need to heel, quick!

wulliebass · #1 10-10-2006, 02:48 PM

grrrr, cut my finger yesterday, the classic corned beef tin incident. thing is, every time i catch it on somethin it opens up again and blood starts drippin from it. i have a gig on thursday night, any tips on having it heeled enough not to bleed by then? if not, then how to patch it up without losing too much feel or grip in my playing? it's my left index, so quite an important fretting finger really! help, please?

**Mark Wilson** · #2 10-10-2006, 03:00 PM

Be careful.

I ripped open my left middle finger. Ripped the tip nearly completely off. So I put about 12 bandaids over it so I could fret and not feel anything.

It's probably a terrible idea, which could explain why it still hasn't healed properly.

if you're THAT worried about it, goto the doctors. I went to the hospital just to check to make sure it was all okay, and it turns out I had a piece of glass stuck in there. Now, it doesn't hurt AT all.

-Mark

tZer · #3 10-10-2006, 03:11 PM

It will feel odd for a bit, but you can use the non-latex band-aids... the ones that are more like cloth. - wrap it up nice and tight before the gig and play a bit before you go on. You will get used to it.

OR - DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT ADVOCATING THIS, BUT IT WORKED FOR ME...

Superglue. I had a very nasty cut - salami + short knife + stab into meaty part where my thumb meets my plam (I could see the bone! eeeech!!!)

I knew this would require stitches, but I pass out from needles (wuss) - So I cleaned the heck out of it (soap and warm water) let it bleed some more, and more soap and water - alcohol (ouch!) more alcohol (this time a drink) then I held the wound together nice and tight arm above heart so no bleeding - laid on a nice amount of Superglue (outside surface only) stayed very still for a while.

After it dried - no more opening and bleeding - 2 days later it mended nicely - didn't even leave a scar.

But you didn't hear it from me.

wulliebass · #4 10-10-2006, 03:11 PM

cheers. there's nothing in it, t'was a clean tin can cut and it doesn't seem to be getting infected or anything, i do keep catchin it on stuff though so it starts bleeding more. i have been on a course of immunosuppressive drugs recently which won't help. suppose i'll just have to reassess on thursday morning!

fourstringdrums · #5 10-10-2006, 03:16 PM

Are you keeping a bandage on it? That would help from you ripping it open again. You could also try liquid bandaid which works really well.

tZer · #6 10-10-2006, 03:18 PM

I played on a badly cut RIGHT index finger using the band-aid method and it worked fine for a short-term solution. Got me through two, four-set nights with not a drop of blood. Being on your fretting hand, that should be a no-brainer - just slap a band-aid on it today and play with it for a while. It will feel funny at first, but you will get used to it, I am sure.

Good luck! And have someone else open your meat cans from now on.

wulliebass · #7 10-10-2006, 03:25 PM

ha, plan. the idea of the no "band-aid" (it's a plaster where i come from laddie!) is to get air into it so it heels quicker. i just need to stop puttin my hand in ma damned pocket!

Lazylion · #8 10-10-2006, 07:16 PM

Heh, I read the title of the thread and thought it was something about training a dog!

Sorry about your finger, do you have duct tape where you come from?

olaff421 · #9 10-11-2006, 02:57 AM

Two words: Neosporin. That will help it heal faster, and wear a bandaid.

SteveC · #10 10-11-2006, 07:46 AM

liquid bandaid

Bob Clayton · #11 10-11-2006, 11:27 AM

liquid bandaid stings like mfer
if you're not expecting it anyway.

probably the worst idea was what i did this summer.

i worked for a contracting company. we were under a house doing some stuff. i scraped against something, and cut my thumb. about an inch long cut, not too deep. didn't need stiches, but it bled like crazy.

so what did i do? took a caulk gun, and well... yeah.

it healed nicely and didn't get infected.

i was probably real lucky, so don't do it, plus i only did it as a last resort because we didn't exactly bring the first aid kit with us under the house.

tZer · #12 10-11-2006, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wulliebass

ha, plan. the idea of the no "band-aid" (it's a plaster where i come from laddie!) is to get air into it so it heels quicker. i just need to stop puttin my hand in ma damned pocket!

When I had my fingertip cut and was using the band-aid I only used the band-aid (plaster) when my finger was going to be needed for playing or at work (on the computer).

Neosporin, air, clean dressings when not in use will increase how quickly it heals. But if you must play, cover that thing - otherwise, as you are finding, it will never heal and the possibility for infection increases.

vinny · #13 10-11-2006, 11:55 AM

Super glue a patch of light fabric or a few layers of tissue paper over it & you're good to go.

Bottom Feeder · #14 10-11-2006, 12:11 PM

Actually, I have heard that some hospitals use the superglue method. Superglue is completely harmless. Problem is that you have 3 days to heal. Looks like band-aid or nothin.

Maybe it would be a cool show to be shreddin up there and then blood starts pourin down yer hand, Halloween comin' up and all...

tZer · #15 10-11-2006, 01:03 PM

I don't know - I will admit Gene Simons' blood-spitting was a cool stage gimmick - but I get no thrill watching some poor sap bleeding from the fingertips while he plays.

Maybe I am just too empathetic, but it just makes me feel sympathy finger pain and wonder how he's gonna get all that nasty blood off of his fretboard and out of those pick-ups...

spudmaster34 · #16 10-11-2006, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tZer

Long story about super glue

I use that on all of my cuts that are to big for bandaids, I even got a pretty bad cut from a saw that healed up in less than a week with the help of the super glue method

spudmaster34 · #17 10-11-2006, 03:19 PM

if you do start bleeding, be sure to change you strings afterwards