callus peeling off...

chum66 · #1 03-09-2011, 02:25 AM

callus on one of my fingers is coming off.. should i just peel it off?!? is it possible that it'll end up staying somehow or is it inevitably coming off?

Bridgepin · #2 03-09-2011, 02:26 AM

no, it will come off

chum66 · #3 03-09-2011, 02:28 AM

this is the 3rd time in the last 12 months.. usually after i don't play the guitar for a bit (3 days this time, a couple of weeks in the past)...

is this going to happen all the time?

Bridgepin · #4 03-09-2011, 02:46 AM

Yes, they get to a point and then they start to peel, but I just read about this stuff called guitar hands it's supose to work on just that. I'm just use to it. If you play alot the stings will take off little pieces too

t1m · #5 03-09-2011, 06:52 AM

You shouldn't peel your callous off because you may do even more damage to it by doing so. Instead, take nail clippers and clip off the part hanging off and if needed, sand down the edges with a fine grit nail board.

In the future, you should stop playing after you notice your callouses first start cracking, peeling, or splitting. Rub some lotion on them and call it a day (or come back in a few hours.) At first, it may only be a few minutes before you have to take a break, however, if you keep doing this, your callous will become very tough and resilient over time. I've been using this method for about 2 years now and have gotten to the point where I can play 6+ hours without my callouses cracking, peeling, or splitting.

Murphy Slaw · #6 03-09-2011, 08:23 AM

What?

Am I the only person who chews 'em off?

Sombras · #7 03-09-2011, 08:31 AM

Ya, this is normal. Like the rest of your skin, it will shed. (What do you think most of your house dust is?)

Like said above, if it sheds severely, just use clippers to avoid breaking through. It will grow back with regular playing.

Mr Fixit eh · #8 03-09-2011, 09:12 AM

Callous shedding is a normal part of a guitar player's life. It's also really no big deal. It peels off... you keep playing... callouses grow back.

I'm not sure that I totally agree with this advice:

Quote:

In the future, you should stop playing after you notice your callouses first start cracking, peeling, or splitting. Rub some lotion on them and call it a day (or come back in a few hours.) At first, it may only be a few minutes before you have to take a break, however, if you keep doing this, your callous will become very tough and resilient over time. I've been using this method for about 2 years now and have gotten to the point where I can play 6+ hours without my callouses cracking, peeling, or splitting.

My experience has been that I had alot of callous shedding in the early years of my playing - every month or two there'd be a serious shedding. In the early years, my fingertips would be softer and tender after the shedding took place. With 3 1/2 years of playing (I play an average of 2 hours/day for 5 or 6 days of the week), I've found that the callouses shed less frequently. When they do shed, there is still a callous pad underneath and my fingers are far less sensitive underneath. I also have practically no fingerprints on my fingertips - the skin is all smooth and shiny (a future in crime, perhaps

) I think what's happening is that there is an underlying callous buildup and what is shedding is just a surface layer.

Don't worry about callouses. Play often. Play hard. Have fun.

FWIW I'll share my hand 'maintenance' program: Every night at bedtime I rub Burt's Bee's Hand Salve http://www.burtsbees.ca/natural-prod...and-salve.html It started with a problem with fingertip cracking, but I believe a side benefit is that it keeps the callous pad supple and less prone to shedding.

Oh - and when they do start to bubble up/ peel, I'm quite happy to pick/ chew/ bite/ clip the dead skin off - it's really quite fun and entertaining

Steve

fasttruck93l · #9 03-09-2011, 09:28 AM

I use carmex regurlarly. It keeps em moisturized and they won't hardly ever start to peel.

ljguitar · #10 03-09-2011, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chum66

callus on one of my fingers is coming off.. should i just peel it off?!? is it possible that it'll end up staying somehow or is it inevitably coming off?

Hi chum…
I use an emery board and file my callus smooth regularly so they don't get ragged and peel.

They are constantly regenerating, so as you wear the top layer out, you will be making more. If you let them become ragged, not only can they buzz against a string, they can tear and that is painful.

aussiechiz · #11 03-09-2011, 10:23 AM

Ya bunch a sissies,moisturiser, what the !rip em off with pliers,works for me .Its aussie mate,where men are men and sheep are nervous.

Sombras · #12 03-09-2011, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aussiechiz

Ya bunch a sissies,moisturiser, what the !rip em off with pliers,works for me .Its aussie mate,where men are men and sheep are nervous.

Typical no-frills Aussie suggestion.

Surprised you didn't suggest he dip his fingers in Great White infested waters and let them take care of the calluses.

Dan Carey · #13 03-09-2011, 11:06 AM

I file the edges of mine with an emery board, too. If I happen to get a nasty sharp edge, I'll use s drop of superglue to hold it in place, then file the edge smooth. usually lasts for a day or two that way.

CAFeathers · #14 03-09-2011, 12:31 PM

I use an emery board on mine too.

dugger · #15 03-09-2011, 02:04 PM

Try putting mink oil like you use on work boots on the finger tips. Hurt my right arm a long while back and could not use it to rub the mink oil on my work boots so I used my left hand. noticed that the caluses did not peel off sort of conditioned the tips.