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surfergirl
Jan 12, 2009, 7:46 PM
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i just started climbing and my hands are definitely getting stronger. am i going to end up with man hands? that won't stop me from climbing, but i'm curious.
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clausti
Jan 12, 2009, 8:22 PM
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define man hands?
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wonderwoman
Jan 12, 2009, 8:35 PM
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Anyone else remember that Seinfeld episode where Jerry has the man hands girlfriend? They show a very big callous hand picking something off his face. It's pretty funny!
I actually have to work with nail salon workers and I think they are horrified by my unmanicured rough hands.
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caliclimbergrl
Jan 12, 2009, 9:39 PM
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Well, my favorite style of climbing is crack climbing, so my hands are rough, calloused, scarred, and often scraped up! But they're very small, so no, I don't think I have "man hands." I don't know if they're getting stronger or not -- I still have trouble opening jars sometimes -- not sure if that's a strength thing or a hand size thing. But since my hands are pretty small and climbing won't make them get bigger, I don't think I have man hands.
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clee03m
Jan 12, 2009, 10:27 PM
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You will get calloused, scraped, rough hands with bleeding cuticles and randomly peeling skin along with muscular back, shoulders, and arms if you are like me.
Unless you strickly climb only pure friction.
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granite_grrl
Jan 13, 2009, 12:38 AM
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Heh, man hands. That was a great Seinfeld.
To the OP, it depends on what you consider "man hands". They will get rough, and become stronger more useful hands, but they won't get to the point where someone will accidentally confuse them with the hands of a man.
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clausti
Jan 13, 2009, 12:52 AM
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i dunno, i got called "sir" the other day when I was holding the door for someone. 
i have always had man-hands, in that my hands are, in spread, in the range of a 5'9 to 5'10 male. I'm 5'2 and a small-framed female. My fingernails are short and the cuticles are ragged. the skin is rough and often scabby. but most of that pre-dates climbing.
i'm sure if you prissily take care of your manos, that you can maintain some girliness, but most girl climbers that i know, don't.
(This post was edited by clausti on Jan 13, 2009, 12:53 AM)
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ladyscarlett
Jan 13, 2009, 2:00 AM
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To be honest, I have harder, rougher hands than almost every non-climbing guy I know, so that's a tough one. I have been told I have hands of a trucker though. I haven't met many truckers, so who knows.
I like to think of it as extremely durable hands. I think that lots of moisturizer and exfoliating might keep them delicate and soft, but you may lose some durability when hitting the rock.
I think it's not a bad idea to toughen them up. The tougher the skin gets, the more my hands can take - one day I may even be able to do crack without tape or hand jammies.
But if you're interested in keeping your hands soft without calluses or anything, I heard that shea butter and a good pumice stone in the bath can help take off any rough or hardened skin.
But for me, this rough tough hard hands really helps protect.
Good luck!
ls
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Sh0rty
Jan 13, 2009, 2:10 AM
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ladyscarlett wrote: But if you're interested in keeping your hands soft without calluses or anything, I heard that shea butter and a good pumice stone in the bath can help take off any rough or hardened skin.
-not directed to you-
If you're interested in keeping your hands soft and without calluses-don't climb?
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matterunomama
Jan 13, 2009, 2:55 AM
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surfergirl wrote: i just started climbing and my hands are definitely getting stronger. am i going to end up with man hands? that won't stop me from climbing, but i'm curious.
My knuckles have swollen and several of my last joints are permanantly bent, but I'm not sure if that is the climbing or old age or both.
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marebear
Jan 13, 2009, 4:11 PM
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Since I've been climbing more seriously, my fingers have definitely gotten bigger. My cuticles get really dried out from chalk and I usually have at least one bleeding hangnail. My nails are either broken, or very short, and I alternate between having scratchy calluses and skin peeling off the tips of my fingers. Sexy.
That said, my hands are a size medium in most women's gloves and I put foot cream on them at night after climbing to keep them soft. When I'm not climbing, my hands are either working on a keyboard or in snowboard gloves, so who cares anyway? It's fun to be able to crush a man's hand when you shake it.
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surfergirl
Jan 13, 2009, 6:13 PM
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foot cream sounds like a good idea.
i've always had short fingernails because i'm a pianist, but i don't want to get fat stubby fingers. i already have man-like shoulders and no boobs...and really ugly feet...and now my hands are going that way too...ugh, the price we pay
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lena_chita
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Jan 13, 2009, 6:14 PM
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My hands look pretty ugly, I think.
Since I started climbing, my fingers got somewhat thicker, and more "knuckle-y". for the lack of better word--not too much, but I had one or two rings that were just right, and now they don't fit easily. On the other hand, some rings I have were somewhat loose before, so they still fit.
