Avoiding hard skin (calluses) on hands

Melanie Ramos 3 min. of reading Personal Care Leave a comment

Hand calluses are something that comes directly linked to weight training, so here we give you some tips to keep them at bay

Training with weights is the best way to change and improve our look because strength training makes muscle mass grow, but sometimes lifting weights can take a toll on our hands.

What are calluses and hard skin on hands?

Calluses and hard skin are thickened areas the skin produces as protection, appearing right where the hands are constantly exposed to rubbing or friction with weights or machines.

If the body didn’t form these hard spots, made up of dead skin cells, the skin would rub raw and wounds would constantly appear.

But it’s not a must that calluses show up, since there are ways to improve the skin’s look on your hands and prevent them from appearing

Protect the area exposed to friction

Protecting your hands is the first step, and it’s essential to especially shield the parts exposed to rubbing

To avoid this, it’s important to use training gloves.

It’s true that many people can’t or aren’t used to wearing gloves for weight training, so they might choose to use hand protectors that fit on the pads or palm grips, or alternatively sponges that help reduce friction and keep those unwanted calluses away

Moisturize the affected area

Keeping the area where constant rubbing happens perfectly moisturized is key if you want to avoid having palms full of hard skin

Properly hydrated skin will slide better, and combined with protection, it’ll help prevent friction on that spot much more effectively.

Plus, good hydration with hand creams containing active ingredients like Aloe Vera will speed up skin regeneration, giving you softer hands

Remove dead skin cells

Getting rid of dead skin is super important, since its buildup over time causes those calluses on our palms that really bother us

Also, accumulated dead skin acts as a barrier, blocking proper hydration and making that area thicker, harder, and drier.

That’s why it’s important to remove them using a peeling or scrapers like a pumice stone

How to remove dead skin?

Soak your hands in a bowl of warm water for a while to soften the skin.
Then use a pumice stone to remove the dead skin, leaving the deeper layer smooth and soft.
Do this every day until the dead skin layer is gone.
This will make it easier to moisturize your palms better, helping prevent calluses from coming back in the future.