During the training process, especially at the very beginning, many weightlifters experience severe discomfort after performing a kettlebell snatch (and not just a snatch). Quite often it manifests itself in the form of torn calluses, the appearance of which is unpleasant. And the painful sensations... I think you understand (especially if you tore it until blood oozes). The author of the article himself considered this problem to be very acute for a long time. In the article on drugs used in weightlifting, the effect of some drugs on accelerating the healing of damaged skin areas has already been mentioned. This was one side of the problem. But what exactly should you do with a wound that needs to be healed as quickly as possible? Perhaps you have already used different ointments, creams, sprays, but the effect itself (Expectation/Reality) did not lead to the desired results?
There is a method that not everyone has tried. It was again found empirically, by trial and analysis of the experience of athletes with longer experience.
So, you have received a torn callus, it hurts, possibly bleeds and threatens the prospects for a long healing (hence, training is also difficult), and an effective method has not yet been found. There is a method worth trying.
Treatment of calluses and corns. Modern methods of therapy
Treatment of calluses is not the biggest problem of modern medicine.
But calluses cause inconvenience, and they just look ugly. Therefore, their competent removal determines the comfort of human life. Depending on the tissue structure, calluses are divided into:
- dry – normal roughening of the skin, without a cavity;
- aqueous - rubbed skin forms a cavity in which there is a colorless, watery, odorless liquid;
- blood - the same cavity, only with blood content;
- calluses with a core are the same dry calluses in which, due to constant irritation, a compaction has formed in the thickness of the tissue (core) in the same place.
Corns are diagnosed separately. The difference between them and calluses is that:
- they are usually smaller in size;
- “built” from a compacted center, around which there is a circular (circular) inflamed area of skin;
- painful even with slight pressure.
Removing corns, like calluses, is not a complicated procedure.
Dropsy
Have you noticed that the formation on your palm looks like a callus? It could be dropsy, one of the most popular types of calluses. Most often, this type of callus occurs due to work in the garden, especially if you are new to this business and have not used protection.
What characterizes this type of education? In fact, it is very simple to deal with this issue, and everyone can determine this type of callus on their own. The main feature is the presence of liquid. By the way, many people believe that piercing such a callus is the best option, but in fact this is completely wrong. It's best if it goes away on its own. If you puncture the callus, it can lead to infection, and it will also be very painful. And, of course, such a wound will take longer to heal. If you do not want to face such consequences, then the best solution is to leave the dropsy alone. By the way, curing such a callus is quite easy. Below we will look at this issue in more detail and find out how to get rid of the problem in the shortest possible time.
Anatomical and physiological essence of calluses
To successfully treat calluses, you need to understand why they occur.
The skin is designed in such a way that it is not afraid of external irritants (chemical, mechanical, thermal). And thanks to the regular proliferation of cells, it is able to quickly regenerate (old cells are rejected, new ones appear in their place).
But with prolonged mechanical action, friction, pressure, excessive irritation, the skin becomes rough and calluses appear. Most often they are formed due to permanent friction on the hands and feet. Although calluses are often observed on the elbows, tongue, gums and even in such unusual places as the male penis, labia in women, nipples and areas of skin under the nails.
More information about what atypical places calluses can form and what this means for the patient can be found on the pages of our website https://www.dobrobut.com/. Also on the site you will find other useful information about calluses and corns.
"Salipod"
The Salipod patch from the pharmaceutical organization Veropharm is well known to Russian consumers. It can be found in every pharmacy. The cost depends on the number and volume of records. In any case, it is quite affordable and does not exceed 100 rubles. per set. It is comfortable and easy to use. "Salipod" cures calluses with the help of salicylic acid and sulfur compounds with which the product is impregnated. It must be glued directly to the calloused area, having previously steamed and wiped the injured part of the body dry. Validity period: up to 2 days. If you are sensitive to the components of the substance or do not comply with the healing period, an allergic reaction or chemical burn may occur.
Treatment of calluses, basic methods
You can get rid of roughening (callus) of the skin in different ways. Treatment for calluses depends on their type and severity. In the arsenal of doctors are:
- therapy with medications that “dissolve” skin roughness;
- anti-callus patches;
- surgical removal (excision);
- The most modern method is laser removal of calluses.
Removing calluses using surgical instruments is performed not only by surgeons, but also by podiatrists - specialized specialists who deal exclusively with the feet.
Types of calluses
Calluses that appear on the palms, fingers, and interdigital areas come in several types.
Each type of callus is treated differently. Some skin thickenings go away on their own, while others require drug therapy and even surgical intervention.
Doctors distinguish the following types of callous growths on the hands.
Dropsy
Also called wet callus or callus. The formation is characterized by a subcutaneous accumulation of clear fluid.
The liquid contents of the bubble protect the damaged skin and help it heal faster. Dropsy tends to resolve on its own. Doctors do not recommend opening the callus.
Dry
We are talking about a limited dead (keratinized) area of skin that appears due to prolonged rubbing, which does not differ in intensity.
Dry formation – protects the skin from further damage and injury. It is more difficult to treat and heal than dropsy.
Rod
This type of callus is characterized by the presence of a root that extends into the deep epidermal layers. The core formation is removed along with the root .
Bloody
Blood may be present in the lymphatic fluid that fills the callus. This is observed when blood vessels are located close to the surface of the skin.
Doctors call a formation with bloody contents a bloody callus.
Treatment of dry calluses on toes and hands
If such calluses have appeared recently, they do not need to be excised. There is every chance that such calluses can be removed by using gels and creams with keratolytic properties - that is, those that prevent changes in skin cells, which causes its roughening.