And yes, big-time issue with no manicure, short nails, ragged cuticles, calluses and scabs. Scabs can't be helped, and calluses will stay b/c I need them, but manicure may be a good idea.
It isn't just the hands ,either. I seem to have developed prominent veins on my forearms, and sometimes they look kinda swollen and thick, which in combination with muscles that stand out pretty well (since I don't have much sub-cutaneous fat), it enhances the man-look.
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marebear
Jan 13, 2009, 6:36 PM
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One of my climbing goals always has been to have veiny arms. I have a few veins that pop out when I climb hard and I am quite fond of them... I guess maybe it would be different if my veins were popped out all the time.
And for all: Heel of Approval foot cream from Bath and Body Works does wonders on your hands. It's not greasy and nasty like most foot cream. For hang nails and softening calluses, I use Bag Balm.
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ladyscarlett
Jan 13, 2009, 7:25 PM
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marebear wrote: It's fun to be able to crush a man's hand when you shake it.
Ha! I do like that look on dude's faces when they give me the "light as a butterfuly" handshake, while I give a good, firm handshake.
I do get abrasions that scar my hands. All my nonclimbing buddies make jokes about all the "cigarette burns" on my hands. I tell them it's cause of all the crack I do... I know it's a bad pun, but I just can't help it sometimes...crack is addicting!
My climbing partners think my veins are fun to watch, and will even put me on hard problems just to see them bulge - of course they tell me after the fact. It was surprising when they really started developing. Fun!
ls
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clee03m
Jan 14, 2009, 1:21 AM
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lena_chita wrote: It isn't just the hands ,either. I seem to have developed prominent veins on my forearms, and sometimes they look kinda swollen and thick, which in combination with muscles that stand out pretty well (since I have no sub-cutaneous fat), it enhances the man-look.
I corrected that for ya! 
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shimmer
Jan 14, 2009, 1:59 AM
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My hands have definitely gotten stronger. They're calloused, they're rough, they're firm.
I generally have cracked fingertips or callouses peeling...usually some kind of bloodspot. Just a part of the sport.
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lhwang
Jan 14, 2009, 4:38 AM
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I have man hands. Not just that, I have old man hands.
The only recent photo I could find of my hands is from my wedding (got married at the base of Yam  . I have very prominent veins. The cuts/scrapes on my hands are barely healed in the photo. Plus my hands get leathery in the summer no matter how often I reapply sunscreen. Lots of calluses, but I wouldn't get rid of them because otherwise my hands hurt on sharp holds!
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carabiner96
Jan 14, 2009, 4:39 AM
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I have peeling, bloody cuticles, dried short nails, and fat wrinkly knuckles. Oh, and hair on my finger joints.
Yah, kinda manly, if they're not just small.
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clee03m
Jan 14, 2009, 7:53 AM
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re: veiny hands/arms:
To make myself feel better, I tell myself at least if I ever need resuscitation and time counted, even a blind 1st year nursing student with tremors would be able to start my IV.
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bizarrodrinker
Jan 14, 2009, 8:54 AM
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yes, you will have man hands.
You should be concerned because that's what we're looking at.
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clausti
Jan 14, 2009, 1:26 PM
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clee03m wrote: re: veiny hands/arms: To make myself feel better, I tell myself at least if I ever need resuscitation and time counted, even a blind 1st year nursing student with tremors would be able to start my IV.
hehe, true. i've never had anyone miss my veins. including when i had hives so bad none were visible, and i was pointing out the one on top of my forearm. "trust me, there's a vein there."
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surfergirl
Jan 14, 2009, 5:09 PM
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i'm not so concerned about how my hands will look (i was more just curious), but i would really like not to lose the sensitivity in my fingertips. i already have part of a finger that is slightly numb from climbing 1 month ago (so apparently it is permanent). and don't tell me "you shouldn't climb then!" i just want to get an idea of how bad it gets, that's all.
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granite_grrl
Jan 14, 2009, 5:19 PM
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surfergirl wrote: i'm not so concerned about how my hands will look (i was more just curious), but i would really like not to lose the sensitivity in my fingertips. i already have part of a finger that is slightly numb from climbing 1 month ago (so apparently it is permanent). and don't tell me "you shouldn't climb then!" i just want to get an idea of how bad it gets, that's all.
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clausti
Jan 14, 2009, 6:04 PM
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surfergirl wrote: i'm not so concerned about how my hands will look (i was more just curious), but i would really like not to lose the sensitivity in my fingertips. i already have part of a finger that is slightly numb from climbing 1 month ago (so apparently it is permanent). and don't tell me "you shouldn't climb then!" i just want to get an idea of how bad it gets, that's all.
um, you will lose some touch sensitivity with calluses, is that what you're asking about?
your fingers should not be "numb." that would seem to indicate something more serious.
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