Any cyano-acrylate glue ("superglue") will work. "Superglue" was invented for surgeons who needs a fast acting adhesive to hold bits of internal organs, blood vessels and such together/closed while they applied teenie-tiny stitches.

I was at a workshop on Saturday and the instructor was handing out little patches of moleskin for our thumbs because some of the beginners didn't have callouses on their thumbs yet. That's not my problem; I may need bigger gloves to accommodate my callouses! Just kidding. 

Kristi, try Liquid Skin or New Skin or any of those liquid bandaids.  They were actually intended to apply to your skin, which superglue was not, though it does work.  My cousin's cello teacher told him to use one of the liquid bandaids when his fingers couldn't go any more but he still wanted to practice. Plus, it's good stuff to keep around the house.

Ken,

What brand of super glue? I looked at Ace Hardware and there were several types.

No callus left since I can't play for a few more long weeks - surgeon said NO looking down at instrument until perhaps end of November assuming I get rid of the neck brace then.

Superglue is a good skin coat while developing callus.  Also Liquid-Skin and similar products which are acetone based.

D, I used to have calluses from playing bowed dulcimer and look forward to developing them again when life allows.  :)

Robin,

I'll have to watch. I'm figuring it's from sliding. I love to use my thumb on a slide. :)

Also, I think my fingers and/or thumb are shorter and I have to do some odd hand/finger configurations to reach chords. My thumb has been invaluable for this! :)

D Chitwood, have you determined what about your play is giving you the callus on the side of your thumb?  

PS- i didn't even notice anything about a misspelling!  Even if I had I wouldn't have cared.  ;)

I have heard that if you develop calluses on your fingers, you're pressing down with more force than necessary.  So, if that's true, then I guess that's what I'm doing, because I have a lot of calluses on my fretting hand and none on my fingerpicking hand.

Clear fingernail polish applied in several layers with drying time in between each layer, makes a great temporary callus if you suddenly lose one (after spending a lot of time in pools or doing dishes, I guess!).  As some here have reported, when you change instruments, sometimes you start developing calluses in new places!

I, too, have found a fingertip callus good for pull-offs!

Haha, well, thank goodness for editing tools! :)

Good one Dusty.  

One way to hasten the development of calluses is to soak your fingertips in vinegar or olive brine or something like that.  Old school baseball players used to urinate on their hands to toughen up the skin. If you do that, though, please don't play my dulcimers. 

Some people's personalities have similarly marinated in vinegar, which hastens the development of callousness.  Certainly no one here at FOTMD, though.

I have to chuckle every time I see this thread. 

Callous means "showing or having an insensitive and cruel disregard for others."

Callus means "a thickened and hardened part of the skin or soft tissue, especially in an area that has been subjected to friction."

Occasionally I have been described as callous, but have never developed callus from playing dulcimer

No callus on my thumb because I generally don't use it much.  Pretty solid calluses on my other four fingers.  But I also play guitar, which is how I got them in the first place.

Sheryl-  haha you got me on that one.  ;D

Same places as you D, but since recently recruiting my little finger, I am working on building one up on the side of my pinky too.

Strumelia, What about your shortest middle finger?  

I just play with the index finger on the melody string, mostly sliding, and build up a callous on the left hand side of my finger tip.

Must have something to do with how I hold my finger down that gives the lop sided effect.

If I've been playing a lot then it can get to the point where the strings start to catch or dig into the callous, helpful on pull offs but better to file it down some.

I always get my biggest callus right at the tip of my longest middle finger.   I laugh because when I recently got into my bones playing frenzy, I actually got a small callus started on the side of one of my fingers where the bones rub against it. 

I play with a noter so I don't have to develop any calluses...

So where have y'all developed your callouses? 

My most seasoned callous (much to my surprise) is the side of my thumb. Next in line is the slight side of my middle finger then the side of my ring finger and barely..well, not really on my pointing finger.  I have no idea why the callous is to the side. Now I'm going to have to watch my fingers and see what's going on, ha!