GUITAR LESSONS - NJ and NY
Airmont, Allendale, Fair Lawn,
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Midland Park, Montebello, Montvale,
New Milford, Oakland, Oradell,
Paramus, Park Ridge, Ramsey,
Ridgewood, River Edge, Saddle River, Suffern,
Tallman, Upper Saddle River,
Waldwick, Washington Township, Westwood,
Woodcliff Lake or Wyckoff
BEGINNER • INTERMEDIATE
ADVANCED • AUDITION PREPARATION
GUITARISTS' HAND CARE
One of the most plaguing complaints I hear
from students, is the condition of their hands and nails.
It could be dry, cracked skin in the winter,
or weak, breaking or fragile nails,
or water logged calluses in the summer,
or nails that break too easily
or that their hands are sore.
Actually, I wish more students' hands
were sore from playing :-)
On this page, I'm going to suggest
some hand and nail care procedures and products
that I hope will help them and you.
- - -
Before implementing any of the suggestions
on this page, consult your physician
or physical therapist.
I am not medically trained.
That which follows
is drawn from my personal experience
or that of my students.
I make no claims and take no responsibility
for any adverse outcome
resulting from the information that follows.
- - -
The following is a list of conditions and
the products I have found most helpful
for me and my students,
followed by brief comments.
Look into them and do your research
before using any of them.
DRY SKIN
If your hands are always dry,
have peeling skin, your calluses tear
or are jagged or your skin just feels tight,
you need to use some kind of moisture.
There are a lot of considerations
like whether you're willing to moisturize
your hands during the day,
can you use a milder soap?
or if you will only moisturize before you go to sleep.
Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser
extremely mild, fragrance-free,
non-drying, non-irritating
instead of traditional soap
Corn Huskers Lotion
pure glycerine, strange, mild,
non-greasy, fragrance-free
Zimm's Crack Cream
helps heal cracks (even bleeding ones),
soothing, fragranced
Sweet Almond Oil
almond fragrance, oil is greasy,
very effective for dry nails and ragged cuticles
Neutrogena AgeShield Hand Cream
extremely moisturizing, spf 30
Eucerin Dry Skin Therapy PLUS
Intensive Repair Hand Creme
mild, fragrance-free, non-greasy
Surgeon's Skin Secret Moisturizing Stick
goes on greasy, absorbs,
keeps working after washing
DRY BITTLE, CRACK-PRONE OR BREAK-PRONE NAILS
If you play on nylon (or even steel) strings
your nails take a beating.
Then, there's the day to day abuse
- especially if you tend, like many people,
to use your fingernails as tools,
for removing staples, peeling labels off,
scraping things you're cleaning, etc.
As a guitarist, your left nails and right nails
have different functions and need different care.
If you play righty, begin to learn to open doors,
press ATM buttons, punch the numbers on phones,
use the remote control and
other heretofore right hand tasks,
with your LEFT hand. Why?
Well, partly for the coordination
but primarily to spare your
right hand nails some trauma.
That single change will deliver your nails
from countless fractures and tears.
Biotin
take orally as directed on package
to improve growth and strength
Nightly, use a crystal file to
file down any growth
of your left hand fingernails.
Frequently (daily or a few times a week)
check for nicks or cracks on
right hand fingernails,
smooth them with a crystal or ceramic file.
Sweet Almond Oil
rub into the surfaces of your nails,
massage into cuticle,
it goes on oily, almond fragrance,
excellent for too-brittle nails
Perfect Formula Gel Coat or
Pink Gel Coat (with optical brightener)
apply 2 coats or more weekly,
remove once a week and
repeat the process,
the "pink" optically whitens
yellowish nails.
This is my personal testimonial
about this product:
I HAD A VERTICAL SPLIT FOR THE FULL LENGTH
OF ONE OF MY NAILS, FOR OVER 10 YEARS.
I TRIED SILK PATCHES, ACRYLIC PATCHES, RESIN,
CRAZY GLUE, EVERY KIND OF NAIL GLUE ETC.
TO NO AVAIL. EACH TIME THE NAIL WAS
ALMOST GROWN OUT,
THE NAIL CRACKED AGAIN.
I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO
LIVE WITH THE SPLIT FOREVER.
AFTER 7 MONTHS OF
PERFECT FORMULA PINK GEL COAT,
THE NAIL IS WHOLE AND HEALTHY.
Wipe Out, by Bernadette Thompson
a truly non-drying,
nourishing nail product remover,
great for removing Perfect Formula Gel Coat
or Pink Gel Coat, no acetone smell.
(Her order-filling is inconsistent.
The product is exceptional and
if you don't mind that you may have to wait
a long time, follow up with a phone call
and then receive 2 for all the trouble
and hassle, for the price of 1,
I recommend it.
But, if you don't want to go through
the inconvenience, find a TRULY
non-drying nail product remover.)
JAGGED CALLOUSES
The calluses on your left hand could become jagged
for a variety of reasons.
Your skin may be very dry, waterlogged,
or they may just be rough from playing.
Ideally, you want your calluses intact
and not uneven, or they may snag
your clothing or catch and become
more jagged and tear.
Blow-dry water-logged calluses,
low, low. LOW setting :-)
Use a crystal or ceramic nail file
to smooth the top and
rough sides of calluses.
Corn Huskers' Lotion
non-greasy, fragrance-free to moisturize
extremely dry calluses but check the ingredients
and be sure you are not sensitive to any of them.
Udder Cream
non-greasy, fragrance free
to moisturize dry calluses and hands.
OVER PLAYED, FATIGUED HANDS
If you're diligent about practicing,
or aren't so diligent, but love to play guitar,
it's likely there are days when you pay
for the hours you play your guitar.
Sore fingertips, strained muscles
and weak fingers and wrists.
Alternate moderately hot and
moderately cold soaks in a sink -
if your hands feel played out
but you need to practice more,
repeat the alternation 3 or 4 times,
soak 1 - 2 minutes in each temperature.
Allow your hands to hang limply
at your sides for a few minutes
while you get up, stretch and re-focus your eyes
on something in the distance,
the extra blood flow will benefit them.
Handeze Therapy Gloves
for extended playing or if your wrists need support,
peculiar but extremely useful
In extreme cases you should seek
the advice of an occupational therapist
who can give you exercises that will
compensate for the unnatural stress
guitar playing causes your fingers,
hands, wrists, arms, shoulders and back.
COLD HANDS
Whether you have cold hands because
your circulation is a little lacking,
or you are exposed to
colder-than-comfortable air,
it's a real problem.
You don't play accurately when
your hands are extremely cold,
and strained muscles may cramp
in extreme cold.
Neither of those scenarios are
desirable for guitarists.
ALWAYS WEAR GLOVES OR MITTENS IN COLD WEATHER
Indoors, fingerless gloves can
warm you up but leave your fingers
unencumbered (not for guitar playing, but fine
for doing things in a cold, indoor environment.)
Hand Warmers
great to have in a pocket or purse,
follow instructions!
Move those cold fingers!
Just the way you warm up by stretching etc.
before working out,
doing appropriate finger exercises
will increase blood flow and circulation
and therefore warmth.
Email Me if you'd like to submit
a Question of the Week or
suggest an additional segment topic.
If I use one you submit,
I'll send you an official
Guitar Technique Tutor Podcast pick.
Tell a guitarist friend who might also have questions.
current podcast, show notes and archives
find a good teacher contact me
© 2012 D A Arlaus, all rights reserved
Sunday, January 1, 2012