Using hand cream?

[Allan Allan]

I'm always sure to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. If I go under my fingertips get hard and then they crack. It puts me out of commission for days and it hurts too.

Lotion is treating a symptom, not fixing the problem. So, how much water are you drinking every day.

 

[40Hz]

I was told super glues were first used by combat medics for cuts and wounds and were considered non-toxic in that regard. Untrue??

It’s not a good choice for deep wounds since it’s a skin irritant and it can kill cells.

However there’s a safer and less irritating medical formulation superglue (2-octyl-cyanoacrylate) that is sold under the name Dermabond. If you’re going to be gluing wounds you’re better off getting some of that rather than use the hardware store variety.

 

[Woody1999]

It’s not a good choice for deep wounds since it’s a skin irritant and it can kill cells.

However there’s a safer and less irritating medical formulation superglue (2-octyl-cyanoacrylate) that is sold under the name Dermabond. If you’re going to be gluing wounds you’re better off getting some of that rather than use the hardware store superglue variety.

I'll consider that next time I fancy glueing myself back together

 

[40Hz]

I'll consider that next time I fancy glueing myself back together

Works well. We’ve got some in our home medical supply cab. Being a bit of a klutz, I’m forever cutting myself on something.

 

[JZQuantum]

I use this.

O'Keeffe's Working Hands Hand Cream

Works well, keeps hands/fingertips from cracking and bleeding. Is not sticky and you only need a small, small amount. Especially useful in dry winter weather. Helps repair hands that are already in bad shape.

 

[electracoyote]

Has anyone got any experience with using hand cream

Yes.

...and playing 6-10+ hours a day?

No. Never. I consider myself fairly proficient and I've had a pretty successful career as a musician in studio and on stage, but at no point in my 40+ years as a practicing musician have I done 6-10 hour sessions in a single day. I guess that stuff about the point of diminishing returns happens a lot sooner for me and probably for most folks.

As to the practical matters, I live near the Rockies in Colorado USA, and we have a relatively arid climate year round, but really dry in the winter. If I don't take preventative measures my hands crack all the time, it has several triggers and it's impossible to predict when it happens. For decades I've been in a routine from around October to springtime of using Eucerin medicated hand lotion before lights out at night. Then during my morning routine I wash it off from at least the palms of my hands.

If I get cracks, I treat them with either a neosporin and band aid which promotes quicker healing, or I use one of the "second skin" products to seal it up until it heals. Second skin works best for the finger print areas, neosporin for top side and knuckles/joints. As I type, I have a dab of second skin on my left thumb and neosporin/band aid on the middle knuckle of my 2nd finger right hand. Try as I may, sometimes nature wins. But it is not interfering with my playing at all.

I would never play a stringed instrument with lotion on the palms of my hands. It will change the sound of your strings and lead to more quickly accumulating dirt and debris, and more difficulty removing it. It's harder to clean the neck and get it smooth and clean again. I keep my strings and instrument clean, wiping down thoroughly after every session and only playing with clean dry hands.

 

[Woody1999]

No. Never. I consider myself fairly proficient and I've had a pretty successful career as a musician in studio and on stage, but at no point in my 40+ years as a practicing musician have I done 6-10 hour sessions in a single day. I guess that stuff about the point of diminishing returns happens a lot sooner for me and probably for most folks.

At the risk of repeating myself, sadly I'm one of just 3 bass players on the jazz course here, supporting over 100 other people because of an unfortunate series of events leading to 4 others dropping out due to RSI and/or life issues this year. With any luck once this mad rush of people setting up their recital bands comes to an end, I can fall back on my usual routine and hopefully won't be playing quite as much.

Thanks for your input - I'll make sure I look after both my hands and my strings!

 

[EatS1stBassist]

Yes.
This^^^^
If you don’t take care of your hands now they will not take care of you later.


No. Never. I consider myself fairly proficient and I've had a pretty successful career as a musician in studio and on stage, but at no point in my 40+ years as a practicing musician have I done 6-10 hour sessions in a single day. I guess that stuff about the point of diminishing returns happens a lot sooner for me and probably for most folks.

