Tearing fingers? I've never heard of such a thing. There must be something wrong with you. Ok, so I'm full of it. What with all the sliding, bending and slamming across rigid edged strings it seems only natural to me that your fingers would tear up. Mine do that all the time and I've never felt any form of actual pain that's prevented me from playing so I'm not worried about it and judging by what I've heard from everyone else I've talked to neither should you. If anything I'd say it's a good thing, it shows you that you're actually playing. You don't get calloused fingers by leaving your guitar in its bag all day.