Whether you like to use chalk or not, after a certain amount of work hanging from the bar, your hands may rip. There are ways to prevent this, which is another conversation but let’s talk about what you can do once you’ve ripped and how to get back to WODing quickly.
You could take a cue from one of the pros, Camille Leblanc-Bazinet.
- Wash the wound as soon as possible.
- Cut off excess skin.
- Apply Neosporin and cover with bandage. Leave this on overnight.
- Let your wound dry the next day.
- Repeat until healed.
This basic technique seems to be the universal recipe for success but you do have a few more options to treat your ripped hands.
CrossFit Zone says,
If you have Vitamin E oil capsules, please put this on your wound instead of Neosporin. Vitamin E oil does a wonderful job in healing the wound quite fast.
Epicenter CrossFit swears by,
…Tea bags to reduce the pain and speed the healing of the rip. Prepare a cup of black tea using a tea bag according to the package directions. Remove the tea bag and place it in the freezer for a few minutes to cool. Apply the tea bag directly to the rip and leave it on there for 20 minutes or so. The tannic acid that occurs naturally in the tea is an amazing pain reliever! The tea bag will discolor the rip area, but only for a few days. It also helps speed the development of the new layer of skin.
If your rips have not healed and you must workout, refer to this video from Tabata Times on how to wrap/tape your hands and protect your wounds while WODing.
https://vimeo.com/4895278
It’s hard to talk about treatment and ignore prevention but prevention deserves it’s own post. Stay tuned. I hope you found this helpful. Share your rip tips, please!