WAG First Rips! :(

[Gymnast_Tor]

I was working on the uneven bars today doing some back hip circles and going up to high bar, and when I got to high bar and flipped over, I guess my hands weren't chalked up good, because I got some pretty bad rips just above the palms of my hands. I bled pretty bad for a few minutes. It was PAINFUL to wash my hands, and the head gym coach clipped off the skin and put on bandages. What do I do with it now? After a shower do I put on new bandages and go to school like this?

 

[gymnastbeth]

Yes, rips do hurt, but you'll learn to be proud of them!

You can put a bandaid on it for school, and at practice put tape on it during bars--Don't want to get any nasty infections from having an open wound on bars. At night, you can put a teabag on your hand, this dries out the rip and I've found it helps it to heal faster. However, you'll learn that everyone has a different idea as to how to heal rips. Try out a few and see what works for you!

 

[2G1B]

my kids also do the tea bag that night. Just a warning - your hand might stain with the tea bag. The next day we put preparation H on them. I do bandage/tape them up before practice and usually a bandaid for the next day of school. My oldest DD has had some that were too big for bandaids. For those she has worn tape to school the next day. After the first day they seem to normally be OK enough to not have anything on them for school (but still need something for practice).

 

[LiveLoveTumble]

My coach always says it's a good thing to get rips, because that means you're working hard. I've also heard girls being congratulated on their first rip, now you're officially a gymnast!
I don't know if this works for everyone, but this is what I do. For me, it would always hurt to get water on it for days after. So what I do is get hot water on it the first day (usually it happens in the shower anyways). It can be really painful, but it toughens the skin and it won't hurt to get it wet anymore. Also, I usually wear a bandaid for the first day while it's still bleeding, but after that I try go without one as much as I can to let it get some air, it heals faster that way.
Oh, and just so you know, chalk won't help you not get rips, I believe that's actually what causes them.

 

[cbone]

No advice, just support. Hope they heal quickly!

 

[MaryA]

Congratulations! You're a real gymnast now!

There are lots and lots of posts on CB about rips and how to treat them if you just search "rips." We tend to go with an antibiotic cream or bag balm paired with a fingerless glove made out of a sock (to keep the cream from getting all over the place) worn at night while it heals, wrapping it at practice if needed.