captinmorgan54 - Posted - 02/18/2015:  14:06:11

Hey folks, I've had this trouble ever since I started playing but havnt met a soul with the same issue. Whenever I get my fingers wet, they stay pruney and soft for a long time and the strings cut right through my hard earned calluses.  After a shower or washing the dishes I need at least an hour to let them dry off before pickin up the git. 



It's not a huge deal, but more of an annoyance. any advice would be appreciated

UsuallyPickin - Posted - 02/19/2015:  05:00:04

Nope ...... I have not heard this concern addressed in any forum ...... I often wash the dishes before I pick because it helps loosen up my fingers ... of course my calluses are decades old ..... R/

Texasbanjo - Posted - 02/19/2015:  05:04:43

Use gloves when washing dishes, that'll help a little.   I do dishes a lot and find that my calluses will slough off from time to time, but I've not had the problem with the strings cutting through them.  Perhaps you're trying to fret entirely too hard.  My Martin is easy to fret and I barely have to put any pressure on the strings.  Are you fretting really close to the frets or in the middle of them?  You have to fret harder in the middle to get a clear sound.  

captinmorgan54 - Posted - 02/19/2015:  07:58:26

I usually try to keep right up against the fret, but perhaps I am fretting too hard. I play a bunch, and i've had to get frets redone but i just assumed it was because of the amount I played, not the pressure at which I played

UP, I saw your post in another thread that you sometimes run your hands under warm water to help loosen up your fingers. If i did that, I would lose lots of skin, pretty much right away. I had a gig washing dishes for a while, and found I couldnt play for the rest of the day after an 8 hour shift. luckily that usually ended around 1am, so I wasnt lookin to do more than sleep, but it's been a constant problem for me and noone else seems to have that trouble.

Fwiw, I play on .13s and have decent finger strnength (i think) but maybe it's too much all the time, and should only be used for bends or something. I'm at the point that even with the lumps of skin coming off, the skin underneath has been toughened up, so it's not the worst thing in the world, but It is an inconvenience.

Thanks for taking the time to type a response folks

UsuallyPickin - Posted - 02/21/2015:  03:16:06

Over playing , excessive pressure , in the left hand is a common problem string players have. It causes both short term extra tension a hampering speed of play and long term problems with muscle cramping, joint and tendon damage. But you aren't talking about those concerns. There is a specific callus care product named Guitar Hands you might try out. My son swears by it. My calluses slough off and I spend some time with an emery board straightening them out but not so often that it is a concern...... Luck .. R/

captinmorgan54 - Posted - 02/23/2015:  10:35:36

I'm a bit wary of products, as I dont want to rely on them.

Even leaving the pressure end out of it, my fingers stay pruned for quite some time even if I'm not playing. it's kinda odd, but whatevs

davedone - Posted - 02/23/2015:  16:08:26

Just wanted to ad- a damp or moist right hand seems to give me more control finger picking on my nylon strings.
I wouldn't want my young calluses wet though.
Still using corn huskers between work and practice.

crookvile - Posted - 09/14/2015:  00:17:53

Hi, I also had troubles in having wet fingers but I did was to put an alcohol. Anyway, if you wish to know some tips about your fingers, you may read this : How toughen up your finger tips online. It could help a lot. I did read it also.

banjoscotty - Posted - 10/29/2015:  09:50:07

Captainmorgan,,you asked for advice so here is mine. Most any sporting goods store has a product
called "Tuff Skin"..I knew the product from my high school sports days. It's a paste like vaseline.Just
dip fingertips in it and rub them.Shazam.Tough fingertips.It also comes in liquid form but that is messy.

Sneak-Peak - Posted - 02/11/2016:  22:53:47

My daughter use to have wet hands along with her fingers. However, she is lucky to have overcome it by just using an alcohol.

crookvile - Posted - 03/31/2016:  20:56:43

While you're still building up your calluses, you can numb the pain by dipping them in apple cider vinegar. I did that way back then. :D

captinmorgan54 - Posted - 04/03/2016:  08:28:24

So I figured I'd try the alcohol route, and while it works, its a major inconvenience. Sure i don't mind my fingers at all, by taking a few shots of whiskey doesn't help the actual practice. I just end up singing bawdy songs. Plus, I like to practice a bit before work, and thats gotten me in some serious trouble...