Some of the most effective ingredients of these ointments and gels are:
- salicylic acid;
- benzoic acid.
Treatment of dry calluses on the toes (feet) and hands (palm of the hands) may take longer than in other locations. The reason is that the skin here becomes calloused more intensely and to a greater depth. To be more effective, the removal of dry calluses on the feet and hands should be preceded by softening them (achieved by simple immersion in liquid).
Prevention
To reduce the likelihood of calluses on your hands, you should:
- Try to avoid strong rubbing of the skin of your hands. To do this, when performing heavy physical work, protect your hands with soft cotton gloves. Classes on the horizontal bar are carried out using special leather mitts for athletes.
- After work, thoroughly clean your hands and lubricate them with moisturizing creams.
- Before dirty and hard physical work, lubricate your hands with a protective agent, which will create a thin film on the surface that prevents dirt from penetrating into the pores.
- Regularly make hand baths with sea salt and medicinal herbs.
- When playing sports on horizontal bars, use magnesium. The powder reduces sweating in the palms.
Calluses on the hands are common. It is often encountered by people engaged in heavy physical labor. Office employees are also susceptible to the appearance of formations on their hands. Calluses cannot be ignored. There are many ways to get rid of them. Pharmacy drugs and folk remedies are more often used.
Treatment of dry calluses with a rod
In this case, the surgical method is more effective, since it is technically impossible to lubricate the roughened core deep in the tissue with keratolytic ointments or gels in order to soften it.
Treatment of dry calluses with a core is a small surgical operation in compliance with the principles of asepsis, that is, with the treatment of the surgical field and the doctor’s gloves with antiseptics. Local anesthesia is mandatory, especially if the callus is old and it is assumed that the rod is deeply embedded.
Callus removal proceeds as follows:
- First, the callus itself is excised;
- Next, a neat incision is made in depth;
- Through it, the clamp grasps the rod and removes it.
It is easier to remove a callus on a toe with a rod than on the heel, because the length of the rod will not be long and the cut will not be deep.
Kinds
Callus formation is the body’s protective reaction to skin injury. The growth in its development goes through three stages that determine its varieties:
- With strong mechanical friction or pressure on the palm, part of the skin peels off. The space between the tissues is filled with lymph. If a blood vessel is damaged, blood is mixed with the lymph. A characteristic bubble appears - a water callus.
- If the traumatic effect continues, the blister will burst, the area of the epidermis will become keratinized and become hard. The water callus will turn into a dry callus. There are cases when such keratinization occurs without the first stage. If the friction of the palm is prolonged, but not so strong that the skin peels off, the hardening process occurs slowly, without the formation of blisters .
- Calluses are most common on the soles of the feet, but can sometimes occur on the palms of the hands. A dry callus is transformed if the load on the skin is so strong and prolonged that the keratinized area begins to grow into the subcutaneous tissue. In addition, it can be caused by a dermatotropic virus, fungus, or an unremoved splinter. This type of callus is usually quite painful, since the hardening can affect the nerve endings, and it is more difficult to treat than others.
Compeed
We give first place in the category of anti-callus plasters to the Compeed product from the Danish concern Johnson & Johnson. The patches of this brand demonstrate excellent therapeutic results at each stage of callus formation, and can be used for any type of formation. A range of Compeed patches are available, specialized for a specific skin type and site of injury, as well as multi-purpose ones. They all differ in size and configuration.
The products are made of hypoallergenic material that thoroughly adheres to the skin. The patches are almost invisible, instantly reduce pain and protect the body from microorganisms. Belong to medical products.
Interdigital calluses
Sometimes calluses appear in the spaces between the toes on the feet, less often on the hands.
They cause a feeling of great discomfort.
People around them practically do not see them, but they are very painful.
Interdigital calluses are wet calluses.
The interdigital spaces (thumb and second finger, as well as the ring and little fingers) are favorite places for calluses to localize.
Interdigital calluses are common at any age, for both men and women.
Essentially, callus is an adaptive response of the epidermis to prolonged friction or compression.
In which layers of keratinized epidermis are actively built up at the site of mechanical action.
The causes of calluses between the toes are:
- uncomfortable and tight shoes;
- high heels;
- presence - flat feet;
- finger deformities;
- overweight;
- joint diseases (arthrosis, arthritis or gout);
- swelling of the legs.
Suppuration of calluses
If calluses are treated untimely and incorrectly, they can become inflamed and fester.
In fact, the appearance of purulent exudate also indicates that the immune system is working fully and is trying to cope with various infections that appear in the outbreak .
Pus threatens to enter the bloodstream, which can result in sepsis, blockage of blood vessels or embolism.
Chamomile baths and hydrogen peroxide are the first means to treat festering calluses, after which you need to consult a doctor or a medical facility.
To prevent the infection from spreading, it is necessary to treat the callus with gel or ointment with an antiseptic.
Then secure this product with a sterile bandage.
Treatment is carried out by applying the drug to the area of the leg affected by the pathological process.
Then it is all covered with a sterile bandage.
And this procedure should be done at least twice during the day, and preferably three.
Purulent forms must be washed with solutions of potassium permanganate, furatsilin or three percent hydrogen peroxide.
With advanced purulent calluses, seeking help from qualified specialists is simply a must.
To remove pus from a callus, it must be drained.
Based on individual characteristics and the degree of complexity of the purulent process, the specialist prescribes therapeutic measures.
