Callused Hands – Understanding Why You Can Get it and How to Avoid Having Them

We all want to have smooth and soft hands all the time. We want it to be soft enough to hold our babies. Alternatively, we want it to be smooth enough for our partners to feel when they feel the gaps on it. How it touches other people is one of the most important functions it has that it is why we want our hands to be comforting at all times. However, because we use our hands everyday for various activities, you can easily loose such texture and even the moisture. Without proper hand care, the skin on your hands becomes toughened, commonly known as “callused hands”.

Many people get this condition because of the constant pressure and repetitive contact on the hand. This can also be a problem of the feet where most of the contact pressure occurs. How do you get them? Here are some of the instances that can lead to this problem:

o Weight lifting- Grasping of the dumbbells, lifts and machines handles causes great pressure on the palms.

o Writing- Too much writing and improper placement of the pen can cause callused areas of the digits or your fingers (depending where you let it rest to control the pen or pencil).

o Motorcycling or cyclists- people who ride this vehicle can get callus on the palm or the space in between the thumb and index finger without the use of leather motorcycle gloves.

o Constant contact with hot surfaces- repeated incidence of first-degree burns could also toughen the surface of the hands or the fingers.

o People who use crutches can easily get callus from the pressure they get from controlling the device.

How do you remove them? You cannot totally remove them all over night. However, you can slowly thin them if they get very annoying. They key here is not to cut them with anything or even slice them. However, you can file them gently to thin them. One of the best tips you can get, is to soak them first with baking soda and when they becomes soft, you can try to file them or use pumice. Rub them gently and not vigorously. After doing this, you can apply hand lotions or moisturizers to smoothen them. Some people have used a salicylic acid to thin down thick calluses. However, when you have wounds on your hands, have those wound heal first before putting any substance on it. You need to close the wound to avoid infection. Once it is healed, then you can start on treating the callus.

How do you avoid getting them? Some people do avoid getting them. The best way not have them is to avoid putting too much pressure on your hands. Meaning, you have to let it rest or put an interval before you next do your job. However, at times when you cannot avoid it, the key is to protect your hands. You may not feel comfortable using the different protective devices; however, they can surely help. The number one hand protector is the gloves. It can be rubber, wool, or even the leather motorcycle gloves. They can surely help.