Need help with your grip? Sweaty hands can be a big set back in your pole dance training, and yet about a third of our Chester students have this problem! Learn the tricks of the trade, and read up about the various grip aid products to find the best solution for you.
And up pops another UK Pole grip producer!
In response to the ‘Brexit Effect’ on imported pole products these past two years, we have seen several British companies roll up their sleeves and start to PRODUCE. And this is great, coz nobody stands up with intent and says ‘Riiiiiight….’ quite like the British when faced with a challenge.
If you know anything about grip products for pole, you’ll have heard of Dry Hands before!
If you’ve been keeping up to date, you’ll have also have heard ‘Brexit’ and ‘Dry Hands drought’ …. NOOO!
But have you heard of XDry yet? And ultimately…
Is It Any Good?
As you know by now, dry skin won’t grip the pole, and freshly moisturised skin makes for a slippery death trap. Moisturising on the day of pole is tricky! and until recently only two products across the country have been widely tested by pole dancers and found to be agreeable – Vaseline Essential Moisture and The Body Shop’s Body Sorbet.
Continue reading “Product Review: The Body Shop’s Body Yoghurt”
In most cases, if you get slippery, sweaty hands when you pole, it’s something that gets better with time, especially when you have mastered the moves that at first made you panic and sweat.
That said, if you’re trying to learn a tricky move or you need to be on top form for a performance in a hot room, just wiping your hands down and keeping the pole clean might not be enough.
We have covered tips on how to prevent slips on the pole (you can see them HERE), but sometimes, you just need to CHEAT! And reach for a grip aid! But which is best? Different ones do different jobs, and all are useful in different ways so it’s best to try and sample each if you can to find out what works best for you. Below is a quick guide of products you can try and how they work.
Becoming more popular amongst pole dancers, leather gloves with their fingers cut off give you added grip.
Many Candy & Chrome students are choosing this as the best grip aid for them, although we try to encourage that they should be used only as a learning aid, so the student does not become dependant on using gloves all of the time as gloves are not ideal for spins.
We have a pair of the Mighty Grip Gloves for you to try out in class, which are the PVC tacky ones – these are great for climbs and holds but not so good for spins as they tend to rip. If you want to be able to spin as well, then we recommend the Mighty Grip leather gloves.
Chalk is used by climbers to help them stick to rock faces, but it’s also great for helping you stick to your pole. Climbing shops sell chalk in blocks, as balls and as a liquid.
Liquid chalk is the best for pole dancing as you won’t have any problems with dust. Just rub a little on your hands (or thighs) and allow it to dry before jumping back on your pole! Be careful not to use too much liquid chalk, or you’ll end up with unsightly white patches on your skin. You can just buy any brand off ebay, but the ones we recommend are specifically designed for pole dance. You can find out more about what brands are available and how we rate them HERE.
Traditionally these are designed for tennis players and golf players to help them grip the handles of their equipment. Of all the available brands, these have been tested the most by pole dancers and have been rated highly all round.
There are now of course some pole sport specific products available too, and you can learn more about them HERE.
Not exactly a ‘grip aid’ as such, more of a ‘sweat block’! An antiperspirant does not give you extra grip, although if you suffer from mega sweaty hands, this product will enhance your grip by keeping the sweat at bay!
If you suffer from Hyperhidrosis, and live in the UK, you may be able to get a medical strength product on prescription from your GP that could help, however there are regular products available, and you can find out more about them HERE.
There are some products available now that are specifically for the body and NOT hands. This is great because most people tend to have clammy or sweaty hands that need a drying agent like all of the ones above, or something to help them stick. But what if your skin is TOO DRY. The cardinal sin of pole is to moisturise, but of course if you are dry on the legs or arms, you’ll loose precious grip!
There are a few products specifically designed for pole, I haven’t tried them all yet, but the one we like is:
Dew Point Pole naturally moisturises your skin while increasing your grip on the pole. With this revolutionary new moisturiser you no longer have to choose between dry skin OR the pole… you can have it all! However it does feel a little weird on your skin at first. Dew point is So light you won’t know it’s there, but you’ll definitely know when it’s not!
* Oil free
* Not Tacky, Greasy or Chalky
* Moisturizes without being slippery
* A grip agent that is actually good for your skin
* Available in Light, Medium and Ultra
* Perfect for pole dancing, silks, aerial hoop and more!
