Help with blisters on hands - peel the flappy skin off or leave it on?

Question

I am a gymnast and so consequently i get lots of blisters on my hands from the bars. When I get the blisters, there is a flap of skin attached at the top. Should I tear the skin off and give the blister air so that it scabs over and heals or should I press the skin back down so that the moisture secures it and so that it heals with the skin loosely on top.

I don't really mind about the pain, i can deal with it but what would help it to heal better because i can't go back on bars until it has properly healed and as soon as i do, i get another blister.

Any other tips about preventing blisters or helping them to heal quicker would be welcome! (I tried using handguards but they were slippery and i kept falling off even when i used chalk on them)

Thanks!!

Answer 1

i know some gynmasts use honey with chalk. anyway about the blister, all the serious elite gymnasts I've known(I worked at a training gym) cut off the blister. It actually hurts more at first, but then skin grows a callus in it's place so you won't get it again. Just keep it clean and covered while working out and then let it air out(especially at night) until it clears up

Answer 2

Never EVER peel the skin off blisters! it prevents infection. Just keep it clean and let it heal and it'll become a callus, thicker, rougher skin with less chance of  blistering.

Answer 3

First answer: you can't sand down blisters! They're not solid.

Question: leave the flap of skin on. That keeps the wound more-or-less closed, which helps prevent infection. Apply an ointment such as neosporin to help speed up the healing and prevent infection.

Once it's healed: well, first a question; how long have you been going on the bars? If that's a fairly new apparatus for you, soon you will form calluses and stop getting blisters. If you've been using the bars for a long time and you still don't have calluses, that's another story. In that case, I would reccomend hand gaurds. Are there different types of them? Perhaps you can find a brand or style that isn't slippery. Or could you wrap your hands in gauze or something like that? Would that interfere with your gripping or movement?

Answer 4

use a nail file and sand it down! Works great on mine I dont know how to prevent them though