WAG Advice for hand tears

[LoriLou]

So my 7yo L2 got her first tear yesterday. It was not a bad one AT all, and I'm glad her first one was minor. She has been terrified of getting them because 2 others on her team have had pretty significant tears. My question is what can I do to prevent or lessen the likelihood of tears. Her team does not use tape or grips until L4 because they say they want the kids to learn their natural grip before they move to assisted grips. I completely understand that. I have heard to use a pumice stone to smooth out calluses. Does this work? Are there any other tips? Also what to do AFTER a tear. I have heard of putting PrepH on them, but that sounds painful. Is there anything else? TIA.

This isn't really a vent, but none of the other prefixes really applied...

 

[2gymmies]

If you search "rips" you will get enough threads to keep you reading for a month - we put the first piece of skin from a rip under our pillow for the rip fairy, but now its just part of the sport. We gently tear the skin off, by pulling down not up into fresh attached skin (like tearing a piece of scotch tape). Some people like to cut them but I find that leaves an edge to just rip further. We occasionally use prep H ointment, and occasionally use petroleum jelly to keep it moist so it doesn't split back open while healing. Their hands toughen up as they get used to doing more bars and more swinging elements. Wrist rips are tougher since that is different skin, but you have some time before grips and wrist rips. Good luck and my little dd (7) would say congratulations to your dd on her first rip!

 

[Quadqueen]

preparation H cream after a rip works well to shrink it significantly overnight. it is not painful. we also have occasionally used bag balm (for cow udders). DD's gym doesn't allow grips till after they compete L5, so she has had countless rips! And even with grips, she still gets them on occasion

good luck!

 

[Quadqueen]

oh, and if she has to practice with a bad rip, tape is really the only way to deal with it

 

[wallflower]

DD doesnt do anything. She is level 6 and bars are really tearing up her hands since she doesn't wear grips. She just deals and they heal up.

 

[LoriLou]

Thanks guys! When she left for school this morning it looked pretty good. There was a small blister next to the rip, so we drained that before bed and put neosporin. She doesn't have practice again until Monday, so I think it should heal up just fine by then. She is just SO paranoid about it. I thought I should be a little proactive about prevention in the future. I did search "rips" on here and it was very helpful.

 

[Quadqueen]

I have no advice for prevention...pretty much comes with the territory

 

[Moxiegrl83]

First rip's a big deal! According to our HC anyway. DD5 got a Popsicle for hers. We put Prep H on it, didn't seem to burn, and since she was off for the weekend we didn't need to tape. We've done the same thing with other rips. Her first rip, she came out of the gym to show me, and when I walked her back in she started tearing up. I thought her hand hurt, but it was because she couldn't go back to her bar station like she wanted to. Her coach gave her something else fun to do, so crisis avoided. ;-)