For super sweaty hands & hyperhidrosis, we recommend first washing your hands and drying them thoroughly (sounds a bit obvious but easy to forget!), then maybe trying one of these products …
**Available in class to try**
Designed to be used with or without your existing choice of pole dance grips, Dirty Girl Poletice is applied before your workout.
Just apply a pea sized amount and allow it to air dry for 30 seconds.
Does give a slightly tacky feel at first but primarily works to keep your hands and body from sweating.
Prevents perspiration for up to 8 hours
Developed to work gently on skin that was sensitive to chemicals and fragrances
Use anywhere you have sweat issues, avoiding mucous membranes and broken skin.
Made in the USA from Organic and Natural ingredients, Poletice Pink No Rinse is a safe alternative to chemical antiperspirants for hands or bodies.
Washes off easily.
**Available in class to try**
Developed by scientists, Carpe is a specialist product that is sold by most reputable pole stores.
We’ve tried it in class and most people like it.
It’s got a really strong wiff to it but it smells refreshingly botanical.
Rather than applying liquid chalk to your palms or trying to make them more grippy with resin, Carpe stops sweating at the source — sweat glands.
The crystallized active ingredient of Carpe serves as a sweatgland-level barrier to the sweat, thereby preventing it from reaching the surface.
The Carpe formula uses smooth emollient ingredients to provide a comfortable
delivery and spread to your palms. As you rub a pea sized amount of the lotion in, natural eucalyptus oil gently dries the surface of your skin. Then, aluminum sesquichlorohydate sinks into your sweat glands, where it drastically reduces their activity.
Carpe really is highly effective and completely irritation free.
**Available in class to try**
Tite Grip is a topical hand cream which was formulated to stop your hands from perspiring, it is non-sticky and works between 4 – 6 hours. For optimal use, apply 30-60 minutes prior to activity, or if your hands are very persistent, use a pea sized amount an hour before pole dance exercise, and then again about half an hour beforehand. For extra grip, you can later layer up with your favorite grip product. Tite grip dries clear and will not stain your clothes.
**Coming Soon**
Luckily for me I live in mighty Wales – so I might be able to get this for free on prescription to try.
Radio-isotope tests have shown that the active ingredients of Odaban do not stop the sweat glands from working. The drying effect of Odaban is produced by poral “plugs,” formed from a combination of aluminium and skin proteins.
The insolubility of the aluminium / protein complex formed is such that there is absolutely no absorption of aluminium through the skin into the blood stream. Odaban is therefore completely safe to use on a long-term basis and even during pregnancy.
Chalk is used by climbers to help them stick to rock faces, but it’s also great for helping you stick to your pole. Climbing shops sell chalk in blocks, as balls and as a liquid.
Liquid chalk is the best for pole dancing as you won’t have any problems with dust. Just rub a little on your hands (or thighs) and allow it to dry before jumping back on your pole! Be careful not to use too much liquid chalk, or you’ll end up with unsightly white patches on your skin. You can just buy any brand off ebay, but the ones we recommend are specifically designed for pole dance.
*Recommended product & stocked in our SHOP*
Girlie Grip is the newest Pole Grip Solution to hit the industry in years.
A few drops are all you need for a firm, confident, long lasting non-slip grip.
You can stick a trick and still spin easily without re-applying.
Apply it to the pole or your body, wherever a firmer, stronger grip is needed.
Girlie Grip has a light fresh scent.
It’s non-drying, leaves no residue, and washes off with soap and water.
Girlie Grip is for Pole Dance, Pole Fitness and Pole Sport.
It can also be used for many sports where a firm, strong, confident non-slip grip is needed, including Golf, Gymnastics, Weight Lighting, Rock Climbing, Bowling and Rowing.
Liquid Chalk is great for pole dancing as you do not have any problems with dust. Just rub a little on your hands (or thighs) allow a few seconds for it to dry before jumping back on your pole! It’s as simple as that.
Although, we find that this product leaves a very obvious, thick, chalky residue on hands, pole and clothes after a couple of applications.
