RRC Archives

thanks for the advice. i couldn't find the benzoin stuff but have been expirimenting with other stuff.

i put a thin coating of super glue over my trashed tip of one of my hands and went bouldering. at the beginning of the day there was considerable loss of friction but once the stuff cracked i didn't even notice it. my superglued hand was in way better shape at the end of the day.

i also picked up some cortisone and have been using that on one hand as well. it has healed about twice as fast as the hand that hasn't been getting it. but the callouses are not hard on that hand. i am curious to see how it holds up. if they are just as strong then this stuff rocks.

i am going to continue with my research but i think a combo of superglue and cortisone will keep me climbing until i have to write a post about tendons being worn out.

This month's Wired (with Linus on the cover) has a blurb on pg 34 about superglue suture products. The thing that looks most interesting is Colgate Orabase Soothe-N-Seal. It's superglue in gel form plus a painkiller and an anti-inflamitory. "Intended to treat canker sores" Yummy. The anti-inflamitory may not exactly help with long term healing (if it's reducing blood flow to the area), but it could be a bit better than just straight superglue.

It's made by the same company that makes Dermabond, which is the surgical suture version of the stuff. For what it's worth, the active ingredient is called "octyl-2-cyanoacrylate".

Cyanacrolate reacts with moisture to form a bond,this I know from woodworking.

I thought I'd resurrect an old thread since I'm having trouble keeping skin on my fingertips.

Question about the superglue trick - does that work if you glue before you lose them or can it also work after? I can imagine that putting anything on raw tips would inflict some great pain.

Has anyone come up with ideas since this was posted ~two years ago?

I just boulder/climb til my finger tip is bleeding pretty good (chalk doesn't stop the bleeding anymore). Then a drop of super glue on that tip and tape over it. The super glue helps hold stuff together, and even more important, keeps the tape from slipping.

Gummi bears and Aleve are also helpful.

Oh, and I tape using a thin strip placed long ways from the top crease on that finger to the tip, then wrap the tape around the whole finger, otherwise it will slip off.

Make sure you let the glue dry before getting on route, or it'll be a short climb.....

I forgot the gummi bear advice (for those confused, the gelatin helps regenerate skin). I think I'll use all the idea and I'll definitely tape this weekend, which sucks.

When I notice my tips getting perilously close to burning through, I start taping 1 or 2 fingers per hand....when the tape falls off, I rotate fingers. Dorky, but it works for me.

But, that's just mental....It's the gummi bears that really help. But don't skimp and go cheap...some of the cheap ones don't have gelatin in them.

Ewww...skincare thread. You guys know how much I love this.

I thought y'all were bullshittin w/ the gummi bear stuff but that really *does* help? That's crazyness.

I've used that hoofbuilder stuff for about 8 months & I think it's helped. My skin holds up a lot better now. Like...flexible callouses. But of course the tips do burn through still. I'll have to try this super glue trick.