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Playing the guitar has made me embrace my inner girliness. I've grown girlie nails for fingerpicking and I carry a diamond file everywhere. But, while I'm often using my file, unlike most women it is more often to maintain my callouses.

When I started playing a couple/few years ago I overdid it and developed blisters on my fretting hand. Since then, I've had dents in my first couple of fingers especially. They have been getting smaller over time and sometimes the dents get filled a little, but before you know it the skin starts to lift. At that point i need to file them so that more of my callouses don't go with the lifting bit. Actually, it's not a problem anymore because I file them regularly to keep them smooth adn snag free and to reduce the dents (the callous seems to grow around them more than in them) and I moisturise them too.

Here is a picture of their current state. They are in good shape actually.



So do you maintain yours? What do you do? Check out the poll.

Just curious. I think I must have feline DNA.

Shel

Well the tips of my fingers have been flat for years... sometimes I just nibble the dead skin... no manners at all!

I guess all my guitars have really low action as my callouses are all but non-existent and I've been playing for 45 years!

As Chris said, I just chew the loose bits off if they start snagging on things. Otherwise, they get no attention at all.

Same as Chris and Stuart. Grab with teeth and rip away. Never thought of filing. That does seem a bit more civilized.

I'm just like Chris. I let him chew on the ends of my fingers.

...sorry Shel, manly behaviour all round! (Spit) :laugh:

neverfoundthetime wrote:

...sorry Shel, manly behaviour all round! (Spit) :laugh:

My thoughts exactly Chris. I should have added the "I just rip the peeling bits off with my teeth, grunt" option. Silly me. Thinking like a woman again.

"secret files" ? "callous caring" ? What a great title for a thread ! :laugh:

Well ... if I file my right hand, why not give a go at my left also ?

And there's a positive ecological impact: filing my callouses means fewer sheared body parts lying around for my dog and the acarians to eat :silly:

I have fairly deep grooves across all fingers.

I don't do anything to them.