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GMC Forum _ PRACTICE ROOM _ Taking Care Of Calluses, And Hand Washing

Posted by: Marek Rojewski Mar 28 2011, 04:56 PM

Yes I really want to ask a question about washing hands tongue.gif I once read that there should be a long pause in playing after washing hands. But recently I find it more and more annoying. If I have 1 spare hour but had just washed my hands because for example I wanted to eat something, than there is almost no point in picking up the guitar for 15 minutes dry.gif

So how do You cope with this problem? How long do You wait after washing hands/taking a shower before playing? Or do You don't waste time for such petty things like washing? tongue.gif Also are there other things You do/avoid for the sake of maintaining proper calluses on your fingers?

Posted by: Fran Mar 28 2011, 05:03 PM

Well, I wash my hands often, but I use cold water, and when doing so I don't feel my fingers "weaker" after that. Anyways, at least a few minutes go by since I open my tabs, set up the amp and cables, etc.

As for the shower, that's a different story. I take looong showers, and when get out my fingers are usually very wrinkly from the steam and hot water, and I'm sure that has to be bad to maintain the hardened fingertips so... call me crazy... I take my shower with a latex glove in the fretting hand! Maybe I'm over cautious laugh.gif

Posted by: Ben Higgins Mar 28 2011, 05:03 PM

Good question. It's always a good thing to wash your hands to get the grease off, especially if you've been eating crisps etc.. wink.gif However I never wait before I play... I just dry my hands and warm up as normal.

However, I do find that washing the dishes can be annoying for your hands.. it makes your hands feel soft for ages.. also it makes them feel all tingly and over worked mad.gif

Posted by: SirJamsalot Mar 28 2011, 06:33 PM

Yikes - I've never been concerned about this. I don't wash my hands prior to, or after playing. i'll wipe down my strings with a rag after playing, but as far as callouses are concerned, mine are pretty much set in stone. Of course, I eat with utensils and I'll wash them before eating, but I've never had a problem with my strings retiring early because of failing to wash my hands. Or maybe they do and I just don't care cause I play them til they give up the ghost anyways, or until I need to record at which time I put on a new set. My callouses are constant. Winter they get a bit more tough, but when my hands warm up, they soften. I've never really noticed them affecting my playing though. Playing with cold fingers on the other hand.... now I DO notice that! smile.gif

hmmm.

Posted by: Marek Rojewski Mar 28 2011, 06:56 PM

Fran, this is insane tongue.gif

I'm not to concerned about the strings, more about my calluses. Most probably if I would play immediately after a hot bath, those would be totally "destroyed". Anyway I'll try to play few minutes after washing hands and see if my calluses can stand that. If the test will be successful, than I can gain some additional practice time:)

Posted by: Azzaboi Mar 28 2011, 07:13 PM

If you use soaps / hand wash that soften the skin, you in trouble if you follow up shredding the axe. (Kills off your calluses and rips your fingertips to shreds - no pun intentioned)

There's these no water, hand sanitizers liquids (99% alcohol) out there. However, I think most also soften the skin?

Best bet, simply dont wash your hand before the guitar? Wipe down the strings after playing and storage it in a case.

People, no greezy KFC before or during playing please!

Posted by: dark dude Mar 28 2011, 07:20 PM

Water isn't in contact with my fingers for long enough to cause considerable softness. When I shower, I'm not racing to the guitar afterwards, so my fingers have ample time (a few minutes) to dry out.

I wouldn't worry about this unless you're taking regular baths, in which case, stop wasting water tongue.gif

Posted by: Ben Higgins Mar 28 2011, 08:58 PM

QUOTE (dark dude @ Mar 28 2011, 07:20 PM) *
Water isn't in contact with my fingers for long enough to cause considerable softness. When I shower, I'm not racing to the guitar afterwards, so my fingers have ample time (a few minutes) to dry out.

I wouldn't worry about this unless you're taking regular baths, in which case, stop wasting water tongue.gif


Yes, basically Dark Dude has said it... unless you're seriously immersing your hands to the point of the skin falling away (!) then it's really nothing to worry about. smile.gif

Posted by: Bogdan Radovic Mar 28 2011, 09:47 PM

Hmmm I never thought about this. I have a habit of washing my hands prior to playing smile.gif I didn't find that it destroys my clauses or something. I'll pay more attention in the future.

Posted by: Todd Simpson Mar 29 2011, 12:06 AM

I've actually not considered this but I do wash my hands if I remember to, before playing, just to try to keep my strings from gunking up to quickly. Even after a shower though I don't have to wait to play but my fingertips are pretty much snake scales at this point so water isn't usually a problem. If you need harder finger tips, play more accoustic and buy a bass guitar. smile.gif I bought a six string bass and playing it made my fingers in to solid concrete at the tips. The low B on the bass is like fretting a telephone pole.

It's to the point where I regularly use the "thumbless" and "pickless" technique in my lessons where we pull our left thumb away from the neck, and don't use a pick. Essentially playing only with the finger tips on the left hand via hammer on and pull off. This too is a great way to toughen them up.


Posted by: JamesT Mar 29 2011, 01:39 AM

My fingers seem to be fine regardless of how recently I've washed them. It's an interesting theory though that moisture softening the calluses on your finger, and then playing might wear them down (the calluses). I've never had to worry about that however. The skin on my fingertips peels every once in awhile without pain or injury it seems. Now that I'm playing more regularly (two hours per day), my fingertips have been more consistent than in past years when I didn't have as much time to play.


Posted by: Gary Mar 29 2011, 04:41 AM

QUOTE (Fran @ Mar 28 2011, 05:03 PM) *
call me crazy... I take my shower with a latex glove in the fretting hand! Maybe I'm over cautious laugh.gif


OMG.. I would love to see the look on my wifes face as I exit out of the shower with one latex glove on..LOL laugh.gif

As for me.. I am pretty much a germophobe and wash my hands a lot.. plus I use hand sanitizers regulary. No problems at all but my hands have likely adjusted to this over time.

Cheers!
Gary

Posted by: loundzilla Mar 29 2011, 06:56 AM

I try to stay conscious of having wet hands before playing . For example I will play straight after washing my hands but will wait 10 mins after a shower. I was in a jacuzzi for 3 hours last Saturday and ended up like a prune but played straight after gettin out so needless to say I'm missing part of my callus!

I also dont moisturise with my fretting hand in fear of softening up the calisus!

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Mar 31 2011, 02:39 PM

Washing hands shouldn't prevent from playing, or taking a shower, just wait 10 minutes after, and you're ready to go smile.gif

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