please bear with me, my mind is very hazy on this one!
Back in my teens, for both dancing and walking, I hardened the skin on my feet with surgical spirit, which generally seemed very successful, but I did notice that I occasionally got a deep blister or sore spot that seemed to be as a result of the hardened skin, but this was far less of a problem than the problem I was solving.
When rowing, I seemed to be fairly lucky, I gradually got tougher skin, but didn't get callouses (I didn't row that much...). I got some horrendous blisters once coxing a boat with minature handles on the rudder wires that also had a odd shaped rim on the saxboard, I couldn't avoid them whether I held the saxboard or not - I prefer to hold the saxboard.
So it was something I never really had a problem with, but I have some kind of vague recollection of a minority of people suggesting that hardening the skin was a bad thing and that building up callouses would ultimately result in major pain and blisters when you at some point, inevitably, used different equipment, or any number of more subtle things and that the best way to minimise the issue was to keep your hands very soft.
I'm asking now because I've been dancing a lot recently and I've been noticing I'm starting to develop lots of patches of thickened skin. Sore feet seems to be inevitable for dancers, but just recently I've been noticing that after an hour or so of practicing I can feel sore spots on my toes that seem to be from the harder skin pressing on them, not because they would be sore anyway from shoes or something. I've been a little reluctant to go for the soft route, the pain of broken skin is much more intense! Then I remembered I'm sure I've heard this debate from rowers, I just can't recall the answer!
If you do go for soft, how to do do that and maintain it? I'm a devotee of vaseline for healing and softening on other parts of the body, but it's not something you can just rub in. I had a particularly intense session on Monday night and decided I would smother my feet and put socks on overnight and it worked like a dream, I would usually expect to feel the after effects of such a session for 48hours or so, but felt great Tuesday morning.
> please bear with me, my mind is very hazy on this one!
> Back in my teens, for both dancing and walking, I hardened the skin on > my feet with surgical spirit, which generally seemed very successful, > but I did notice that I occasionally got a deep blister or sore spot > that seemed to be as a result of the hardened skin, but this was far > less of a problem than the problem I was solving.
> When rowing, I seemed to be fairly lucky, I gradually got tougher > skin, but didn't get callouses (I didn't row that much...). I got some > horrendous blisters once coxing a boat with minature handles on the > rudder wires that also had a odd shaped rim on the saxboard, I > couldn't avoid them whether I held the saxboard or not - I prefer to > hold the saxboard.
> So it was something I never really had a problem with, but I have some > kind of vague recollection of a minority of people suggesting that > hardening the skin was a bad thing and that building up callouses > would ultimately result in major pain and blisters when you at some > point, inevitably, used different equipment, or any number of more > subtle things and that the best way to minimise the issue was to keep > your hands very soft.
> I'm asking now because I've been dancing a lot recently and I've been > noticing I'm starting to develop lots of patches of thickened skin. > Sore feet seems to be inevitable for dancers, but just recently I've > been noticing that after an hour or so of practicing I can feel sore > spots on my toes that seem to be from the harder skin pressing on > them, not because they would be sore anyway from shoes or something. > I've been a little reluctant to go for the soft route, the pain of > broken skin is much more intense! Then I remembered I'm sure I've > heard this debate from rowers, I just can't recall the answer!
> If you do go for soft, how to do do that and maintain it? I'm a > devotee of vaseline for healing and softening on other parts of the > body, but it's not something you can just rub in. I had a particularly > intense session on Monday night and decided I would smother my feet > and put socks on overnight and it worked like a dream, I would usually > expect to feel the after effects of such a session for 48hours or so, > but felt great Tuesday morning.
> Any thoughts?
> Cheers > Anne
I don't actually row (cox/coach) so am not best placed to advise, but my rowers swear by bio-oil. I'm not sure what they think it does, its advertised to promote healing- presumably it softens the dead, blistered skin and helps new growth. I could be wrong, but am sure that there is something about it that they like!
FWIW, my experience has been that initially I get blisters at the pressure points. As the skin heals and toughens up, calluses build. Eventually the calluses (if left alone) become thick enough that they are no longer pliable. Then blisters may start to form under the calluses, which may be what you are experiencing. What works for me is to keep trimming down the calluses, being careful not to cut through ALL the skin, until what is left is reasonably pliable. I use the sharp scissors on a Swiss Army knife to do this, but I have heard of others using a razor blade (carefully!).
