use any lotion. I mainly eat a carnivore type diet + lots of saturated fat. Have to keep my hands good as I often do hoof cleaning weekly. 😊 🐎 but I would like to try it at least once. I am a bit scared of heights. But maybe trying it slowly would give me a tad more confidence with the heights. And to feel "safer" with falling from a very low height. Although I am A OK with sliding off my 15.3 hands tall Tennessee Walker (and the saddle adds more height). But I never realized those things can hurt your hands (I can see how a real rock could as it may have sharp areas / be rough).

[@T_gaming28]

I lot of the holds (at least at my gym) are like a bad sand paper, plus I'm holding my body weight on the holds which adds friction.

[@vorlostzurab7653]

A few days ago i actually hurt my hands pretty badly bc i tried only route too often (Like 30 times. I reaaaally wanted to break that v7 by going to the right a lot instead of going to the left, i used a toehook, then jumped and then had to use some real bad new volumes. At the end my fingerpoints literally started bleeding. Like the first piece of my fingers, bc i used all of its skin. ) At least i did the route at the end, a few minutes before they noticed the beta-break and fixed it.

[@SendEdition]

That does not sound good, I'm sorry :( I hope that you heal quickly

[@airclean6585]

Thanks super helpful!

[@DaileyDoseOfJoseph]

What about gloves?

[@Ullish1989]

Yeah this seems like an easy solution. Especially if you're just a hobbyist

[@BiggieChungulus]

WHY DOES IT RANDOMLY ZOOM IN

[@danielmacdonough5297]

I have never heard of a climber getting a splinter. Not even those who climber on a tension board.

[@SendEdition]

It’s not a splinter like a piece of wood stuck in your finger - it’s called a splinter because it feels Ike one but it is a small split in the skin. Hope that clears up any confusion!

[@danielmacdonough5297]

@@SendEdition so you mean a “splitter”?!

[@keishagibbs3195]

This upload is for Pride Month.