{"id":23965,"date":"2018-02-13T12:56:21","date_gmt":"2018-02-13T20:56:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=23965"},"modified":"2025-05-15T18:35:01","modified_gmt":"2025-05-16T01:35:01","slug":"how-to-build-climbing-skin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/climb\/how-to-build-climbing-skin","title":{"rendered":"Hand and Skin Care Tips for Climbers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Good skin\u2014tough and durable yet resilient\u2014is crucial to climbing success. It doesn\u2019t matter if you have Sharma-strength or Margo-technique, you won\u2019t get far if the skin on your hands and fingertips can\u2019t hold up under the stress. Here, professional rock climbers Steph Davis<\/a> and Brette Harrington<\/a> share some of their skin care tips with us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find the Balance<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Steph describes the ideal climbing skin as \u201cleathery, tough skin resistant to cracks and splits.\u201d Brette seconds the tough skin, and points out that developing calluses on your fingertips is particularly important for outdoor climbers. It should also heal quickly. This boils down to finding your ideal balance between tough and supple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Building tough and supple skin takes time and care. Calluses, or areas of thickened, tough skin, build up due to repeated friction, pressure and irritation as you put in time at the gym and crag. As your skin naturally toughens up, it’s important to keep it from drying out which can lead to cracking or tears. Steph and Brette both use salve at night, after climbing to keep their skin ready for the tomorrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Care for Calluses<\/b> (Yes, That\u2019s a Thing)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first trick to building good calluses is consistency. You have to put your hands under stress consistently to build those calluses up. How do you do that? \u201cThere\u2019s only one way,\u201d says Brette, \u201cBy climbing a lot.\u201d As you start to develop decent calluses, scan for tiny flakes of skin and areas where the callus is starting to become thicker compared to the rest of the callus. File those areas down, gently, with a nail file or fine sandpaper and use a nail clipper to remove tiny flakes. The goal is to keep your fingertips smooth so that it\u2019s less likely for a flake or edge to catch on rock and rip (ouch).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"rock<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Add Climbing Balm or Salve to Your Kit<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re training or climbing regularly, apply a salve before bed. \u201cI use a hand salve nearly every night after climbing. This keeps my skin moist and helps repair cuts,\u201d says Brette. There are many climbing-salves and balms<\/a>. Find one you like and consider it essential to your kit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drink and Eat Right<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What you eat and drink affects your skin. Steph says she eats \u201ca varied, whole food diet with very little sugar or processed foods, and I’m sure this helps. I\u2019ve always had good skin.\u201d Going vegan may be unrealistic or extreme for some, but consider focusing on whole foods and cutting out junk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hydration is also key to maintaining supple skin. It\u2019s easy to get dehydrated on long climbs, and climbers are keenly aware that this affects everything from flexibility to mental sharpness. But dehydration also takes a toll on skin, both by drying the skin (increasing the likelihood of splits and tears) and by reducing the skin’s ability to heal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep Your Digits Clean<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After your session, whether at the gym or outside, wash your hands thoroughly and dry them. This is a solid move just for the sake of not spreading germs and bacteria, but it also removes chalk that will only continue to dry your skin throughout the day. While you\u2019re at it, scan for micro tears and abrasions and take care of any wounds with antibacterial gel or ointment and bandages, then apply some salve to your hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Andy Casler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Heal Your Injuries<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Even when you\u2019ve achieved the perfect balance of tough and supple (aka \u201cgood skin\u201d), split tips and flappers happen. Steph uses what she has on hand when climbing: \u201cIf I start bleeding, I just pack a bunch of chalk into the cut and that usually stops it,\u201d she says. Brette uses salve to cover the wound then bandages it with climbing tape. \u201cI fold a small section over double so that the sticky side does not stick to the wound. I leave it covered and moist for a few hours, then open it to dry out for a few hours. Then again, moisten and cover. For me, this has helped hasten the recovery process.\u201d Another trick: super glue. In case of ripping off a callus, close the wound, glue the edges down (avoid getting glue directly in the wound) then tape it up and keep climbing. Don\u2019t forget to wash up and use an antibiotic ointment at the end of the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Good skin\u2014tough and durable yet resilient\u2014is crucial to climbing success. It doesn\u2019t matter if you have Sharma-strength or Margo-technique, you won\u2019t get far if the skin on your hands and fingertips can\u2019t hold up under the stress. Here, professional rock climbers Steph Davis and Brette Harrington share some of their skin care tips with us. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":24097,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[734,1377,879,66],"internal-tag":[1679],"class_list":["post-23965","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-climb","tag-climbing","tag-climbing-skills","tag-skills","tag-tips","internal-tag-pre-redirect-climbing"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/climb\/how-to-build-climbing-skin","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Hand and Skin Care Tips for Climbers","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/climb\/how-to-build-climbing-skin","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/climb\/how-to-build-climbing-skin"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/02\/Content_Team_012418_48730_HERO.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/02\/Content_Team_012418_48730_HERO.jpg?fit=3000%2C1500"},"articleSection":"Climb","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Michelle Flandreau"}],"creator":["Michelle Flandreau"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["climbing","climbing skills","skills","tips"],"dateCreated":"2018-02-13T20:56:21Z","datePublished":"2018-02-13T20:56:21Z","dateModified":"2025-05-16T01:35:01Z"},"rendered":"