We asked you on Instagram what pole grip aid brands were your favorites, and if you had any questions on the subject and I have to say, I did not expect such a great responses! You guys had a LOT to share; I had such interesting conversations with some of you. I wanted to keep my 5 myths series kind of light and joyful so I won't be covering it all today, but I might do a more in depth article about the things I've learned along this investigation.
Here are 5 debunked myths covering the topic of hand and body grip aids!
YOU BECOME ADDICTED
... So what?
Some pole dancers are apparently against using grip aids of any sort, because it becomes an addiction.
The thing is, some purists believe that if you're slipping off the pole, it's merely because you haven't built the grip strength to do the move you're trying to do yet.
This sounds a little far fetched to me. There are moves I have been doing for years, if I had to let's say perform in a competition, I would still use liquid chalk. Not because I'm weak... But because I don't want to risk it!
Now don't get me wrong, I agree that you do need to build strength to hold different types of moves and eventually feel safe enough to do them in any condition. But until then and in situations where you just can't control all of the factors, please use grip aids no matter which one you prefer : liquids, sprays, gels, wax, ...
To me it's a safety matter!
YOU SHOULD ONLY USE IT WHEN YOU'RE VERY SWEATY
You probably need a little more help on very humid summer days. That doesn't mean the rest of the year is a perfect grip situation.
Also, the reason you're slipping off the pole might not be sweat, it could be that your skin is too dry.
Let's be honest, we live in Canada, where temperatures can be anywhere between -30°C and +40°C depending on the season. Don't expect your cold January training to look exactly the same as your humid July freestyle.
For some people, excessive sweat is the biggest issue when it come to pole dancing. They can't seem to stick to the pole long enough to do basic spins when they're hot. For others, it's quite the opposite : their dry skin prevents them to hold a simple knee hook, for example.
You will have different needs for grip aid than your pole buddy. And that's fine! You just need to figure out what's at the start of your problem and work around that. You could even have different needs for different points on contact on your own body.
YOU SHOULDN'T USE WAX OR SPRAY ON THE POLE
Have to admit, I did believe in this one.
Because it is forbidden in competition, I assumed it was a way of cheating!
Now that I think about it, it's probably only because it's a little harder to clean afterwards and it could delay the event, which wouldn't be respectful to other participants...
But if adding spray or wax (Itac2 is probably one of the most popular of this category) directly on the pole makes you feel more confident, by all means use it! It's a dangerous sport we play, you should always make sure you feel safe in everything you do.
IT'S EXPENSIVE
Some products out there can be expensive it's true, especially since most of them are only available online, with added shipping fees.
When you're only trying to find the right product for your type of skin, the prices are adding up and you might end up with an expensive collection of stuff you don't even use.
But did you know that there are some home made tips you can try with products you might already have at home?
For example, for oily skin, I have heard a few coaches suggest to wash your hands (or other body parts) with dish soap before your class, as it is made to remove all types of oil.
On the opposite, for dry skin, especially in the winter, you probably heard of the good old aloe vera gel. Apply a small quantity anywhere you might need better grip (except your hands, make sure you don't get any on the palm of your hands) and let it dry before getting on the pole and let the magic happen!
The old school pole dancers probably have heard of the foaming shaving cream too. Put that stuff all over your body, let it penetrate your skin, and you will once again magically stick on the pole!
THERE'S ONLY ONE GOOD BRAND OUT THERE
You know which one I'm talking about.
Many of you told me they only trust DryHand for their grip. And I get it, it is very efficient.
DryHand is definitely the most polyvalent on the market, hence its popularity. But as you probably know, they sometimes run out of stock and then we're all stuck with our almost empty bottles that we wanna keep for special occasions only.
Don't be afraid to ask around you what other pole dancers have tried, what they use and why. Sometimes the answer is it's the one they sell at my studio. That's a valid answer, sometimes the easy option is the best. But maybe you're looking for something specific. I'm sure you will make great discoveries when you ask people you train with.
I leave you here a few articles I found on the internet, with interesting reviews of different brands and details on each of their characteristics :
And until I write my own in-debt article on everything there is to know about grip aids, you can read this informative article :
... or this one with interesting tips and tricks for hand and body grip :
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