i done a search for similar threads and i read them all. i forget the name of the poster, but he said he done the brine (salt + water thing) for a month, but it bothered his hands to the point where his hands felt weaker / tighter due to the salt making the hands dry and stiff.
i also read about people soaking their hands in pickle juice for the same effect, including Jedd Johnson, but he didnt say how long he done it for nor how effective it was.
another interesting thing i read, was someone saying about using a spoonful of sugar and a drop of dish soap, and lathering it up in the hands until its gone. the poster said his girfriends father use to do this when he was a bricklayer back in the day, and apparently it was the only thing that stopped his hands cracking in the cold weather.
people have also said about lightly scraping the hands with something abrasive ( sand, sandpaper, cheese grater etc), this may help, but i would be a bit skeptical about doing too much and in turn, maybe damaging the nerves or sensitivity in the hands.
Idiedintothe, that video is pretty good. ill be looking into getting some of that Bag Balm or Badger Balm to stop my hands from cracking. the 2-way file is another good idea for shaving down the calouses.
Mike, im going to get myself some of that Tuf Foot stuff, it seems like the safest option for the toughening of the skin. im also looking to build up the 'leatheriness' of my hands because im planning on bending in the near future. which Tuf Foot and Oil do you use? do you use the Tuf Foot for animals or for people? i dont know if theres much dfference as far as ingredients are concerned. also, ive read about people diluting Tuf Foot with surgical spirit so it lasts longer, and using a spray can to apply it.
I'm slightly suprised to hear that. I thought some of you on the boards might have done it prior to bending or something like that. Is it not recommended at any given time, or is once or twice a week worth doing to toughen them up a bit in general. So they don't tear up as easy. When I ger back to work, ill be doing general labour again bit this time I don't want 7 blisters per hand, and them opening up for weeks on end because they haven't got time to heal.
if you want those hands to toughen up, this is exactly what you want.
good old fashioned manual labour may be the best way to go about it, but its not an option for people who are in different lines of work. work thats less demanding on the hands.
Edited by alexjones234, 30 January 2013 - 09:11 AM.
