[Fiend]

Don't think we've had this one before...

When I go away on a climbing trip and climb for several days consecutively, my fingernails get worn to almost nothing, i.e. until there is no overlap of nail left and they're close to wearing down the flesh underneath. Sometimes to the point where it affects my ability to pull on fingerholds, pockets, slots etc as they're just too tender, and I have to cut back on what I'm doing.

I've tried to avoid this by filing off any jaggy bits that could catch on the rock, and putting moisturiser on my nails nightly on trips, but it still happens.

Any advice? Or ointments I could try?

[exPat]

Climb on slopers 

[magpie]

I'm confused  ??? Do you mean that they are literally wearing away while you're climbing?  Could it be that you are cutting them too short and then when you use your finger tips a lot they are getting irritated, rather than actually getting shorter or wearing away?  I think that might be more likely. 

I'd suggest not cutting them too short, you can get nasty infections and bad swelling if you irritate them too much by keeping them too short, this could be your problem, it might feel like they are getting shorter but actually they aren't, and also using something to keep your nails as strong as possible, a decent hand cream will do it I could suggest other things but I'm guessing you probably don't really go in for painting your nails nightly.  It's quite hard to advise without seeing exactly what you mean 

[exPat]

On a more serious note ... sounds to me like your nails are too long, hang over the ends of your fingers, therefore protecting the the very tips from day to day wear & when you climb the nails get worn down & then your 'soft' tips get sore.
I try to keep my nails cut to approx 1-2mm from the nail bed. I find this gives a little support to the end of the finger when the tip pushes upwards into the nail when crimping without having too much nail length gets in the way of the rock (you've heard nails grinding on indoor walls - argh, like finger nails on a blackboard), or worse still, bent backwards.
You can toughen the tips by drumming your tips on a nice flat stone or even the desktop.

I think there was even an article in OTE about this years ago.
Shame I can't post pictures.

[(woz)]

If they are actually "wearing down" then you probably have some sort of nutritional defect. Unless they are really long to start with, and surely then they would snap, rather than wearing down.

[SA Chris]

I think there was even an article in OTE about this years ago.
Shame I can't post pictures.

By Chris Hamper - remember it well.

Would calcium supplements strengthen nails?

[slackline]

Perhaps some of this...



 

[Fiend]

Maggie: They are getting worn down by the contact of my fingers with the rock, i.e. after a day climbing they will be a little bit shorter (fractions of a mm) than the start of the day, and after several days there will be little left. I don't cut them too short either.

expat: No, the opposite, they don't hang over the tips of my fingers at all, they are set back a little bit but still get worn down from rubbing on the rock, and the sensitive bit is not the fingertip but where the nail meets the fingertip.

Chris & Woz: Yes that's one thing I'm wondering. I do have a fairly balanced diet, and although I don't drink milk I do eat cheese.

slacky: Hmmm. I sometimes resort to smearing a bit of superglue over the ends of the nails, which does work. Ideally I'd like to get the base nail stronger though.

[Johnny Brown]

I think there was even an article in OTE about this years ago.
Shame I can't post pictures.

By Chris Hamper - remember it well.

Wasn't it Chris Plant?

Fiend, the nails on my right hand are a right mess but I don't use it as an excuse. Man up!

[magpie]

I still don't know how you're managing it, unless you've been off new routing on a giant emery board of late 

the sensitive bit is not the fingertip but where the nail meets the fingertip.

That suggests the nails are too short, either from you cutting them that way or as they wear down through climbing, it's something you should keep an eye on cause you can get infections in the nail bed in extreme cases.

Ideally I'd like to get the base nail stronger though.

There are plenty of things you can use to boost nail strength, how adverse to painting your nails (with clear, non shiny stuff) are you?  This stuff from OPI is really good and dries to look like your natural nails.

