aloe vera for calluses

[myrick]

several threads hereabouts have discussed care of tips fingertips, both under normal conditions and under trauma. But I don't think I've ever seen this idea before. To be honest, I'm not yet positive it works, but I've been trying it for a few weeks, and it seems like it helps alot, for those times when you've pushed things to the limit.

We all know those instances when at the end of a gig you think one or more fingertips is borderline blister or some other sort of major trouble. (Usually having to do with too-loud drummers or a night of vigorous tempos after a haitus from regular playing or practice, or just playing too long and too hard.) Its that burning feeling, and a mild throbbing, and sometimes a slightly whitened look that threatens a callous-shedding deep blister.

Two or three times over the past year after such a gig I have applied a heavy glopping of aloe vera gel, both immediately that night and again once or twice the next day.

Now, there are plenty of skin care products out there that are labeled "contains aloe vera", but a closer look at the ingredients suggests they have only a tiny percentage. For this trick, I use a product from The Body Shop which seems to be almost entirely aloe vera, plus glycerin and propylene glycol. (I expect there are other providers, maybe in health-food type of stores. And once I used sliced leaves of an aloe plant itself on a bad sunburn, with amazing results.)

If you've ever used this stuff after overexposure to sun, you'll know of its almost miraculous healing properties for that particular skin trauma. Of course my opinion that this helps bass fingertip problems is not very scientific, because who knows, perhaps my fingrs would have calmed down on their own after a day or two. But I'm almost certain that on several occasions this trick has helped mollify what might have been a more drastic bout of callous troubles.

Wonder if anyone else has tried this, or might try it out, and then report their impressions back here.

[Marcus Johnson]

I haven't tried it for "bass hands"; my fingertips turned to shoe leather years ago

But I've found that the real aloe juice, squeezed fresh from the plant, is MUCH more effective than the commercially available stuff. Great for burns, nicks and scrapes, etc. I have a huge aloe plant outside my back door. It seems to help to reduce scarring after an injury as well.

[Buddy Lee]

Aloe also is an important ingredient of my favorite pomade!
Real aloe can have a drug-like effect, if taken in orally, btw...