Hello. I just joined reddit, and this is my first post, so sorry if things are formated strangely. I have been a nail biter my entire life. I have tried for years to stop biting my nails: Painting them, wearing mittens, bitter nail polish, etc. Sadly, the people in my life aren't the kindest about my nail biting habit, and so I can't really turn to them for advice. But I want to get better. I have a goal. My girlfriend wants to start painting my nails, and I want them to be long enough to where she can paint them, while still keeping them decently short (I play instruments). So, I guess: How can I keep myself from biting my nails, when nothing else has worked? Thank you!

This has happened to me so many times, I actively have two nails fully ripped off, and one that ripped just now. Totaling 6 nails that have done this. I know it will just grow back over time but I pick at it so it takes longer, and I can’t just walk around with medical gloves or something. Any recommendations would be a blessing, thanks

Hi !I'm new here I've got a really bat habit of picking my skin when I'm stressed with my nails or nail clippers

I do it until there's too much blood and I do this to most my fingers and the parts that are slightly healed are currently red scars; some of my skin is lacking, a bit deformed and sore.

I'm not sure how many days I should wait for it to be safe to go get my acrylic nails done. Should it be completely healed??? Cause I don't think I can hold myself back from doing it for that long Also I'm embarrassed to go to my nail artist with messed up fingers.

I have a really bad habit of biting my nails and I want to stop. I’ve considered buying the clear polish that tastes bad but I’m a chef so I’m constantly wearing gloves and washing my hands throughout the day. I also bite them a lot while I’m driving. Any tips or tricks would be helpful. Thanks!

For some background, I have KP (keratosis pilaris) on my arms and thighs and have had it my whole life. When I was younger I developed the habit of picking and squeezing at the KP bumps. I also had the habit of biting my nails for the longest time, which I stopped a couple years ago due to it starting to warp my nails and file down my teeth. Along with me not biting my nails, I also toned down the picking on my arms and legs and turned to healthier ways of treating my KP. The only habits I had after that were occasionally picking at my scalp and chewing the skin around my fingers. I was happy with my picking progress up until recently.

In April of this year, I was involved in an accident that caused a fracture and compression of my tibia plateau. I had surgery for it where I got titanium implants to fix my leg, but the healing period is 3 months of putting zero weight on my leg. In other words, I'm wheelchair bound and unable to walk until mid July. Since my accident, my picking habits started all over again but worse. I've been picking at my stomach, my scalp, the KP on my arms and legs, and more. It's gotten to the point where I decided to trim my nails really short in order to prevent myself from doing further damage, but I don't like doing that. I think the cause of my "relapse" is the stress of going through a traumatic event and having my life turn upside down because of it. I also have diagnosed anxiety and ADHD, so the very little stimulation my brain is receiving from being basically bedridden probably doesn't help.

I've been looking into getting fidget toys or something to keep my mind and hands busy, but I wasn't sure if there was anything else I could do to prevent my picking problems? Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated! 💛

seeing the missing thumbnail posts recently have reminded me of where I once was vs. where I'm at now, and wanted to share the things that have worked for me, personally.

1. anti anxiety meds. pretty self explanatory, but my anxiety exacerbated picking and when I got it under better control I picked less!

2. NAC supplement. one of my doctors recommended this bc it supposedly has some evidence supporting it being effective on ruminative thinking and behaviors like skin picking, and I honestly think it's been really helpful. maybe it's the placebo effect, but it's worked for me.

3. press on nails. press on nails not only cover up my natural nail, making it impossible to pick at them, but it also gives my nails less strength to pick at cuticles or my face.

good luck everyone!!!

Hi,

My hands are looking crazy right now, and I’ve noticed a pattern where I pick more during PMS, which makes me think hormones play a part in this.

Have you noticed patterns of skin picking during your cycle? Days where you pick less and days where you pick more?

How do you deal with these days where the only thing that helps is peeling skin?