Finger care, flappers and splitters

What is a flap? It's when the skin is torn off so that it sits as a larger flap of skin and dangles. Flaps are not dangerous, but they can sting and look a bit nasty. Flaps typically happen inside the hand when you have accumulated calluses under the joints of your fingers. If you grab a climbing hold and you slip a little, you risk pulling the skin off as the hard skin can act like a hook. Whether you're just starting to climb or you're an experienced climber, it's important to have a good routine to care for your fingers.

If you want to avoid flappers, it's a good idea to file down the calluses a little before you start your climbing session. The more you climb, the more calluses you build up on your fingers. Calluses on the fingertips are great, but calluses under the finger joints can cause those annoying but harmless flaps. If you get a flap in the middle of your climbing session, you can tape it over with sports tape so you don't have to leave early.

What is a splitter? When you get enough calluses, the skin can crack at joints and bends and create so-called 'splitters'. These often occur in cold weather as the skin dries out and becomes hard and inelastic. Splitters can be avoided by using a rich hand cream after climbing, e.g. just before going to bed. It can also be a good idea to file off excess calluses at the joints before a climbing session.

Next time you climb, try to avoid moving your hands unnecessarily on the holds to save skin and reduce the chance of skin breakdown.

Read our guide to taking good care of your hands here

Happy climbing :)