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Should i pop my blisters or what?

#41
When I get them I put a tiny hole in to drain them, but leave the skin flap intact. The superglue idea is a great idea. If the skin flap comes off, played my will be fairly painful and you could re-blister. If you leave the flap on the skin underneath will dry and start to harden, then in a few days the flap will eventually tear off but you'll be able to keep playing.
 
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#42
el_Bajo_Negro said:
People actually get blisters? How does that happen? I play pretty hard, I dig in with rounds and I've never gotten a blister or callus.

Does it have to do with sweat? My hands are always cold and bone-dry, they never sweat.
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You're not getting blisters exactly because your hands are bone dry and never sweat. They are already calloused. Blisters are caused by the friction between a moist surface (finger) and the strings. A callused or dry finger tip will have less friction, ie; less blistering. It ain't rocket science.
 
#46
Bass'd on a true story said:
If you started playing gradually, like an hour or less a day, it's very possible that you just developed callouses. Blisters are usually caused by really high volumes of playing before properly developing callouses.
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The weird thing is I've been playing for like 3 years and it still happens.....

I might cut down on the ChocoMilk for a while to see if it helps. It is seriously annoying getting blisters this much and prevents healthy gigging for me.
 
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#47
Drain the blister, then inject superglue. Yes? (Edit: That was only a joke!)
DChalo said:
The weird thing is I've been playing for like 3 years and it still happens.....

I might cut down on the ChocoMilk for a while to see if it helps. It is seriously annoying getting blisters this much and prevents healthy gigging for me.
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If you're open to this, cut out the dairy or go vegan for a month and report back. Honestly, I don't push my lifestyle, but if you want to do the experiment, I do like data. You keep harping on the ChocoMilk.
 
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#50
Did you just start playing? Change something - different strings, technique or bass? AFAIK, blisters are not normal if you're playing regularly unless you're doing something wrong. (Same applies to chocolate milk - you may be holding the cartoon too tightly, or you're careless when opening it...)

At any rate, when I have had them, after a long layoff, I never pop them. I grit my teeth and play through it - after a week or two they'll become callouses and your suffering will be over.

This stuff will help you get through blisters and other finger-tip issues. You can buy it in any drug store. It works:

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#52
Lee Moses said:
Shortie comes through.
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I'm uncomfortable admitting this, but I used to have a serious chocolate-milk-abuse problem. I couldn't wait to undo that cartoon carefully - I would just grab the carton and tear it open - resulted in terrible blisters and paper cuts. I finally admitted to myself that I had a problem and went into rehab. Today I am CM free. :hyper:
 
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#54
Matthew Fisher said:
If you're open to this, cut out the dairy or go vegan for a month and report back. Honestly, I don't push my lifestyle, but if you want to do the experiment, I do like data. You keep harping on the ChocoMilk.
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But what about chocolate almond milk? Blisters? No blisters? Inquiring minds and all...
 
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#56
Matthew Fisher said:
Drain the blister, then inject superglue. Yes?
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Sounds like a plan!
 
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#59
If they're filled with enough fluid that they're uncomfortable, a prick from the side (on my feet when I was hiking a lot I would try and put the hole on the lowest spot on the blister, so I don't know how that would work on fingers) closest to the undamaged flesh and drain the fluid (actually something like plasma). When the skin experiences friction (heat) it lets the top layer bubble up with the interstitial (in between cells) fluid to protect the layers beneath it.

Be careful not to let the blister tear off, exposing the more delicate lower layers of skin underneath. If that happens, Super Glue might be a good idea if you have to play. If you can't forgo playing for a week or so while the blister(s) heal, which it the best case. After healing, the skin will be thicker, and that's called a callus.

As far as Super Glue, when I first started playing I suffered from tender finger tips (left hand, and it was acoustic guitar). I was at that time into mounting crystals and other gem stones into jewelry making necklaces, and always managed to get some Super Glue on my fingertips. Best friend, and more experienced guitar player said he didn't think I should be putting anything on my fingertips, but then there was a magazine interview with Flea, who said he has to fill in his thumb with Super Glue when RHCP are on tour.

Basically playing a 3 hour show every other night, and can't afford to take a night off.
 

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