Soaking Hands In Brine To Toughen Skin?

[Jones1874 86]

Does anyone do this? does it actually work, and is it actually worth doing? i know the oldtime boxers use to do it to make their hands like leather apparently. since brine is just salt water, what sort of salt do you have to use? i read somewhere about jack dempsey using some salt which he said is 100 times stronger than regular cooking salt.

other than that, ive read about that tuf-foot stuff. im guessing it will get the job done, it just seems as though it would be expensive and not last very long.

thanks in advance.

[Cannon 2,984]

Search for the word brine. I'm positive there is a post from Kevin Bussi where he talks about this. If I recall it's a bad idea.

[Mephistopholes 238]

Yeah Joe Frazer used to soak his face in brine after training, apparently.

I think that would be a bad idea, for face, hands, or whatever. It would probably harden the skin to the point of really limiting your flexibility.

[Jones1874 86]

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.

[macaz 416]

Why don't you you use that tough paw for dogs feet. It seems some people have used this with no problems. I think Daniel Reinard uses it and he is doing ok.

[Cannon 2,984]

Here you go:

http://www.gripboard.com/index.php?showtopic=21178&p=264671

[Isaiah 109]

As a rule of thumb anything that dries out your skin is not good. Part of the toughness of skin comes from it's elasticity. Salt dries out your skin e.g. it's bad. A nice balm will do you some good. Tuf foot is also recommended by a few people on this board.

http://youtu.be/otorSGl3sG0

I just watch this the other day. Donnie is legit. I think he C&J's something like 400lbs. That's serious stress on the skin.

Edited January 30, 2013 by Idiedintothe

[Mike Sharkey 1,247]

Tuf Foot Rocks - at least for a bender. Not sure how it translates to grip. But I condition my hands back and forth with Tuf Foot and Oil. Definitely helped my 'leatheriness'.

[GotAGrip 22]

Tuf Foot Rocks - at least for a bender. Not sure how it translates to grip. But I condition my hands back and forth with Tuf Foot and Oil. Definitely helped my 'leatheriness'.

I will take a look at that stuff, anything to toughen up my feminine-looking skin lol.

I normally scrape my hand back and forth on a rock, back and front - each day. It works, kinda.

[Jones1874 86]

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 January 30, 2013 by alexjones234

[Jones1874 86]

after reading up on surgical spirit. i think i might get that instead. it costs just over $6 vs Tuf Foot which is around $30. for anyone interested, heres the description of surgical spirit:

"Surgical Spirit acts to tighten, harden and disinfect the outer layer of the skin. It also contains castor oils to help prevent cracking and dryness. Surgical Spirit is a popular product known for it's skin sterilising properites that can help prevent bed sores & helps to harden the skin.

Surgical Spirit can help:

sterilise the skin
harden the skin
prevent bed sores
cure bed sores

Surgical Spirit is applied topically."

[Justin Matney 552]

I never understood using a product to toughen skin. skin toughens on its own as you use it.

I mean even if you have a desk job, using grippers or bending or whatever is going to get your skin to where it needs to be.

[Mephistopholes 238]

Yeah I'd just let them work-harden.

But that's just me.

And if you get ripped open calluses, just do what I used to do on the farm: put a bandage and neopsporin in it, then reinforce the bandage with electrical tape. Make a kind of "glove" with it.

[acorn 2,652]

If you get splits just rub some chalk in them and get back to work.

[GotAGrip 22]

Don't forget that the epidermis is designed to pull in certain things such as Vitamin D from the sun and also absorbing magnesium and other trace minerals from the sea etc. Unfortunately the design of the human body is disadvantageous when it comes to toxins and pollutants in the modern world. Do you want to be absorbing surgical spirit into your bloodstream so often? It is almost purely denatured ethanol.

Like others have said, just work your way up into tougher bends etc. If you bend tougher cards then your hands should follow suit... (like what I done there?)

[Mike Sharkey 1,247]

I've heard of Girevoy Sport athletes using ammonia to toughen their hands

[acorn 2,652]

When I was still bending my hands and skin got pretty tough. Especially the fingers. I got to the point where it was most functional from a leverage standpoint to have my index fingers off the wrapping and right on the steel. The skin there got very thick and tough over time. By the time I stopped bending I was doing 6"x5/16" FBBC Square on the corner right across skin without injury or much pain as well as cut down 5/16 G8s. By taking the time (i.e. years) to work up to this level I allowed not just my skin to get tougher but all the tissues. The skin, bones, tendons, ligaments. These things won't toughen up overnight and there is no quick fix. Only time and effort will succeed. By just attempting to toughen the skin without consideration for the other structures beneath it I think you are doomed to a nasty injury by a false sense of security. Take the time and do it right.

- Aaron

Edited January 30, 2013 by acorn

[Mephistopholes 238]

I've heard of Girevoy Sport athletes using ammonia to toughen their hands

Haha it'll put some calluses on your brain too.

