humidty has killed my callouses

Birdbass · #1 08-03-2006, 06:04 PM

I've been playing upright for about 4 years, usually practice/play 2 hours a day in small segments, and typically have 3 hr. gigs- I've developed nice callouses and have never had a problem. however, recently I've been playing a series of unamplified gigs (really digging in) in 90+ degree heat and humidity - my fingers have been just sticking to the strings, and I've ripped the callous on my right index finger. The skin underneath doesn't hurt to play, but what's left of the callous keeps ripping back, catching the string, and my tone has diminished because of it. Any suggestions?

SLaPiNFuNK · #2 08-03-2006, 06:21 PM

Get your self some Almond Oil... Apply a little bit to your finger tips and rub up and down the strings and back of your neck... Not too much or its really slick... but just the rite amount, makes it very comfortable to play out doors...

Almond Oil was my saviour when I was living / gigging in Miami Florida!

hdiddy · #3 08-03-2006, 07:48 PM

Get something to maybe dry out your hands, maybe talcum powder? I've been using rock climber's chalk (since I do climb some walls once in a blue moon). Dry your hands out, get an emery board and file down those suckers.

Lately, if my fingers still hurt from the skin underneath, I'll put on a layer or two of superglue to give some temporary protection. The glue sloughs off in a day or two but it's enough to give the skin a chance to heal/toughen up. YMMV.

Birdbass · #4 08-04-2006, 06:36 AM

thanks, i wouldn't have thought of doing any of that...we'll see how it goes!

hdiddy · #5 08-04-2006, 11:50 AM

Thinking about it again, the superglue thing is highly recommended. I remember now having the same 'hangups' from my callouses. The superglue did a great job of preventing the remaining skin from getting caught on the string. It just covered the cracks so the string doesn't get in there. At least long enough until your skin toughens up.

SLaPiNFuNK · #6 08-04-2006, 11:53 AM

There is a product called nu-skin that helps if you have a blister or non-callused skin and you have to play on...

The key with fighting the humidity is reducing friction, that will keep your chops from getting shredded appart from the strings... hence the almond oil, reduces friction = fingers are happy...

not sure how talcum powder will help... it would dry things up and probably increase friction...

hdiddy · #7 08-04-2006, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SlapMyFunky@ss

not sure how talcum powder will help... it would dry things up and probably increase friction...

Dries it out so that the glue will stick better. Otherwise your skin will probably expel any extra water and cause too much cracking of the glue. You can just do the oil afterward. A friend of mine and likes to use the oil from his nose. EEEEWWWW!!! Me personally, I like things bone dry. I feel like slipperiness abets the blisters. Diff'rent strokes....

I've never tried nuskin.

SLaPiNFuNK · #8 08-04-2006, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Quote:
Originally Posted by SlapMyFunky@ss
not sure how talcum powder will help... it would dry things up and probably increase friction...
Dries it out so that the glue will stick better. Otherwise your skin will probably expel any extra water and cause too much cracking of the glue. You can just do the oil afterward. A friend of mine and likes to use the oil from his nose. EEEEWWWW!!! Me personally, I like things bone dry. I feel like slipperiness abets the blisters. Diff'rent strokes....

I've never tried nuskin.

Slap My Funk @ss huh? gee thanks...

Once you have the calusses built up, they would stay as long as they dont get chewed up... using a little bit of oil... not too much,,, will keep them from getting ripped apart... atleast thats how it is with mine...

hdiddy · #9 08-04-2006, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HitMeWithYourRhythmStick

Slap My Funk @ss huh? gee thanks...

It's a tradition here to mess with names. Think of it as "terms of endearment".

You can blame Ed for that.

Quote:

Once you have the calusses built up, they would stay as long as they dont get chewed up... using a little bit of oil... not too much,,, will keep them from getting ripped apart... atleast thats how it is with mine...

Right, I'm probably the odd one out. For me, dry skin leads to thicker and tougher callouses. I used to use lotion on my hands often and my fingers wouldn't toughen up. I stopped and it did. Nowadays, I just lotion when I feel like I'm about to develop hangnails and stuff.

Even with practicing daily, my skin eventually toughens up and then the callouses disappear but the skin is still as tough as if the callouses were there. This used to happen to me when I did martial arts. Others would constantly get crusty calloused feet from running around on the mat. My skin would just dry up, callouse a little bit and then go away. I dunno, I'm weird.

SLaPiNFuNK · #10 08-04-2006, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hdiddy

Right, I'm probably the odd one out. For me, dry skin leads to thicker and tougher callouses. I used to use lotion on my hands often and my fingers wouldn't toughen up. I stopped and it did. Nowadays, I just lotion when I feel like I'm about to develop hangnails and stuff.

Even with practicing daily, my skin eventually toughens up and then the callouses disappear but the skin is still as tough as if the callouses were there. This used to happen to me when I did martial arts. Others would constantly get crusty calloused feet from running around on the mat. My skin would just dry up, callouse a little bit and then go away. I dunno, I'm weird.

Thats the thing with Almond Oil though.. It does not soften your calluses...

its not a moisturiser... and it doesnt damage the wood / currode stringe etc....