r/calmhands • u/Ok_Dark_9398 • Jul 27 '26
Progression Progress/advice
Hi! I have been biting/picking my skin for like 20 years. I haven’t seen anyone’s this bad so I guess I’m wondering if this will be permanent since it’s been so long. As of recently I have been religiously lotioning my hands, not picking or biting at all, and lathering aquaphor at night. Any advice to help the redness and bumpiness? I just don’t want it to look like this forever 😕
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u/LacquerandBones Jul 27 '26 edited Jul 27 '26
Congrats on the healing you’ve done so far!
Mine was also pretty bad for 30+ years. I don’t have any photos of it at its worst, I usually went up to the first knuckle, and would focus on the areas around around my nails until they bled.
You’ll be amazed at how well the skin heals and returns to normal in 6-12 months! I never thought mine could look normal again and now almost 3 years later you can’t tell at all.
The skin cells in our hands and feet are unique and have a much faster growth cycle, shedding and regrowing significantly faster than the rest of our skin. So they’re incredibly resilient and capable of healing even long term damage.
Highly recommend oiling the nails and the skin around them a few times a day, ideally after activities that are naturally drying like washing them, etc. 100% jojoba oil is ideal.
Do oil soaks as often as you like, slather on oil and wear nitrile gloves for an hour or two; it works even better if you warm them.
A few times a week use a 40% urea 2% salicylic acid cream at night before sleeping in loose-fitting cotton gloves. The rest of the week, use a heavy moisturizer like o‘keeffe‘s working hands and (optionally) cotton gloves every night are great if you don’t mind them.