Top 5 Essential Skincare Tips for Climbers

Climbing is one of the most exciting and physically demanding sports out there, however, it’s also quite dangerous, to begin with. We’re not just talking about the dangers of slipping but also the damage to your skin. The skin on your hands is obviously quite exposed, which is why it will get split, damaged, and bruised all the time. This way, parts of your skin will become too thick, while the rest will get too thin. Moreover, outdoor climbing leaves you exposed to the sun and various elements (seeing as how, for the most part, it happens outdoor during summer). With that in mind and in order to help you out, here are the top 5 essential skin care tips for climbers.

1. Keep your nails trimmed

Keep the skin around your fingertips neat, as well. Your fingertips tend to bruise quite easily and it’s important that you understand how to take care of them properly. Other than this, you want to keep the skin around the edges of your fingertips as neat as possible. A file or small scissors are more than enough here, just make sure that you’re careful and thorough. If you look hard enough, it shouldn’t be too hard to find a climber-specific finger file. This alone could help increase your skincare routine by quite a bit.

2. Wear sunscreen

A lot of climbing sessions take place out there in the open. While climbers’ clothes need to provide some protection, overdressing will make you get exhausted a lot quicker. Climbing is difficult as it is a highly tiring activity but when you add layer after layer of clothing, you’ll find yourself tired a lot quicker. Now, remember that while climbing itself may not last that long, you’ll be outdoor for a while. Most importantly, you’ll be outdoor day after day and the damage done to your skin is (sadly) accumulative. With that in mind, it’s essential that you wear a protective factor.

3. Wash your hands with soap and water after climbing

Eliminating chalk and dirt from the pores on your skin is a priority after each climbing session. Chalk is there to secure your grip (a sweaty grip is a huge liability), which means that it will allow you to lift heavier for longer. As such, it’s an essential procedure to chalk-up your hands when climbing. Moreover, it reduces the likelihood of a hand (skin) injury. So, why is it so important to get it out of your skin as soon as you’re done? You see, chalk is there to dry up your skin but it gets even worse than that. The chalk particles will penetrate the pores on your skin, preventing it from breathing freely.

4. Don’t over moisturize

According to the opinion of renowned dermatologists, while moisturizing is a good thing for the health of your skin, doing it right before the climbing session can have an adverse effect. Namely, moisturized skin is soft and while climbing, your skin is prone to injury. This is why moisturizing hours before the climbing session is not necessarily a good idea. Doing so afterward is much better, especially before going to bed. Also, just because you skip moisturizing, this doesn’t mean that you’ve protected your skin for good. You still want to carry some disinfectant and a first aid kit along.

5. Get some rest

Resting is incredibly important for the health of your skin, seeing as how this is when the healing (regeneration process actually starts). While some guides may suggest 6 hours of sleep as the bare minimum, you need to keep in mind that climbers actually lead an incredibly active lifestyle. This means that it’s optimal if you could squeeze 8-9 hours of sleep into your schedule, almost every day. Make no mistake, this single tip is more important for the health of your skin than all the moisturizers and compounds combined. You need to take care of your body as a whole if you want your skin to glow.

In conclusion

In the end, every sport comes with its own set of risks and rewards. Seeing as how it takes place outdoor, how your skin is exposed for the most part, and how you’re deliberately applying chalk to additionally dry it up, your skin will be at risk while climbing. Fortunately, with a few additional skin care tips and some extra effort, you can easily mitigate the majority of these problems.