I got blisters on my fingers

May 30, 2012 7:50 AM

Any options for finger injury and guitar playing?

A long time ago I injured the tip of my left hand's middle finger (I'm right handed) with a blood blister that healed with a scar.It's really only an issue with playing guitar, causing a dull pain which persists after playing for an hour.
At first it didn't bother me much but over the years it's gotten worse to the point where I don't play acoustic any more because of the increased string tension (whether or not that is good thing is another question - ha)
I'm thinking there might be some kind of skin resurfacing or plastic surgery that might replace the scar with natural tissue?

posted by canoehead to Health & Fitness (6 answers total)

Why not just have a luthier sand down the nut or the bridge piece on your acoustic guitar instead? That would lower the action and have a negligible effect on the overall voice and character (as long as the body on the guitar is fairly large). Unless you play professionally, I wouldn't see the advantage in having surgery.
posted by littlerobothead at 7:57 AM on May 30, 2012

Response by poster: I've been playing on an electric with very low action and it's starting cause a problem with that too.
posted by canoehead at 8:04 AM on May 30, 2012

Can you put a little circle of moleskin or something on the tip of the finger where there's contact? My initial thought was a thimble, but that's not very practical. But moleskin might be thick enough to ease the pressure?
posted by crankyrogalsky at 10:04 AM on May 30, 2012

There are rubber thimble type things people put on their fingers to help turn pages. Could you try one of them?
posted by two lights above the sea at 10:47 AM on May 30, 2012

Best answer: Is it a skin irriation effect, or a deep tissue, where there's scarring in the fingertip volume that's getting pressed against the bone?

If it's just skin irritation, or scar tissure preventing callus formation, many string players (often violinists and mandolin players because of thinner strings but also guitarists) put a thin layer of superglue on their lefthand fingertips to reduce how much the strings cut into the skin. Also as repair for pre-gig split skin or injuries. Of course there's also a product marketed to musicians, preferable for being safer chemically.
posted by aimedwander at 11:49 AM on May 30, 2012

Response by poster: I don't think any kind of thimble device would work , however I may try that quik callus.
posted by canoehead at 7:28 AM on May 31, 2012