[Isaiah 109]

If you get splits just rub some chalk in them and get back to work.

Ha!

[daniel reinard 758]

If you get splits just rub some chalk in them and get back to work.

Clay Edgin just told me a story about that the other day. Said one time he tried to bend an entire box of 60d nails in 5 hours for a church fundraiser. After 300+ nails and 3.5 hours the rub chalk into the open wounds stopped working. Something about his entire palm missing skin and having to go to the ER was the result.

For us mortals, just rub some chalk in it. Tuff foot helps with splits and cracks. I have such boney hands that I still get deep splits on the middle knuckle on a DO bend. They go deep due to thicker skin but they don't bleed anymore.

[GotAGrip 22]

Because of the cold weather, my finger tips are all cut to ribbons - I have huge gashes by the nails on my thumbs and it has stopped me from practicing my fingertip handstands... I am not a happy bunny when I can't train something. Last night I was reading a book (good ol' Terry Pratchett) and I felt a really sharp pain in my thumb - and I literally watched the cut increase in size and then blood poured out of it. It was like something from a horror movie, freaked the hell out of me. Tried vaseline, arnica and savlon so far but it just keeps getting worse.

Maybe this Tuff Foot is better?

[Mephistopholes 238]

Because of the cold weather, my finger tips are all cut to ribbons - I have huge gashes by the nails on my thumbs and it has stopped me from practicing my fingertip handstands... I am not a happy bunny when I can't train something. Last night I was reading a book (good ol' Terry Pratchett) and I felt a really sharp pain in my thumb - and I literally watched the cut increase in size and then blood poured out of it. It was like something from a horror movie, freaked the hell out of me. Tried vaseline, arnica and savlon so far but it just keeps getting worse.

Maybe this Tuff Foot is better?

This is gonna sound girly but.... Moisturize it.

[GotAGrip 22]

Because of the cold weather, my finger tips are all cut to ribbons - I have huge gashes by the nails on my thumbs and it has stopped me from practicing my fingertip handstands... I am not a happy bunny when I can't train something. Last night I was reading a book (good ol' Terry Pratchett) and I felt a really sharp pain in my thumb - and I literally watched the cut increase in size and then blood poured out of it. It was like something from a horror movie, freaked the hell out of me. Tried vaseline, arnica and savlon so far but it just keeps getting worse.

Maybe this Tuff Foot is better?

This is gonna sound girly but.... Moisturize it.

What would you recommend? I am pretty fussy about what I put on my skin LOL. I don't like most moisturisers because of the parabans and other crap. When you have M.E - you have the be a bit freaky when it comes to that kind of thing.

[acorn 2,652]

If you get splits just rub some chalk in them and get back to work.

Clay Edgin just told me a story about that the other day. Said one time he tried to bend an entire box of 60d nails in 5 hours for a church fundraiser. After 300+ nails and 3.5 hours the rub chalk into the open wounds stopped working. Something about his entire palm missing skin and having to go to the ER was the result.

For us mortals, just rub some chalk in it. Tuff foot helps with splits and cracks. I have such boney hands that I still get deep splits on the middle knuckle on a DO bend. They go deep due to thicker skin but they don't bleed anymore.

Nice! Yeah I can see how that would stop working. I went through KTA a few times and always had trouble with splitting until I figured out a few tricks. Here are a few tidbits of wisdom as a result: rubbing chalk in a split will help even more so if you add some superglue after doing so. Superglue by itself will not hold a skin split together for long when doing gripper negs, but adding a bit of chalk to it made it last longer. No idea why. Electrical tape on the handles or on your fingers where they are split is your friend. Even better for me was the narrow First Aid tape. Little bit of that covering a split will take the abuse of the knurling and high tension gripper while you heal. Rubbing some chalk into the knurling on the finger side handle so it doesn't have quite so much bite is also your friend when your skin is beat up.

As far as Bending goes, all of these apply too. I never had too much trouble with skin on my hands and fingers until I got to around the KOAB level. First time I tried a Big KOAB I split the skin on middle finger knuckles open in a big way on both hands from the shearing stress on the skin. The tears were at least a half inch long and on the sides of my knuckles. Was a new batch of the KOAB's which ended up being about 780# at 7" when we were used to the 665# at 7" stuff. Needless to say it didn't move alot on that bend. I sure bled alot as well on that one. Have to see if I still have the vid, I know I never uploaded it. From then on I often had trouble tearing in that area but as long as I wrapped that knuckle on the big bends with a bit of electrical tape I was good to go. Wasn't even the area I bent the bar over. The skin just bunched up funny there I guess.

So Daniel, it sounds like you get that same Middle finger middle knuckle tear I used to get. Wrap it with some electrical tape next time and let me know how it goes.

- Aaron

Edited January 31, 2013 by acorn

[Isaiah 109]

Wicked story Aaron.