hey "dope",
ALWAYS [wash your hands and] use lotion after climbing. i climb at the gym about 3 times a week (sometimes more) AND go outside when i can, so i end up using quite a bit of chalk. i've actually had to upgrade from just using lotion, and now i use "bag balm" ... and often times more than once/day. and i still use lotion, too; just not all at once. chalk REALLY dries out your skin, but even if you don't use chalk your skin likely still needs the help that lotions and ointments can give it. for some reason, scraping your fingers across rocks all day isn't all that great for your skin!