as we play guitar, our finger skin bound to get thick. i played for like a month or 2. then my skin is kindda thick but somehow, it cracked. as in, crack. then today, i tried string benting the 1st time. the crack hooked the string. as in, the string stuck in between the crack. so... what should i do?



This post has been edited by jikolo: Feb 22 2008, 05:43 PM

Wait a few days for it to heal before playing again i guess.

is not sudden crack. its been like this for a long time. the is like... gods know how many layer of skin my finger have. is like... 1st layer left 10%, second layer have like 20~30%. then 3rd layer have 50~60% then 4th later have like 70~80. then the most inner layer haven start to crack yet, thus is 100% as in perfect condition. i cant possible peel away all those layer. right?

i think this thread should be under health n fitnes?well...aopplid some moisture or cream and wait for few days b4 start playing back?

I have same condition as u =.=
But I like it. it's not cracked. just hardened and then cracked.
Less pain~~But ugly =.=

lol.... i love those harden n cracked skin.
just adjust ur finger position, practice to make the cracked skin doesnt hook in the string. a noob like me can overcome it, u shud b ok.

We all have cracked fingers..... even more so if you're playing extra thick gauges......
Suck it up..... Real man don't care about how pretty their fingers look! My skin is so harden and thick, even a needle can't pierce!

Not everyone has thick callous all the time.

I use to have but once the thickness reaches a certain level, it will peel off automatically and you have to start enduring the pain all over again.


I really hate this.


My callous peel off too fast, by itself, i think the strings just cut in and start slicing when i fret.

no. the problem is not the beauty part. is the the callous hooked the string. lol. now tat im wondering. should i peel it off and endure the pain and develop it all over. or change my finger position and avoid being hooked?

its weird cause after playing for a long time, my finger skins seems to be returned to the smoothness like before i play

If you play the electric, this is very likely.

If you play acoustic, then I am surprised!

I assume your girlfriend have at least 21 frets as well, no ?

well... i guess any1 tat play string instrument can proudly says that they have good fingering skill eh?

Yes, I can dig my left nose better with my pinky now.

i never had problem with pains while playing guitar =/
everyone else i know has it haha

when i started off, my callous got thicker but then it resided. now its barely visible

That's usually because after moving from acoustic to electric, you have less pressure exerted.

If you start playing acoustic again, i guarantee you it will come back.

It's good to keep an acoustic around to d*** around for callous building.

thats normal when ure first starting out with guitar. when i first started i was so hype about playing i continued my daily 1 hour practice session even when it was bleeding. pain as hell but hey, ive got nice fingers that plays well.

i went straight to electric guitar, playing 10's

i do finger practice with a kapok. gosh, tat sure does the job to strengthen my finger and the callous. but i didnt expect em to crack and affect my guitar playing

@_@
Weird, my .11 tips pierced right through the tip of my index fretting finger. Not the best experience in the world. Had to stop playing 2 days lol

it affects your tone. . . usually people would just trim off the ones that are really getting in your way. . . there was this G3 behind the scenes part where Satch and Vai were comparing their fingers and complaining how those extra skins screw with the tone. . . thats why vai uses hand cream xD

hehe gotta surprise you then, i play acoustic, and they are barely seen now, like wat sweet tooth said

Last time when i just got started, it was pain lol, like one of my vain being pressed. How to say that feeling

Try to get some lotion.

soon pharmacies will be filled with guitarists buying lotion, hand cream and every other beauty product there is.

oh and dont forget shampoo for that shiny hair when doing helicopter spin.

Ooooooooh..... I'm not surprised they come out with a guitarist hand cream!
"Prevents against cracks and smoothens your hand to slide across the fretboard!"

but if cellous is not thick, then when slide, very likely to cut thru ur skin. right?

i always 'trim' my callous when i cut my fingernails... and use FastFret(R) to avoid skin cut when sliding..

my finger had a blisten after plying lol..

i guess u cud relieve tat abit by applying "fastfrets" or "nose oil"
at least wen u glide over the strings, less friction

It wont cut, our skin is not that soft.

wats a fastfret?

ghs fasfret

trim off the fingers? pretty drastic solution...

yeah well, Satch and Vai are well... Satch and Vai...

jikolo, relax man... it'll go away after a while. But if it's affecting your playing, by all means just take out the nail clipper and trim the parts that stick out. And if you accidentally snip off a chunk of flesh, well... cheerz bro.

may b vai wans the hand cream for a "smoother" tone

Use plaster maybe?

I notice that my calluses go through a cycle as the skin sloughs off and new calluses form. At time it begins to flake off, then they get softer as new skin comes in. When they have new skin on them, I notice that they are a bit more tender then usual. When the tips are rough, use a sandpaper or apply lotion to smooth them out so they don't catch on the strings.

plaster tone?!

vivian: sandpaper???!?!

sandpaper ur fingers..
that is so METAL!!

first word that comes out from my mouth when i saw tis..

WHATTTTTTTT !!!

haha ! Sandpaper xD

sandpaper LOL

anyway when the callouses break and new skin starts to form, bending .010s or .011s in that period is HELL!

That's why start with .10!
hehehehehe......

But yeah, it hurts the first time, but over the years, you build up tolerance. Heck, pinch harmonics on the bottom .60 string no problem already!