As a student at Phillipsburg High School in New Jersey, Andrew Horun competed on the school's wrestling team. Andrew Horun now enjoys playing the guitar and is beginning to learn songs.

New guitarists pick up their instruments with tender fingers, and hours of practicing can mean painful fingertips until calluses develop. These thickened spots of skin develop as the guitar strings rub against the fingers, causing pressure and friction that causes significant discomfort until the skin toughens up.

The most effective way to progress past the painful stage and create calluses is to keep playing, but only for short stretches at first. Long practice sessions for the new guitarist can lead to blisters, which actually prevent the skin on the fingertips from hardening into a callus.

Those who want to build their calluses faster can make sure that their guitar has steel strings, as these are harder on the fingers. Medium- and heavy gauge strings are particularly challenging and build calluses even faster, though light-gauge strings tend to cause less soreness and thus may be easier to play for longer.

Guitarists can also protect their developing calluses by not playing the guitar after moisturizing or soaking their hands in water, as moisture can soften the calluses. This can in turn lead to the guitar strings tearing the callus tissue, rather than making it tougher. If the musician feels that his or her fingers need some relief, soaking the fingers in vinegar or using a topical anesthetic can help to ease the pain, so that the callus development can continue as planned.