Preventing and Treating Torn Calluses - Athletic Lab

Description

Nearly every athlete and or fitness enthusiast, who has ever trained consistently, has encountered a build up of calluses. This article will take a look at what causes calluses, how our bodies use calluses, how to prevent calluses from tearing and how to treat torn calluses when they arise. Calluses are thickened areas of skin that are caused by repetitive friction and or pressure on the skin. The callus acts as a protective barrier between the skin and the external source of the force or friction. Although calluses can form nearly anywhere on the body, the hands and feet are the most common locations for calluses. This article will focus primarily on the calluses of the hands. Although calluses are formed by the body with the purpose of protecting the skin, like mostly anything, too much of a good thing has the ability to have a negative impact. When calluses build and thicken to the point that they are raised above the surface of the skin, they are at risk for being torn off. There seems to be an association with an initiation into die-hard training that is marked by torn calluses. Rather, torn calluses are as much a sign of toughness as is catching the flu. Both the flu and torn calluses have a negative impact on training and luckily, measures can be taken to prevent both. There is nothing beneficial nor celebratory-worthy about having bleeding, torn hands. Although keeping calluses at a safe thickness takes a little work, preventing torn calluses is almost always easier than dealing with, treating and healing a torn callus. Prevention There are several measures that can be taken to prevent calluses from building to a thickness that poses […]