It looks like chalk dust but is actually a thermoplastic. Rub a little on your hands to block sweat. You don’t need to use much, and one application should last a lot longer than chalk. It works very well on a hot, humid summer day AND on cold, dry days. You can use it on your legs or arms too if you like, however it does leave a bit of residue on the pole and clothing, so bear that in mind.
Manufactured by Platinum Stages who also make dance poles, this is a very similar product to the Mighty Grip one above.
In class tests, we found that it does the same job, only it is less drying – so it’s better suited for colder days. Dry hands are good for the pole, but too dry can leave you with no grip at all, we found this product to be a little more forgiving.
When we exercise our body temperature rises, causing sweat to form on our hands reducing grip. Reduced grip on equipment can be dangerous. Stickum powder is activated by the warmth of your hands causing it to become tacky to improve your grip. The Stickum powder absorbs moisture from your hands, and in addition the adhesives gives you grip. increasing grip. Requiring only one application each time.
If the grip starts to deteriorate, just rinse hands with water to restore stickiness. To remove Mueller Stickum Grip Powder we recommend using Mueller Tape & Tuffner Remover.
Mueller Stickum powder helps keep hands dry and improve grip. Great for any activity that requires improved grip. Stickum Powder can also improve sports equipment handles, just dust handles for instant effect. Warmth of hand activates tackiness. Stickum Grip Powder is endorsed by the pros and athletes at all levels.
Sports grip aids are traditionally designed for tennis players and golf players to help them grip the handles of their equipment of course – but there are some products in this market that have been an absolute godsend for pole dancers!
Of all the available brands, these have been tested the most by pole dancers and have been rated highly all round.
There are now of course some pole sport specific products available too, most of which using either beeswax or sugars as the main ‘magic’ ingredient, they are often found to be organic, all natural, great smelling, no residue products designed for pole dance. Continue reading “Pole Products: More Grip Aids”
You think it’s the pole that’s not ‘grippy’ enough all of a sudden? Think again. There’s a whole bunch of reasons this could be happening as it happens….
A little known fact is that the lovely and very thorough folk at X-Pole coat all their NEW X-Poles in a factory slathering of magical goo – to protect your precious pole whilst in processing and transit.
So if you shiny new pole at home feels slippery and different to the poles in class – worry not! It’s simply a matter of wearing it off so – GERRUP YER POLE!
The usual culprit however is: Mingin pole syndrome.
Your pole may have ‘residue’s’ on it. This could be sweaty deposits from your hands, body lotions, dead skin (iew!), grip aid build up, or even hair product!
For a general clean, use an fragrance free, un-lotioned baby wipe (the cheaper the better usually!), followed by a drying cloth – we like the microfibre cloths for this. Do this regularly throughout your training session.
If you still don’t think that’s done it, or it somehow feels ‘greasy’, dab some neat CHEAP GIN (don’t waste the expensive stuff!) onto a cloth, wipe it onto the pole, and then follow with a drying cloth. Try to only do this if it NEEDS to be done. Window cleaner also works.
If you get the chance, visit your local pole school and talk to an instructor about the different types of pole finishes available. It may be that you get on better with a different metal. At Candy & Chrome, we try to get a few different materials and widths in for you to try, but generally what’s available are chrome, titanium gold, brass and stainless steel. Widths have an effect on your grip too – if you have little hands for example, gripping a standard 50mm width pole might be uncomfortable and you might get a much stronger, more confident grip on the 45mm.
Because we live in the UK, and the weather is temperamental and generally always … rubbish, our poles can suffer from exposure to the atmosphere and this can really affect your polling!
We seem to get a case of ‘too damn cold’ in the winter months, and then ‘too damn hot’ in the summer months!
When the weather is cold, and your pole gets cold, it can collect condensation, or it can just be a slippery surface to work with when it’s too cool.
WIf it’s really cold, it may not be possible to warm up the pole enough to make it nice and sticky to work with, so always keep your preferred grip aid to hand. But it’s generally a good idea to get the room nice and warm. Grab hold of your pole and with a tight hand grip, run around it like a lunatic, still gripping and twisting as you go. Perform basic spins a few times in a row, use this as an opportunity to train your left/weaker side whilst you’re at it! Don’t make climbs and leg grips the first thing you attempt on a cold pole in cold conditions!
