Guitarists question? Your hands..? I got a boo boo.

I did (do) it as a profession.

I rarely wound a hand or finger. I'm going to jinx myself by typing this. But it rarely happens.

With that said, I do take extra caution from time to time. I don't wash my hands very often as I don't want them to get too dry. I do put on lotion every night before bed. I use a knife very slowly when cutting vegetables or meat for a meal.

Other than that, I'm not really a handy man so I don't have to worry about hammering nails. I don't do car repair.

Oh I also make sure to not let my dog's leash get wrapped around any fingers, but everyone should do that.

Sliced the f*ck outta my left index a few years ago. Sliced a nerve. I told the doc I played and he joked....you must not be that good or you would've been more careful.......he was dead on....bastard.

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A year or so ago I had carpel tunnel syndrome and couldn't play for a couple of months

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I once had carpal tunnel syndrome and I couldn't-- well, never mind what I couldn't do

To this day I won't go near a power saw. I know way too many carpenters who are missing pieces of fingers,

Tony Iommi had a boo boo, and he did just fine.

Great photo of Tony's prosthetics.

Can you tell us the approximate year of this photo? These prosthetics look like his "home made" set.

I think he's got some professionally made pieces now.

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I'm learning to play more fingerstyle stuff so I'm growing the fingernails out on my right (picking) hand.

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Good luck with that. It's typically a lifelong, high maintenance operation. Players like Tommy Emmanuel and Steve Howe don't do it; they use flesh, though I expect their picking fingers are decently callused. Tommy does use a thumb pick.

If you want to get ridiculous, see James Taylor on Youtube discussing his nails regimen.

Ive been playing 20+ years have never seriously injured my fret hand until 2 weeks ago .

I was slicing vegetables to make shrimp & grits and hacked the tip of my ring finger off (my most important finger of all 10). I immediately thought of not being able to play guitar when it happened. I was able to still play somewhat, (basically no lead stuff or chord phrasing) and it actually helped me focus on right hand metal rhythm stuff and I wrote a ton of power chord metal riffs over the last few wks. I used my pinkie to compensate for power chords. Finally was able to play a little lead a few days ago and really bending up into a very aggresive vibrato is the only thing that still hurts. I will certainly be more cautious now. I became complacent being as that I cook so often.

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Great photo of Tony's prosthetics. Can you tell us the approximate year of this photo? These prosthetics look like his "home made" set. I think he's got some professionally made pieces now.

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I think that photo was during their 2013 tour.

I'm reading his book. He said at first he made his own "thimbles" but now he has them made for him. I think he said he only has three pairs at a time: The set he uses, a backup pair that he keeps on him at all times, and a back up set that his tech keeps on him at all times. He literally never goes anywhere without them.