Last chance to ever be able to boulder again - skin is stuck in a kind of callus cycle

Hey dear community,

I really enjoyed bouldering and did it intensively for about 1 1/2 years. Sometimes (but very rarely) I went to the gym in the morning and bouldered in the evening, etc.

Thank you very much in advance for taking the time to read this question, which is probably not typical in the bouldering forum, but I finally want to boulder again or at least have normal skin.

At some point I got to a point where I noticed that the skin on my hands looked much more damaged than that of my friends and that it was peeling off over much larger areas.

Long story short, I haven't been able to boulder for years because my skin is in a kind of cycle: "Skin peels off both index fingers (the finger I use the most when bouldering), repairs itself, then pain in "the" finger again, which triggers the next attack.

At first I thought that the skin just needed a break, but it seems to be a never-ending cycle.

If you're now thinking "just go to the doctor", I did, I went to five different dermatologists, but the statements were very sobering and they disagreed on what it was, only agreed that there was nothing that could be done. 

Since then, my skin has been extremely sensitive to water. As soon as I shower/bathe, the skin in those areas can actually peel off.

The body seems to be stuck in a cycle of "callus --> peeling --> regenerating --> callus..." and I want to break this cycle.

I have also tried over 100 different hand creams, also any known climbing cream (such as Kletteretter) or very expensive creams with silver etc. from pharmacies (Even the pharmacists had apparently never heard of this kind of skin behavior because they were all baffled about my skin.).

That's why one of my last attempts is, have you or your friends experienced this or a similar effect when bouldering/climbing and what kind of therapy/tablets/diet has normalized your skin? Maybe a certain tea or a device with infrared light. You see, I'm willing to try anything.

Oh, and before I started bouldering, I had completely healthy skin for over 20 years.

Best wishes,

Olli

I struggle with thick callused hands that would go through this cycle where the entire hand peels in various areas. I've worked in the trades my entire life and my right hand especially was almost entirely callused over. My extremely dry skin/psoriasis also contributed to this. What I've found to help is actually thinning out the skin through sanding. I'll even go as far as using a Dremel on low speed to make it quicker. It's help tremendously not only with the maintenance of healthy skin, but has also made my skin more resilient to splits. Another plus side is my skin is more pliable and I feel more secure on holds. I'd obviously continue with moisturizing, etc. 

Hope it helps and goodluck. 

+1 for sanding finger skin down. I also use a sharp cuticle trimmer to cut back the thicker calloused spots when I’m climbing a lot of gym jugs (eg near knuckle joints). Perhaps you’ve already tried it, but the Rhino Skin methanamime products also helped me (super sweaty hands). I used to have such cycles (less dramatic but same pattern) but basically don’t now 

I’m sure you’ve already thought of these, but thought I say it anyway just in case. Have you tried a different chalk? No chalk at all? Or gloves? I’ve never had this problem, but, for other uses, I’ve been using snug fitting deer skin roping gloves for years. I normally find gloves to be generally uncomfortable, but they really feel like a “second skin” to me. I like these: https://www.tuffmate.com/gloves.php?cat=Signature%20Series 

I can understand gloves being a drag, but better to boulder with skin intact than not at all, right?

Hey, 

thank you very much for your quick and comprehensive answers.

@Brenaden and Coty L --> You both still seem to be able to go climbing regularly? You are way ahead of me here.

@Tim B, Thank you very much, but climbing is out of the question at the moment. I think I need to get my skin's behaviour under control without doing any sport (if that's possible). If I manage to pull off this miracle at some point, then I can hopefully get it used to weight lifting and bouldering again.

I'm now running out of ideas about what else I could try for example: light treatment, ultrasound, nutritional supplements?.
I've ordered almost all the creams recommended here in the forum, such as

- Mane 'n Tail Hoofmaker
- Gold Bond

Maybe there will be a miracle

For example, I currently have the problem that a whole layer of skin is missing from the tip of my thumb, an area the size of half a fingernail, due to this peeling process. It is really a whole layer of skin, about 0.8mm, WITHOUT me having climbed or done any other sport, and this for months. It will (again) take an extremely long time for this area to heal at all. :(

So I currently have hardly any calluses to grind off, but this loop keeps coming back, only that the phase from inner pain to peeling off is extremely quick and the callused phase is relatively short, I had already tried it with the pumice stone.

As soon as I do sport (even not for three months) this phenomenon occurs even more extensively and in more places.

When a flare-up like this comes, I first have pain in the inside of my finger and it hurts, for example (the fingertips are then extremely sensitive despite healthy skin) when I use the key for the door. This pain stimulus from the inside then seems to encourage the skin to start this process. It is actually only the index finger and thumb that are affected.

That is why I was hoping that there might be a tip for some kind of ultrasound device or something else to prevent the pain in the finger during a flare-up.

This whole issue only came up when I started bouldering and even though I hadn't bouldered for years (except 2-3 times a year easy routes), but I really miss bouldering and I would kill two flies with one stone.

The message has become very long, please excuse that. You see, I really want to get over the problem. :D

Best regards
Olli

I've known many people who have experienced skin peeling, including myself, just as recently as last winter. Usually environmental ie soap, lotion or chemical in your daily life that you are using or applying. Do you or anyone you climb around climb barefoot? My dermatologist back in NYC figured out (he was a climber) that some climbers at our gym were having this problem (including himself) and it was from foot fungus on the holds. Took months of treatment (topical) to treat it. To this day if I see folks climbing barefoot I try to educate and avoid touching the holds. The fungus can get on your face and other areas too...

