inside of thumb blister

[stringmann]

Playing a lot lately, church on classical, big band + solo guitar. Not real painful but seems to be increasing. Any advice? Tnx

[Bobby Timmons]

Build up a callus there. You can drain the blister with a needle and get it to heal. Maybe hybrid pick with a pick while it's healing assuming it's your picking hand thumb.

Bass was my 1st instrument. New upright players get hardcore blisters on their picking fingers. You have to make sure to heal them without ripping them off or aggravating them and calluses will build up.

[Boss Man Zwiebelsohn]

Cut a piece off of a Aloe Vera plant and rub the juice into the blister. The next day the blister will be dry.

I found that out when I once had huge blisters over the whole soles of my feet from a lot of barefoot walking on bitumen walkways. I tried Aloe Vera overnight and the next day I could walk again.

Be careful with needles because if you get an infection you will not be able to play for a while. If you insist in using a needle desinfect the tip first with a lighter and then with high-proof alcohol.

[stringmann]

Tnx guys. It is actually my fretting hand, inside of thumb ? knuckle, friction from side of neck methinks... I appreciate your help.

[oldane]

The blister will heal whatever you do or don't do. You can drain the blister by piercing a hole in it with a needle, but usually it will rupture by itself within a day or two and thus the result is the same. When the blister bed is still wet, you can cover it with a band aid to avoid soiling the guitar neck with the moisture from the blister. It wil also make playing less uncomfortable. But the blister will dry out quicker if left uncovered in the open air and the risk of secondary infection will be lesser.

As a preventive measure in the future, for when you expect a lot of playing, you can cover the spot on the thumb with a band aid to cushion it from the wear and tear that causes the blister. I figure band aid made of fabric must be better than plastic as it glides easier on the neck. Double bass players frequently used adhesive tape on their picking fingers to prevent blisters and abrations.

Blisters on the thumb of the fretting hand are not heard of often. Consider if you grab the neck too hard (or have the action set too high). Some people unconsiously use more fretting force than necessary. Also make sure to relax the grip when you change position and slide the hand up and down the neck.

[RJVB]

Blisters on the thumb of the fretting hand are not heard of often. Consider if you grab the neck too hard (or have the action set too high). Some people unconsiously use more fretting force than necessary. Also make sure to relax the grip when you change position and slide the hand up and down the neck.

I can't really imagine one could get a blister there from playing too much without getting blisters on the other fingers first. Unless *maybe* you're practising slides/position chances intensively over a particularly rough spot on the neck ... or some early-music instrument with tied frets. Or very wild vibrato, and both hypothesis would require counterproductive amounts of pressure.

You don't get blisters from static pressure; there has to be a shearing moment that tears the top skin layer from the underlying layers. Or lots of heat.
You didn't grab a hot oven dish with your fretting hand by any change, or held it too close to a fire for too long? (I once got blisters that way despite that I was wearing furnace gloves which only made I didn't notice I was getting a 2nd degree burn.

[pamosmusic]

I keep seeing this title and thinking it’s “Inside of A thumb blister.”

Like an x ray or something.

[RJVB]

I keep seeing this title and thinking it’s “Inside of A thumb blister.”

Hah, I too came here to see if someone had actually posted a gore picture

[AllanAllen]

Tnx guys. It is actually my fretting hand, inside of thumb ? knuckle, friction from side of neck methinks... I appreciate your help.

Fix your technique. That ain’t supposed to happen.

[RJVB]

Or very wild vibrato, and both hypothesis would require counterproductive amounts of pressure.

Or lots of thumb-over grips?

[pamosmusic]

Fix your technique. That ain’t supposed to happen.

Oof yeah. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of that kind of blister. Really the thumb is more of a permanent guide finger and not really for pressure at all. Realistically there will be some especially with chords, but if you’re getting a blister there I can only imagine you’re pressing way too hard.

Honestly kind of surprised a person wouldn’t have gotten severe tendinitis before the blister formed.

[RJVB]

Be careful with needles because if you get an infection you will not be able to play for a while.

Not to suggest that one should use a dirty needle, but if your blister is filled with clear fluid (no blood) there is in fact no question of real open wound and IIRC all skin barriers have not been breached. As long you take care to puncture just the outer skin and not even touch the the bottom there should be little risk.

(For blisters in more annoying places like my feet I often use my nailclippers to nip the skin open as just a needle hole tends to close and allow build-up of new fluid. Those clipper are hard to sterilise of course but I never have an infection, though I do typically apply a band-aid for the 1st couple of days afterwards.)


All this reminds me of a grandmother of all blisters I got on the back of my heel once, when I did a 10km natural-ice skating tour with my heel strapped in duct tape I thought would protect a small blister I provoked breaking in my new skates a day or so earlier. That was would you could call a learnable moment ... it also kept me out of sport class for weeks