Do most people have calluses on their fingertips when playing a stringed instrument or am I pressing down too hard? Anyone else have this problem? Do you put anything on them to soften or make it look aesthetically more acceptable?

i have and it hurts but iam getting used to it as i practice more

Oh goodness!! Same here ... they are quite sensitive. I tend to practise less on a day that the fingers feel particularly sensitive. But then I go for the normal prac time the following day/evening. I believe it is like athletics. As long as the pain is not debilitating, a little effort will improve getting used to them. I dont put anything on them ... it is the mark of a violinist

My son just developed some callus on his fingertips. He is just starting vibrato and presses very hard.
His teacher says that it is not good to have callus on fingertips as it makes your fingertips less sensitive.

i have calluses on mine, but i have had for years, so i dont ever remember them hurting :D i dont put anything on them, like someone said, its the mark of a violinist :D

Yeah. I get them too, but I'm slowly getting used to them since I've only been playing for almost 3 years.

I got calluses and still do but they don't hurt.

i have calluses but my teacher says it's a good thing, it means that i'm practicing and playing as often as i should.

I have calluses. Don't worry, the pain goes away quickly(if they even hurt)! They get really hard when you first get them, but they soften as time goes by