For me, it seems to always come on from over use of high moisturizer lotions. My skin gets so dry and tough and the lotion (this is what Dr told me) penetrates the thicker layer and basically causes the callus to slide and tear. Last winter my entire calluses pulled off while warming up and I couldn't climb outside for weeks until enough skin grew back. I stopped using any kind of moisturizer on my hands and problem went away.

Not sure if any of this will help but I know the spot you're in and the total frustration so good luck and there is a solution.

Ps: I totally stopped using any hand crap like climb on or rhino, hoofmaker... So, doing nothing (besides latex gloves while walking dishes or any other chore with chemicals ie car repair, painting...) has had the best results.

Oliver Tsubusa wrote:

When a flare-up like this comes, I first have pain in the inside of my finger and it hurts, for example (the fingertips are then extremely sensitive despite healthy skin) when I use the key for the door. This pain stimulus from the inside then seems to encourage the skin to start this process. It is actually only the index finger and thumb that are affected.

Did you manage to see autoimmune specialist? - this sounds autoimmune, psoriasis in particular.

I’d also recommend getting your vitamin levels checked- that almost sounds like you’re not getting enough of something or another. 

This sounds really frustrating.  I get calluses from other hobbies and from work, and when I climb sometimes they rip off all at once or split.  Usually tears and splits happen at the joints but sometimes in the pads or  the sides of finger tips.  Once a callus is established or a tear happens there is often a persistent irregular growth pattern of weak/new skin >toughening> weak/brittle spot that is more prone to the same injury.  The only way I’ve found to fix these spots is weeks of daily sanding (so +2 for sanding).

For me the easiest way is to do a couple minutes twice a day when I brush my teeth, lightly sanding splits and weak spots.  The key seems to be actually working down through the callus and keeping the skin on the fresher side until it finally grows back smooth.  Climbing more regularly in conjunction with the sanding has also helped, I think it forces the skin to toughen up. Really weak spots get taped until they are strong enough to survive climbing again.  I try to stay on top of sanding so that calluses don’t grow back on the first two pads of my fingers.  As soon as they do I get splits and tears again.  

The only cream that I think helps even a little is O’Keefe’s Working Hands, which is stearic acid based.  Sounds like your issue with calluses coming off might be different, but this is what worked for me.  

Oliver Tsubusa wrote:

Hey, 

thank you very much for your quick and comprehensive answers.

@Brenaden and Coty L --> You both still seem to be able to go climbing regularly? You are way ahead of me here.

@Tim B, Thank you very much, but climbing is out of the question at the moment. I think I need to get my skin's behaviour under control without doing any sport (if that's possible). If I manage to pull off this miracle at some point, then I can hopefully get it used to weight lifting and bouldering again.

I'm now running out of ideas about what else I could try for example: light treatment, ultrasound, nutritional supplements?.
I've ordered almost all the creams recommended here in the forum, such as

- Mane 'n Tail Hoofmaker
- Gold Bond

Maybe there will be a miracle

For example, I currently have the problem that a whole layer of skin is missing from the tip of my thumb, an area the size of half a fingernail, due to this peeling process. It is really a whole layer of skin, about 0.8mm, WITHOUT me having climbed or done any other sport, and this for months. It will (again) take an extremely long time for this area to heal at all. :(

So I currently have hardly any calluses to grind off, but this loop keeps coming back, only that the phase from inner pain to peeling off is extremely quick and the callused phase is relatively short, I had already tried it with the pumice stone.

As soon as I do sport (even not for three months) this phenomenon occurs even more extensively and in more places.

When a flare-up like this comes, I first have pain in the inside of my finger and it hurts, for example (the fingertips are then extremely sensitive despite healthy skin) when I use the key for the door. This pain stimulus from the inside then seems to encourage the skin to start this process. It is actually only the index finger and thumb that are affected.

That is why I was hoping that there might be a tip for some kind of ultrasound device or something else to prevent the pain in the finger during a flare-up.

This whole issue only came up when I started bouldering and even though I hadn't bouldered for years (except 2-3 times a year easy routes), but I really miss bouldering and I would kill two flies with one stone.

The message has become very long, please excuse that. You see, I really want to get over the problem. :D

Best regards
Olli

I don't understand what you mean by saying I'm way ahead of you. When you climbed for a year and a half, how often? I'm just trying to get more information from you to better help. If you have no calluses and you are just getting pain, then the peeling. I almost think your skin has never actually been conditioned to climbing yet. Thats where knowing how often you climbed in that year and a half would help. I coach the youth climbing team, so I see alot of the skin issues in newer climbers.

Oliver Tsubusa wrote:

I really enjoyed bouldering and did it intensively for about 1 1/2 years. Sometimes (but very rarely) I went to the gym in the morning and bouldered in the evening, etc.

How frequent and regular is your climbing? When I climb intensely for some weeks (3-5 times per week), and then take a few weeks break, within the first week my skin will peel in the shower like crazy all over my hands, and when I get back on the rock/plastic, it will be an overall weaker skin than I started with that peels easier. For me the trick is to climb consistently, and just suck up the transitions between climbing and not climbing.

Also, how long have you been climbing in general, or has it just been bouldering for a 1.5 yrs and nothing else? In my first few years of climbing (all roped climbing) this happened to me a lot, but as time went on my skin has generally become more resilient, even when I take longer breaks.

If climbing frequently enough isn't the issue, before you quit climbing altogether, try roped climbing. Bouldering is way higher impact on skin, between the intense overhangs and high impact moves. Try focusing on mileage, and that might get your skin in shape during what might be a transitionary period (and if that sounds lame to you, you can think of it as training for climbing el cap in a day)