'Tis the season for the reminder. Tired of leaving blood on the keys wherever you go from last month through March and beyond? Hand creams are for the most part a waste of time. If they work for you, it's because you don't have a real problem. They don't work for me, and feel creepy. So what does work? There are two kinds of people, those who don't believe this, and those who have tried it. Masking tape, the cheap garden variety stuff. Just tape, nothing else. Tape holds the split together, halting it's propagation immediately. It holds in blood well enough too, until the finger stops bleeding. Then it holds in the natural moisture of the skin, softening the edges of the split until it can heal up. It's also a good buffer, so you can go back to beating on those keys immediately after taping a new split, without discomfort. Change the tape when it looks too ratty, but leave some on for a couple of days. When you finally take it off, the finger is healed enough to abuse further without taking any unnecessary precautions with it. If you tape up abused fingers before starting, it will prevent the split in the first place, otherwise it's an after the fact fix that gets you back to work immediately. For occasional radical therapy, make hamburger patties. Nothing soothes hurt meat like dead meat. Rinse off afterward, but no soap. Let it soak in for a couple of hours as you digest your burger, and don't play with the ferret. Tip #2: Stepping out on an icy porch in nice warm shoes is a really good way to initiate a quick and memorable study in piano tuner ballistics. Stand there for a few seconds until the soles of your shoes chill down and it won't be nearly as slippery. We now return to our regularly scheduled whatever. Ron N
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