[Doylo]

I’m extremely prone to my cuticles splitting when I’m really pulling hard. They just rip through the sheer force. It happens quite like regularly and they’re at high risk of getting infections (Paronychia). I’ve probably had antibiotics 3/4 times in the last 15 years which obviously isn’t ideal these days. About a year ago I decided to stop climbing as soon as they split and clean them and put antiseptic cream on. This takes a bit of will power especially when close to something. Most the time I’ve just put the anti septic on and carried on. After no bad infections for a year i really got slack on the last one a week ago and now I’ve got a paronychia again (antibiotics  ). Obviously I need to follow the split protocol when it happens but was wondering if anyone had any suggestions that might stop them splitting so often in the first place? I’ve never heard of anyone else with this problem. I’m not too optimistic that anything can be done to prevent them splitting all the time.

[teestub]

Is it the side of your first finger that rips or elsewhere? I’ve had a few in that position and a particularly bad one recently, always seems to happen when my skin is over dry and I think it becomes less malleable and prone to rip.

[Bradders]

Only preventative measure I know of / have used is to superglue a tiny strip of tape so that it covers just the cuticle and surrounding nail / nail bed / skin. I.e. you're not wrapping it round your finger at all.

This seems to hold things together and stops the split happening, plus helps to continue climbing although can still be painful. And means you've not got tape getting in the way on your tips.

[Will Hunt]

I'd never had this until lockdown and I started doing something that resembled training. Lots of crimping on the board meant I occasionally got a split down the thumb-side of my index fingernail. Painful but never got infected to the point of some of the photos I've just seen when googling it.

I think Stubbs is right to point the finger at over dry fingers. And if it happens then keep your finger out of your bumhole and the bumholes of others for a bit.

[Doylo]

Is it the side of your first finger that rips or elsewhere? I’ve had a few in that position and a particularly bad one recently, always seems to happen when my skin is over dry and I think it becomes less malleable and prone to rip.

Probably more frequently the index finger than the others but it can be any, even the pinky. My current infection is in the middle finger. Was thinking along the lines of moisturising etc .
 

Only preventative measure I know of / have used is to superglue a tiny strip of tape so that it covers just the cuticle and surrounding nail / nail bed / skin. I.e. you're not wrapping it round your finger at all.

This seems to hold things together and stops the split happening, plus helps to continue climbing although can still be painful. And means you've not got tape getting in the way on your tips.

Ye have tried to think of some glue solutions. Could Be one to try.

I think Stubbs is right to point the finger at over dry fingers. And if it happens then keep your finger out of your bumhole and the bumholes of others for a bit.

It gets really itchy up there though. And a mans got to make a living. 

[Fiend]

Is sanding and heavily moisturising (and maybe cutting away excess hard skin) too simplistic??

[Bradders]

Is sanding and heavily moisturising (and maybe cutting away excess hard skin) too simplistic??

Sanding your cuticles though? 

[Fiend]

Maybe. I dunno.  Is is the skin or the actual cuticle?

[knollchri]

Happens all the time to me. There are certain routes from which I walk away with a split cuticle almost surely.

The two things mentioned already improved the situation a bit for me:  it seems that I tend to rip the skin apart with my thump; so sanding it down helps indees. Putting some moisture cream on the cuticles before climbing is also beneficial.

Putting some antiseptic cream (with iod) for a couple of days and constantly reapplying it always resolves the issue.

[Doylo]

Happens all the time to me. There are certain routes from which I walk away with a split cuticle almost surely.

The two things mentioned already improved the situation a bit for me:  it seems that I tend to rip the skin apart with my thump; so sanding it down helps indees. Putting some moisture cream on the cuticles before climbing is also beneficial.

Putting some antiseptic cream (with iod) for a couple of days and constantly reapplying it always resolves the issue.

Thanks. Nice to know I’m not alone. I’m going to start lubing them up from now on. They heal quick if they don’t get infected, carrying on piling chalk and grime into them once they’ve split is obviously stupid.

