hand condition

[<3!]

Hi, I have been accepted into massage school, and will be starting classes soon. This is certainly an exciting leap for me, as it's been a long road getting here. However, in this long journey I have acquired what I think is a bit of a "rough" hand. Rough in the sense that I have some callous and not the softest of palms. I think they are smooth, but really some thickness to my skin near the upper part of my palm. Great for sweeping or raking leaves, but not so much for future clients!

Are there maybe some insider tricks, methods, lotions etc. that could help me start softening up these areas?

Thanks for any advice, and I look forward to becoming more familiar with this board!

 

[miaugh]

Don't worry about it! Your skin doesn't have to be baby soft for the massage to be good - the normal wear and tear of life won't harm your ability to give a good massage.

 

[cpttango30]

My hands are not the best either. Before I go to sleep, I soak them in warm/hot water, apply lotion, and put on disposable gloves. It seems to have helped a little. A dermatologist may have better suggestions.

Also if you do work outside remember to put on gloves so you don't start developing new callouses.

Good luck!

 

[dayquil_1]

And don't forget, once you start working, your going to have some sort of lubricant on them constantly, that will help them soften up, too.

Just a side note- my grandma used to rub my back and her hands were always calloused from working outdoors. The rub still felt heavenly

 

[Vani Priya]

Perhaps get a manicure? Some exfoliation with a sugar scrub or perhaps a paraffin dip? Time and lots of lotion!

 

[Tdog]

Thanks so much for the reassurance and feedback everyone! I think I'll start a "lotion habit" or something, haha. I need to find some lotion that doesn't leave a residue on my hands because then I just have to go and wash it off! But maybe I should go for the manicure and scrubs too, I can handle that prescription!

I am glad to hear that you think I'll be ok, even with my hands as they are though. That is a relief to hear.

Meg, it's great to hear about your grandmother's heavenly massages!

 

[Sarah K]

Thanks so much for the reassurance and feedback everyone! I think I'll start a "lotion habit" or something, haha. I need to find some lotion that doesn't leave a residue on my hands because then I just have to go and wash it off! But maybe I should go for the manicure and scrubs too, I can handle that prescription!

I am glad to hear that you think I'll be ok, even with my hands as they are though. That is a relief to hear.

Meg, it's great to hear about your grandmother's heavenly massages!

 

[p0p0]

I would recommend giving a full body salt or sugar scrub to someone else. This will benefit you both! They will get a full body scrub, and you will get 30 minutes or more of scrubbing just your hands/palms. After I give a scrub like that, my hands are smooth as a baby's butt.

Since you are student, maybe you can get a teacher to show you how to do it, or a trained therapist. Scrubs are pretty easy, but there are a few tricks. And of course, can be very messy.

Also I have heard castor oil to be really good at softening calluses, though I haven't tried it myself. It's pretty gooey though. So maybe you could just put it on as a treatment, leave it on for a bit, then wash off. Or get those "moisturizing gloves" and put them over the castor oil and wear at night.

But yes, as others have said, rough hands are not a problem. Some of the best massages I've had have been from big, rough, hands.

 

[MykellG]

Oh Shiva, that's a great idea!

I actually don't start classes for a few weeks, but maybe I could seek out another therapist for experience. I've never had a salt/sugar scrub myself...It sounds nice though, although a little grainy?

I bet 30 minutes of working in it would do wonders for my hands...and it would be fun to learn it to do for someone else too. And I do have my table already.

About the Castor Oil, that's so funny because I have some in my medicine cabinet from years ago when I was overdue with my child and it was suggested to me that it could indue labor : I had her a week late, and I never did try it. Ok, but now I'm getting off topic, sorry! It's been almost a decade, does that stuff go bad!!

Many thanks!

 

[Uki]

Oh Shiva, that's a great idea!

I actually don't start classes for a few weeks, but maybe I could seek out another therapist for experience. I've never had a salt/sugar scrub myself...It sounds nice though, although a little grainy?

I bet 30 minutes of working in it would do wonders for my hands...and it would be fun to learn it to do for someone else too. And I do have my table already.

About the Castor Oil, that's so funny because I have some in my medicine cabinet from years ago when I was overdue with my child and it was suggested to me that it could indue labor : I had her a week late, and I never did try it. Ok, but now I'm getting off topic, sorry! It's been almost a decade, does that stuff go bad!!

I'm really feeling armed with all kinds of possibilities now!

Many thanks!