[fiveknuckle21]

My fingertips will not heal! This problem has gone on for the last six months but has recently jumped to a new level. I've taken as much advice from here as I could find including the sanding/moisturise routine with loads of stuff including the fabled Dream Cream but too no avail.
This has suprised me as I have spent the last couple of months climbing only on Limestone. Is there any potential for some sort of compression injury between skin and bone on the fingertips?
I took a week off prior to going to Font, and within an hour of the first session there they were down to that usual red layer and this progressed throughout the week. Now, after a slightly nightmarish session at the works of consistenly slipping out of holds they appear to have developed this white layer in the middle of the pad which im assuming is dead skin. I'd be grateful of any advice.

[highrepute]

Have you tried wearing marigolds in the shower?

How often do you moisturise? As often as possible should be answer.

[Ru]

I think skin varies a lot from person to person. I only occasionally moisturise my hands and my skin is fine. In fact I find that if I use a lot of hand cream my skin seems to become reliant on it and my skin goes shit.

[nik at work]

I agree with Ru, I never do anything beyond washing my hands with soap. In the past fannying with moisturisers and sandpaper has only led to prolonged misery, if my tips are painful I either man up or rest (or bitch and moan relentlessly).

In your position I'd rest them for a few days and try and get the tips to dry out (mine leak liquid a lot when worn down) taking care to avoid prolonged wetting or any type of moisturising things. Once the pain has subsided and the skin has firmed up it's game on. As a case study I left Font on Saturday morning with every tip shagged and very sore, this morning I'm pretty much ready to climb again.

Very much depends on what your skin is like.

[SA Chris]

I normally develop tips like bullets about a week after a font trip. Most annoying as the last few days of a trip are normally a skin preservation exercise. I don't moisturise, just put a dab of climbing balm on my tips after a session if they are feeling trashed, and just keep track of what state they are in.

[GCW]

Sanding and moisturising has a place, mainly for deep splits in dry skin with a calloused edge- these do heal quicker if you sand and moisturise.

But don't listen to me, my skin always has holes in.

[Fatboy]

This thread read my mind - I currently have an issue on just 2 fingers (first and pinky), on one hand where the skin is tender and doesnt seem to be healing.
I've never had any issues like this before (infact usually had great skin), have taken some rest due to some tendonosis in my elbow, and tried using/not using moisturiser.

After 2 weeks it did heal up and then I went climbing on snadstone which is far less abbrassive than the normal granite I am used to and the tips flared up again... 

If anyone has any advise here I would be very grateful as it is becoming a lil' frustrating!!