How do you heal rips on your hands from the bar?

[MelissaRose]

Hi everyone! I just joined this site today!

I've only been doing gymnastics for about 5 weeks and I'm 17. So I'm a complete beginner. I hope I'm allowed to post here because it does say "gymnasts only" and I don't know if I count as one!

I went on the bar for the second time yesterday. I just did some swinging. I hurt my hands on the bars. I asked my coach yesterday about the rips and she said just to let the air get to them and not do anything else. During the class, they were just skin coloured and sore.

But today they had gone red and bloody... I don't know what to do! Should I put anything on them? I've just been washing it with water and soap and leaving it alone. It's pretty painful!

The one on my right hand is kind of oozing... Something yellow... Gross!

I know the rips are only small, but it's my first time getting them so I don't know what to do

This is my left hand - Link Removed
And this is my right hand - Link Removed

Do you think the rip on my right hand could be infected ??

Thank you so much and I look forward to any advice you guys could offer

 

[teena82]

You'll get a million different answers on what do. Try a few and see what works best for you.

When I get a rip I go home and take a bath to soak it. It burns when you first put your hand in but the next morning when I take a shower it burns less than if u hadn't. After that I just constantly put on neosporine with no bandaid. It heals faster with access to the air.

 

[wgagym]

Preparation H (yes hemorrhoid cream) and a band aid. It takes the sting away.

 

[MelissaRose]

Hi,

Thanks for the answers so far! We don't have Neosporin in England, unfortunately, but I'll go to a chemist/drugstore tomorrow and ask them for an Antibiotic cream which kills pain too.

Do you think I could wash it with Dettol to stop infection? Or should I just leave it?

I only have Aloe Vera Gel, Sudocrem and Tea Tree Oil Cream in my house right now, so I was going to try putting those on as well...

Thanks, I'll look out for Preparation H haha

 

[skschlag]

My son uses Carmex on his rips and it seems to heel them rather quickly. He doesn't wrap them or anything except at workout.

 

[MelissaRose]

Thanks again!

I went to the chemist and they advised washing it with Dettol, and using an antiseptic cream. And to let air get to it, but bandage it if I need to do something which may let germs in, etc

And we do actually get Neosporin in England, but it's a prescription cream so if I get bad rips, I just go to the doctor to get it

Carmex is interesting, I've never heard of using that for rips before !

 

[kalgymcoach]

We soak a teabag in boiling water and then once cool enough we place it straight on the rip itself. The anti-ocidants help with healing and pain. I put it on straight away, for about 20minutes. That's the only thing we use. Just cover it only when you are on bars again, until you heal.

 

[gymmomof1]

I've always use vitamin e oil at night and put her hand in a sock. That works for her. Welcome to the world of gymnastics