Another alternative to painting something on is to try a supplement from Holland and Barrett or somewhere similar, they do loads that are good for stronger nails.  Or a good cuticle oil would improve the general condition of your nails too if you'd rather rub something in than paint it on (like a lady)

[Houdini]

Would calcium supplements strengthen nails?

Unlikely:  nail is fundamentally the same as hair ie. proteinacious, in this case keratin.

 

[Fiend]

Fiend, the nails on my right hand are a right mess but I don't use it as an excuse. Man up!

I don't need excuses! I just relish being crap

Maggie: I do keep an eye on them, hence this thread expressing my concern! I try to avoid keeping them too short but I have to trim them a bit otherwise bits snap off when I'm desperately overgripping and then they get even more fucked up.

Would calcium supplements strengthen nails?

Unlikely:  nail is fundamentally the same as hair ie. proteinacious, in this case keratin.

Proteinacious you say....do I need to eat more BEEF then??

[Jim]

go down your local equestrian shop and get some hoof moisturiser

[SA Chris]

I think there was even an article in OTE about this years ago.
Shame I can't post pictures.

By Chris Hamper - remember it well.

Wasn't it Chris Plant?

Right on the money. I had his face in my mind, but wrote Hamper for some reason.

[dobbin]

Try aiming your hand at the next hold to be used, avoiding other sharp surfaces which are not the intended hold.

I can only hope I have completely misunderstood what you are on about here - you are managing to abraid away your nails through normal climbing? You're not dragging each hand over the rock face between grips per chance? Perhaps a demonstration can be arranged?

[Fiend]

I can only hope I have completely misunderstood what you are on about here - you are managing to abraid away your nails through normal climbing?

Well, through hanging on to crimpy, flakey, pockety holds on roughish rock and, I guess, grinding my fingertips into the rock by overgripping all the time

[mctrials23]

You sure that the nail is being worn down. I used to have problems where the nail isnt getting worn down but rather pressed back into the cuticle. That was what made my fingers sort sometimes as opposed to filing down nail. Nail is dead for all intents and purposes, you cant hurt a nail. I reckon that you are forcing the nail back into the skin round the cuticle and that is causing the problems. Find the right nail length so that you dont get this any more.

[Fiend]

You sure that the nail is being worn down.

Yes I am sure. That's why, after having problems with my nails being worn down, I posted a topic about my nails being worn down 

The bit that juts out from the skin (but DOESN'T, in my case, jut out over the finger tip) gets worn to nothing, then the bit that's attached to the skin gets worn down and thus there is nothing to protect the flesh underneath and that's all rather unpleasant and offputting to pulling hard hard-ish...

[mctrials23]

lol, fair play. You said that it was a teeny weeny bit of filing so I was thinking that you might have been imagining things.    Its definately a weird one. Not sure how you would solve that one unless you find some magical cream that makes ur nails as hard as....... well nails really.

[SA Chris]

Random thought, do you crimp too much? Even after a week of intensive climbing my nails are normally intact, but my tips are skinless.

[lagerstarfish]

I used this stuff one winter when my skin and nails were suffering (pain where skin joins nail at the front and down the sides when pulling on edges - mostly open handed as I can't crimp very effectively), although it wasn't really a problem of them wearing away



I used it 3 times a day and noticed an improvement - cheap to buy at Superdrug. The other thing that made a difference was washing chalk off my hands at the end of a session and making sure there wasn't any left around the edges of my nails.

[Duma]

Washing chalk off - I never used to do this but have done religiously for the last few years - definitely helps skin, though not sure how applicable to fiends' issue it is. Fiend, could overgripping be your problem? I've never heard of anyone having issues with wearing down nails until now, and this seems the only thing you're doing very differently.

[Fiend]

Duma and S AChris, you're both right, this is from a lot of fingery/crimpy/pockety/slotty stuff, rather than lush Font slopers or whatever, and it is me grinding my fingers in too. I've had it before on occasions.

I think I'll look into the hoof stuff, reckon a friend can get me some.