Everyone, I need your help. I am an optional gymnast and cannot get my hands to stop ripping. My coach is totally out of ideas and I'm getting rather frustrated. I've pretty much learned just to ignore the pain, but this is getting ridiculous. My hands were dripping blood, no exageration, the last 7 practices. (last week and mon. and tues of this week.) We have tried iodine soaking, salt, lotion, no lotion, taping, filing, cutting, taking time to let them heal, etc, and NOTHING has worked. I can't remember a day that i've been on bars without my hands litteraly ripping apart. Now that they have just ripped, there is a deep crack in one that just keeps splitting longer and larger, and I am prob not going to do anying swinging on bars today to let it heal. No one has any ideas left. I have read past forums, looked all over the internet, magazines, my coach has even called other coaches in the state. HELP! I have a meet next weekend and it would be really nice to compete without bloody hands... Thank you so much!