How to Take Care of Your Hands As a Rower

Rowing is a great sport, but it puts a lot of stress on your hands. Blisters, calluses, and peeling skin are all too common, and gloves are a no-no. So what do you do?

Steps

1
Avoid moisturizer. While moisturizer will do a fantastic job of getting rid of your calluses and softening your hands (after all, that's what it's meant to do), that's exactly what you don't want. When your calluses disappear, all that happens is you need to get them back the next time you grab an oar. Calluses are protective. Let them stay.
- Moisturizing soaps are usually best avoided, too.
2
Wash your hands after rowing or using a rowing machine. All that backsplash-canal-water hitting your hands doesn't just make the oar slippery, it has all sorts of bacteria in it. And who knows if the handle of the rowing machine was wiped down after the last person used it?
- You can also wipe down the rowing machine before you use it to help prevent against bacteria getting in open blisters and rubbed off skin.
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3
Cut off flaps of skin. If there is a flap of skin on your hand that won't stay flat to your hand, or has an open side wide enough to let sand underneath, cut it off. A small makeup scissors, nail clipper, or safety scissors will do the trick. If you leave it, bits of dirt and grit will end up underneath it.
- You may need to put on a small adhesive bandage for a short amount of time while the skin is still raw, but only do this while rowing as needed. When not rowing, allow the raw skin to dry so that soon it will begin to heal up and not hurt. The side of your thumb where you feather is especially susceptible to these types of wounds.
Anywhere you have a lack of skin on your hands you should apply antibiotic ointment twice a day.
While some people swear by athletic tape, others don't like to use it, and others find it more trouble than it's worth. Whatever you feel, band-aids will need to be covered with it. They won't stay on while you're rowing without it. Putting some pre-wrap on before you put the tape on can make it more bearable to wear, and you won't get leftover stickiness on your hands once you remove the athletic tape.
If you remove your calluses with your fingernails, you'll just have to build them back later. As much as you may feel tempted, avoid it. If skin is protected, don't open it up!!
7
Always hold the oar properly. While it may be tempting to adjust your grip (by doing something like moving your thumbs to the top of the handle, instead of the bottom where they belong) to avoid putting pressure on certain areas, you'll likely even end up with more painful spots. At the very least you'll have more bad habits and less efficient practice time. Focus on improving your rowing, and let the calluses improve themselves!
- If you aren't sure how you should be doing this, ask your coach.
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Tips

Band-aids should be changed after becoming wet. Change them after washing your hands, showering, getting splashed excessively, or even if they get too sweaty.
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Always allow raw spots to breathe in between practices. Don't cover them up all the time!
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Do not allow bad rowing habits to form. Never adjust your grip to compensate for the pain. Wrap your hands with bandaids, then pre-wrap, then athletic tape!
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