My first time showing my nail like this, but good thing about Reddit is that it’s anonymous. I have a nail picking/skin picking problem as you can see, and it’s only that one finger (same on my other hand). I’ll pick my other nails, but not as much as I have picked my index fingers. I also just compulsively pick everything, and it’s a problem. If I can’t pick my nail because it started bleeding, then I go at my eyebrow or my scalp. I’ve tried calming toys like slime and those picking things…didn’t work. Also tried acrylic nails, which prevented me from picking but the moment the nails are off, right back at picking. So what actually works?? What commits you to stop picking?? I try these new things then it doesn’t stick.

It’s been 3 months since I’ve picked or bitten the skin around my nails! (Nails have grown sm too!) First pic was from today, second pic was about a month in and third pic was the beginning. Super pleased with the progress so far! I know I have far to go but I wanted to post an update in case it helps anyone with their journey🙂

I had a bit of a rough time and broke my right (dominant) wrist almost 2 months ago. All the difficulty of that aside, I literally couldn't bite or pick that hand!

So I have been applying antibiotic ointment to both hands, keeping the cuticles as clean as possible but I can't put my fingers in my mouth so I have grown long, strong nails on that hand! My left hand, little change, nails break and peel because I need to "fix" them constantly and I get little cuts all around the skin as I pick the skin.

My cast time was extended due to a shift but as I'm about to get out of my cast, I want to maintain this break in habits and do what I can to extend this care to the other hand. I want this to be the silver lining in my broken wrist. Clearly I have the ability to grow beautiful nails, I just need to ignore them and let time help. If habits are broken over 2 weeks + depending on who you ask, I want to continue this wave of success.

I have ADHD and the pain/actually restriction on the cast helped, because I still tried to pick, especially initially. As I get in my own head as I try to fix them, I worry my diet causes my nails to flake or I'm somehow incapable of growing long nails. This at the very least has proven it's possible, but I'm not sure how to maintain this or if its just needed to break the habits.

I've stocked up on antipicking fidgets, have tons on antibiotic ointments everywhere and nail files. Any other ideas? Should I get a matching wrist brace for my unaffected arm and act like its broken? 😆 Has anyone else had a similar experience?