[tomtom]

Mine have played up in the past - some chalks make them shrink and split. I like decathlon/simond chalk as it seems the most benign.

They’ve been fine for the last 6 months - also maybe because I’ve been using liquid chalk on my board (where I’ve been climbing half the time). So they’re not getting such a sousing of the stuff.

I also use heel balm on my hands - which aside from healing cuts and splits had left my cuticles in the best state they’ve been in for ages. But could be something other than that of course.

[Aussiegav]

if you're getting frequent infections in your cuticles, i'd look at what you're doing outside of climbing with your hands/fingers.
The source of your infections could be coming from this rather than the climbing? Perhaps its the type of work you do and a regular/recurrent exposure to a certain organism.

As other have suggested, good skin care will help minimising split cuticles, but also regular hand hygiene will be effective in minimising/preventing cuticle infections.

May be worth spending some time doing some root cause analysis on the infection.  These may not be climbing related.

good luck

[Doylo]

if you're getting frequent infections in your cuticles, i'd look at what you're doing outside of climbing with your hands/fingers.
The source of your infections could be coming from this rather than the climbing? Perhaps its the type of work you do and a regular/recurrent exposure to a certain organism.

As other have suggested, good skin care will help minimising split cuticles, but also regular hand hygiene will be effective in minimising/preventing cuticle infections.

May be worth spending some time doing some root cause analysis on the infection.  These may not be climbing related.

good luck

Thanks. I’m fairly certain it’s the continued climbing after the split that causes the infections. In the last year after taking measures after splitting I've had no infections until the one time I was complacent last week...

[cheque]

Mine have played up in the past - some chalks make them shrink and split. I like decathlon/simond chalk as it seems the most benign.

I’m sensitive to chalk types too- I think it’s caused by having naturally dry skin  as anything with a drying agent like Superchalk (I believe Dave once described it as “gives you leprosy”) and probably Friction Labs too gives me all sorts of skin problems, cracks, splits and even a kind of itchy feeling. Plain no frills stuff like Decathlon or Wild Country block chalk is fine.

[TobyD]

Mine have played up in the past - some chalks make them shrink and split. I like decathlon/simond chalk as it seems the most benign.

I’m sensitive to chalk types too- I think it’s caused by having naturally dry skin  as anything with a drying agent like Superchalk (I believe Dave once described it as “gives you leprosy”) and probably Friction Labs too gives me all sorts of skin problems, cracks, splits and even a kind of itchy feeling. Plain no frills stuff like Decathlon or Wild Country block chalk is fine.

I'd agree. I find washing hands asap after climbing and immediately using moisturizer also helps.
If you have cuticle splits rub a thin moisturizer and some savlon into them.

[Doylo]

Thought I’d report back few months later. Experimented with a few things then tried TomToms suggestion of heel balm cream. Only had one split since early on, feel like I’ve sorted it (done plenty of boning too ). So    to TomTom who could well have prevented my future death from anti-biotic resistance.

[tomtom]

Nice one! Its the wonder drug. And only £3 a tube...

Re-package and flog on for £20 a tube :D

I can't take the credit though - I'm just the pusher, Lagers told me about it...

[Bradders]

Which one are you using? Any specific brand?

And how often etc.?

[tomtom]

Which one are you using? Any specific brand?

And how often etc.?

I use this one from Tesco. Put it on most evenings. If I have a split I put a blob on it and then a plaster. It’s got a high urea content and is fairly thick.

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/299426373

[Doylo]

I just smother it on my cuticles before bed. They feel all sillky and supple. Feels like it’s enhanced masturbation too.

[lagerstarfish]

I was just about to post "heel balm", but am clearly too late.

25% urea is the stuff you want. Softens the skin and nail whilst making them tougher and preventing infection.

Diabetic heel splits make split cuticles look very trivial and the magic balm sorts them out

[lagerstarfish]

If you end up with some really problematic hard lumps, you can get 40% urea balm to soften skin and nail to the point where it dissolves and can be scraped off