I discovered that many people find watching this trimming procedure distasteful. So when I have someone in my office (such as a sales rep) and would like them to leave, I simply whip out my Swiss Army knife and start trimming my calluses reflectively, and they vanish. Very effective!
On 9 May, 01:39, J Flory <john.fl...@snet.net> wrote:
> FWIW, my experience has been that initially I get blisters at the > pressure points. As the skin heals and toughens up, calluses build. > Eventually the calluses (if left alone) become thick enough that they > are no longer pliable. Then blisters may start to form under the > calluses, which may be what you are experiencing. What works for me > is to keep trimming down the calluses, being careful not to cut > through ALL the skin, until what is left is reasonably pliable. I use > the sharp scissors on a Swiss Army knife to do this, but I have heard > of others using a razor blade (carefully!).
> I discovered that many people find watching this trimming procedure > distasteful. So when I have someone in my office (such as a sales > rep) and would like them to leave, I simply whip out my Swiss Army > knife and start trimming my calluses reflectively, and they vanish. > Very effective!
Yeah I'd tend to agree. Keep them trimmed and use handcream so that they don't dry out and crack - it keeps them supple.
Not sure about the feet issue. When I dance I tend to find my feet hurt from being in heels - similar sort of thing to wearing really high heels on a night out - I really don't have enough fat in my feet to cushion them! Though if you want to keep callouses soft, then probably go down the route of body lotion overnight with socks on! Hope that helps!
> please bear with me, my mind is very hazy on this one!
> Back in my teens, for both dancing and walking, I hardened the skin on > my feet with surgical spirit, which generally seemed very successful, > but I did notice that I occasionally got a deep blister or sore spot > that seemed to be as a result of the hardened skin, but this was far > less of a problem than the problem I was solving.
> When rowing, I seemed to be fairly lucky, I gradually got tougher > skin, but didn't get callouses (I didn't row that much...). I got some > horrendous blisters once coxing a boat with minature handles on the > rudder wires that also had a odd shaped rim on the saxboard, I > couldn't avoid them whether I held the saxboard or not - I prefer to > hold the saxboard.
> So it was something I never really had a problem with, but I have some > kind of vague recollection of a minority of people suggesting that > hardening the skin was a bad thing and that building up callouses > would ultimately result in major pain and blisters when you at some > point, inevitably, used different equipment, or any number of more > subtle things and that the best way to minimise the issue was to keep > your hands very soft.
> I'm asking now because I've been dancing a lot recently and I've been > noticing I'm starting to develop lots of patches of thickened skin. > Sore feet seems to be inevitable for dancers, but just recently I've > been noticing that after an hour or so of practicing I can feel sore > spots on my toes that seem to be from the harder skin pressing on > them, not because they would be sore anyway from shoes or something. > I've been a little reluctant to go for the soft route, the pain of > broken skin is much more intense! Then I remembered I'm sure I've > heard this debate from rowers, I just can't recall the answer!
> If you do go for soft, how to do do that and maintain it? I'm a > devotee of vaseline for healing and softening on other parts of the > body, but it's not something you can just rub in. I had a particularly > intense session on Monday night and decided I would smother my feet > and put socks on overnight and it worked like a dream, I would usually > expect to feel the after effects of such a session for 48hours or so, > but felt great Tuesday morning.
> Any thoughts?
> Cheers > Anne
The medics who patch those of us up who are foolish to take part in the RAF Two Day March and Nijmegen Four Day marches, reckon it is best to tape your feet in advance with Leukoplast tape- its like zinc oxide tape, but much more sticky. Tape your feet up, heels and balls, sleep with your marching socks on and it will stay on through 25miles in standard issues boots, two days in a row, stay on in the shower, and even swimming a few days later!
I am not convinced by putting surgical spirit on. It will harden up the skin, but it dries it out as well, and if your skin is to tough, you will get a blister underneath which is much worse. So I tend to just keep the dead stuff trimmed and then put tape on.
Not sure about whether it would help on your hands.
On May 9, 10:42 am, Andrew <ajweav...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> On 8 May, 22:56, Anne Rogers <annek...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
I tend to use Cream E45 on my hands. This keeps them soft and although calluses build up, they tend to be soft and pliable so I don't get further blisters underneath. My big problem tends to be when I suddenly have to sweep row as I'm normally a sculler - not a lot I can do about the blisters then.
