callouses

6_strings_for_life · Post by **6_strings_for_life** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 8:18 pm

Today while looking and playing with the callouses on my fingers, that are a result of playing guitar. I was just wondering if anybody knows how callouses form and what exactly what the body is doing when it makes these? They help alot for playing of course, but has anybody found any activities that are hindered or any benefits of having callouses on the fingertips?

discuss!

HCHaikuWarrior · Post by **HCHaikuWarrior** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 8:30 pm

i don't know about the exact science, but when you are constantly working an item of skin over and over whether it be guitar, or weight lifting, the skin is constantly being over worked and damaged, the body forms a callous as a bandage/barrier.

fatjack · Post by **fatjack** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 8:48 pm

its not necessarily damage, its a process called keritanization

Kahn · Post by **Kahn** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 9:06 pm

is anyone here a science major? What I remember from anatomy, when the skin cells are constantly being damaged, they trigger the release of keratin (a hormone?) that literally kills skin cells to make them stronger. this process is called keratinization.

DMBFan63 · Post by **DMBFan63** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 9:17 pm

KahnTheRevelator wrote:is anyone here a science major? What I remember from anatomy, when the skin cells are constantly being damaged, they trigger the release of keratin (a hormone?) that literally kills skin cells to make them stronger. this process is called keratinization.

fatjack wrote:its not necessarily damage, its a process called keritanization

mrjones · Post by **mrjones** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 9:20 pm

i dont get callouses as much as i get dead skin on my fingers. i heard that maybe its cuz i use elixirs.

HCHaikuWarrior · Post by **HCHaikuWarrior** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 9:35 pm

fatjack wrote:its not necessarily damage, its a process called keritanization

clearly you're wearing down your skin if a callous forms...wear= damage.

Duffman · Post by **Duffman** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 9:36 pm

i'm a climber, so i have callouses on the first pad of all my fingers, plus the tips of my left hand. its really weird to touch things because i can't feel them. i would suck at braille.

HCHaikuWarrior · Post by **HCHaikuWarrior** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 9:36 pm

mrjones wrote:i dont get callouses as much as i get dead skin on my fingers. i heard that maybe its cuz i use elixirs.

i can't use anything but elixers. my skin is like acid sweat and i go through a pack of regs in an hour...they turn black.

Coldchillin · Post by **Coldchillin** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 10:00 pm

Callouses helped me when they pricked my finger to check for iron before I gave blood. I didn't even feel it

fatjack · Post by **fatjack** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 10:05 pm

HCHaikuWarrior wrote:
fatjack wrote:its not necessarily damage, its a process called keritanization
clearly you're wearing down your skin if a callous forms...wear= damage.

clearly? how is making the skin thicker and tougher wearing it down?

Kahn · Post by **Kahn** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 10:12 pm

keratin kills skin cells, making them dry and hard and taking away nerve endings from them.

HCHaikuWarrior · Post by **HCHaikuWarrior** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 10:21 pm

fatjack wrote:
HCHaikuWarrior wrote:
fatjack wrote:its not necessarily damage, its a process called keritanization
clearly you're wearing down your skin if a callous forms...wear= damage.
clearly? how is making the skin thicker and tougher wearing it down?

you wear it down and the skin cells build back up thicker and tougher. eh? yes. now go away.

SillyPutty · Post by **SillyPutty** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 10:53 pm

I'm a biochemistry student...just my two cents, but keratin is a structural protein. It's what your hair, fingernails, etc. are made of. My understanding of what happens during keratinization is that the skin cells 'reinforce' themselves with keratin, making them more rigid.

FYI, hormones are signalling proteins (whereas keratin or cellulose in plants is structural, as I mentioned above).

Beauford33 · Post by **Beauford33** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 10:57 pm

HCHaikuWarrior wrote:
fatjack wrote:
HCHaikuWarrior wrote:
fatjack wrote:its not necessarily damage, its a process called keritanization
clearly you're wearing down your skin if a callous forms...wear= damage.
clearly? how is making the skin thicker and tougher wearing it down?
you wear it down and the skin cells build back up thicker and tougher. eh? yes. now go away.

methinks someone has a false sense of superiority. Not that it is a game or anything...but no one likes you so its out of deafult. Sorry, life is a bitch and she seems to be knocking you around.