As to the practical matters, I live near the Rockies in Colorado USA, and we have a relatively arid climate year round, but really dry in the winter. If I don't take preventative measures my hands crack all the time, it has several triggers and it's impossible to predict when it happens. For decades I've been in a routine from around October to springtime of using Eucerin medicated hand lotion before lights out at night. Then during my morning routine I wash it off from at least the palms of my hands.

If I get cracks, I treat them with either a neosporin and band aid which promotes quicker healing, or I use one of the "second skin" products to seal it up until it heals. Second skin works best for the finger print areas, neosporin for top side and knuckles/joints. As I type, I have a dab of second skin on my left thumb and neosporin/band aid on the middle knuckle of my 2nd finger right hand. Try as I may, sometimes nature wins. But it is not interfering with my playing at all.

I would never play a stringed instrument with lotion on the palms of my hands. It will change the sound of your strings and lead to more quickly accumulating dirt and debris, and more difficulty removing it. It's harder to clean the neck and get it smooth and clean again. I keep my strings and instrument clean, wiping down thoroughly after every session and only playing with clean dry hands.

it can vary from person to person

 

[IamGroot]

Hand cream is an essential for every bassist, since the guitarist is going to get all the chicks.

 

[bonin in the boneyard]

Hand cream is an essential for every bassist, since the guitarist is going to get all the chicks.

Boooooooooooooooooooo...

 

[bbh]

Hand cream is an essential for every bassist, since the guitarist is going to get all the chicks.

That’s not nice but often true for some I guess.

 

[Gibson Victory]

Going to put this up there for what it is worth, may help or not. After graduating tech school back in the 70’s, one of my first jobs was cleaning grease off of parts used in a manufacturing process. The cleaner involved here was fairly strong. Company provided us protective gloves, but we were all young, foolish, and stupid, thinking that we would live forever. Things were ok in the summer months, but during winter skin was very dried out at the end of the work day. Almost “whitish” in color. So fast forward a good many years later when I was a Warehouse Manager. Nothing will take the natural oils out of your skin faster than handling cardboard all day long for years and years. There used to be a certain brand of lotion used by most Hospitals for skin care. It worked great. Then then came the EPA days, and because it had a fair amount of Alcohol it, it was removed from the market. Before I go any further, it should be noted that I have more Medical people in my family than you can shake a stick at. The constant nagging of “wash your hands, wash your hands “ actually has some merit, especially during the cold and flu season, and considering what is going on in other parts of the world right now with various diseases. All of the above is fine and dandy except that it makes your hands dry out even more than they normally would. Over the years I have tried most all of the stuff on the market to keep the ends of my fingers from drying out and “splitting”. Sounds silly in a way, but these cracks or splits can become infected, if not requiring medical care, at least a fair amount of time keeping Antibiotic ointment and bandages on them, and painful to boot. So much for playing “Stairway to Heaven”. Also due to other factors, I have a “Season Pass” at the Dermatology Department of my local hospital, and my wonderful Dermatologist is on “speed dial” should the need arise. I am going to try to put a picture up here of what I would recommend. This company makes all kinds of skin care products, but for some reason I had a lot of trouble finding it locally. Thanks to Amazon.com my problem got solved. This particular one has the “BAOBAB” oil it it. You could probably get more information online should you desire. Sinks into the skin, not very slick, so that you do not drop your 5k Bass on your foot, or the SVT on the Ground. Just a thought. Best of luck.

 

[Gibson Victory]

If you take a close look at the picture I posted, you will see a small mark near my thumbnail. This is the kind of thing I am referring to. Left unchecked, these things can quickly get out of hand. So if you don’t like my suggestion. Please do something and TAKE CARE OF YOU HANDS!

 

[Allan Allan]

If you take a close look at the picture I posted, you will see a small mark near my thumbnail. This is the kind of thing I am referring to. Left unchecked, these things can quickly get out of hand. So if you don’t like my suggestion. Please do something and TAKE CARE OF YOU HANDS!

I get those splits on any of my fingertips, the only fix that works for me is increased hydration. I have a 32oz water cup that I make sure to drink 4x a day while I'm at work.