Although none of this will be useful unless you have warmed your body up and kept it warm too!
ROccasionally (rarely in the UK), you might suffer from slippery pole from being too damn hot! When you are overheated, of course you tend to sweat more all over and this can be a nightmare for pole. Take regular, short breaks, open the windows, switch on a fan and try to REDUCE your temperature to something more comfortable, but without cooling down of course as this may encourage injuries and soreness. And of course, keep a grip aid to hand.
Maybe you’re just a bit of a sweaty Betty? That’s ok – happens to the best of us! Some people can suffer from terrible nerves about trying a new move or just being near the pole can cause the palms to go clammy. Which is a total bummer.
WASH YOUR HANDS: Sounds so basic but it’s true. Clean and dry your hands as often as you can before and during your session.
USE SPECIALIST ANTIPERSPIRANT : There are products we can use which aren’t actually a grip aid, but acts as an antiperspirant which you apply around half an hour BEFORE polling. You can then double up with your favourite grip aid afterwards if you’re extra sweaty.
Luckily, I am a dinosaur and have had a lot of years to experiment with various pole grip products that are on the market.
Although I try to avoid them generally, when you’re struggling, they do the job really well and there is so much choice now that there seems to be a product for every occasion!
I have listed the ones I’ve tried and what I think about them in another post called ‘Grip Aids‘.
TRY GLOVES: You could always try using gloves if the situation is really bad. Mighty Grip do a range of pole dance gloves and they serve different purposes – for a strong, tacky grip – try pvc gloves, but these are not great for spinning as they rip quite easily with the friction, in which case try leather ones. You can find these on ebay, or ask your pole instructor if she sells them, she may even have a pair for you to try.
TRY CHALKS: Basic climbing chalk can be a useful tool for sweaty hands too. This doesn’t have to be a specialist pole brand (although they are generally better as they have been developed for pole dance).
Chalk is used by climbers to help them stick to rock faces, but it’s also great for helping you stick to your pole. Climbing shops sell chalk in blocks, as balls and as a liquid.
Liquid chalk is the best for pole dancing as you won’t have any problems with dust. Just rub a little on your hands (or thighs) and allow it to dry before jumping back on your pole! Be careful not to use too much liquid chalk, or you’ll end up with unsightly white patches on your skin.
ALCOHOL PRODUCTS: A quick wipe with alcohol or acetone (nail polish remover) will really dry your hands. Just make sure you don’t get too much on your skin – put a dash of liquid on a towel and then use that to rub your hands.
Alcohol is really good for cleaning your pole too, followed by a dry towel. Vertical Leisure recommend that you don’t use acetone to clean your X-Poles, so only use that on your hands.
You can buy acetone from any Boots or Superdrug store, and you should be able to find cheap gin in any good booze shop!
Having trouble holding your leg grips even though you can pull it off in class? The good news is … it’s probably NOT your pole. The bad news is … it’s probably YOU!
DON’T USE MOISTURISER: On your skin WHEN you pole. On the day of pole class, or the day of your pole practise session, avoid this like the plague. Any oils or lotions on your skin are going to rub off on the pole and make it a nightmare to grip the pole with. However …
DO MOISTURISE: Yeah … I know this sounds like conflicting advice, but DO moisturise AFTER your sessions to keep your skin supple.
Dry chalky skin doesn’t grip the pole well at all. If you have come to class and are really dry though, you CAN use some pole specific moisturisers to aid your grip, like Dew Point. Personally I don’t like the way it feels on my skin – it feels a bit like I bumped into a sweaty person and it’s rubbed off all over my skin (iiieeewwww) BUT it does kill the dryness, makes my legs tacky enough to grip with, without being all slimy on the pole.
The other thing I have found effective (credit to Robyn Rooke from 360 Pole Studio in Bristol for this one), then only moisturiser that CAN be used on the day of pole (and sparingly) is …
Another important tip is to warm up properly. It’s no good having a nice warm room and a nice warm pole if you are freezing. It’s also generally believed that warming up the body before exercise helps prevent injury and muscle soreness.
Try not to be constantly fiddling with your hair when you pole, hair product is easily transferred onto your hands, which then ends up on the pole. When you mean business, tie it back, and when you want to sex things up – swish it, flick it , roll it around and let it fall seductively!