I never had problems with my feet despite running two marathons (except when I forgot to keep my toenails short). As with rowing, it seems the best thing to do is to regularly perform an activity up to the point where the skin has started to rub, but before you get a blister. This seems to keep the skin hard, but not callused or cracked.
Anne Rogers wrote: > please bear with me, my mind is very hazy on this one!
> Back in my teens, for both dancing and walking, I hardened the skin on > my feet with surgical spirit, which generally seemed very successful, > but I did notice that I occasionally got a deep blister or sore spot > that seemed to be as a result of the hardened skin, but this was far > less of a problem than the problem I was solving.
> When rowing, I seemed to be fairly lucky, I gradually got tougher > skin, but didn't get callouses (I didn't row that much...). I got some > horrendous blisters once coxing a boat with minature handles on the > rudder wires that also had a odd shaped rim on the saxboard, I > couldn't avoid them whether I held the saxboard or not - I prefer to > hold the saxboard.
> So it was something I never really had a problem with, but I have some > kind of vague recollection of a minority of people suggesting that > hardening the skin was a bad thing and that building up callouses > would ultimately result in major pain and blisters when you at some > point, inevitably, used different equipment, or any number of more > subtle things and that the best way to minimise the issue was to keep > your hands very soft.
> I'm asking now because I've been dancing a lot recently and I've been > noticing I'm starting to develop lots of patches of thickened skin. > Sore feet seems to be inevitable for dancers, but just recently I've > been noticing that after an hour or so of practicing I can feel sore > spots on my toes that seem to be from the harder skin pressing on > them, not because they would be sore anyway from shoes or something. > I've been a little reluctant to go for the soft route, the pain of > broken skin is much more intense! Then I remembered I'm sure I've > heard this debate from rowers, I just can't recall the answer!
> If you do go for soft, how to do do that and maintain it? I'm a > devotee of vaseline for healing and softening on other parts of the > body, but it's not something you can just rub in. I had a particularly > intense session on Monday night and decided I would smother my feet > and put socks on overnight and it worked like a dream, I would usually > expect to feel the after effects of such a session for 48hours or so, > but felt great Tuesday morning.
Back when I used to do gymnastics, I used to use surgical spirit to clean out rips on my hands (on the palms - horribly, horribly painful!) but if I used it too much my skin would harden too much and crack and bleed, which was way worse than ripping soft skin. The thing that worked for me was Compeed foot cream with urea in it, on my hands. (And feet. Heals up cracked heels a dream.)
(By the time I started rowing I had so many callouses from years of doing bars at gym that I never had any blister issues - recently started sculling again and still haven't!)
One of my lightweight crew from Oxford swore blind by nipple cream for blisters - if it can heal chapped and bitten nipples when breastfeeding then I suppose it must be able to heal blisters while keeping skin supple. Personally I've not tried it though.
The other thing I like for feet is Aveda foot cream. Smells better than the Compeed one (although it is more expensive), and sort of softens and toughens at the same time. That reminds me - I need to buy some more before sandal season really kicks in...
> The thing that worked for me was Compeed foot cream with urea in it, on my > hands. (And feet. Heals up cracked heels a dream.)
ooh, that's an idea, I get wipes with urea in them on prescription for a totally unrelated skin problem, I could just wipe them over my feet after I've done the other bits
> One of my lightweight crew from Oxford swore blind by nipple cream for > blisters - if it can heal chapped and bitten nipples when breastfeeding then > I suppose it must be able to heal blisters while keeping skin supple. > Personally I've not tried it though.
well that's how I discovered vaseline! it seems to have the ability to deeper layers even if the surface isn't cracked, I tried it simply because it was there rather than needing to go to the shops and it worked so well I never bought the official stuff!
> The other thing I like for feet is Aveda foot cream. Smells better than the > Compeed one (although it is more expensive), and sort of softens and > toughens at the same time.
Well that's a point in favour of vaseline! Seems like preventing callouses getting too big, possibly by softening is the way to go and I can't be dealing with keeping them trimmed, it's much trickier to do that on your feet and I'm very bad at things like that and would likely get the good skin!
