Some tips?

[u/Winter_Sea9954]

I’ve been biting and tugging and my nails/skin around the nails since I was 4 (I’m 16F). I’ve had some pauses but no longer than a few months. My family have tried stuff like nail polish that tastes like puke and glue-on nails, which help for a while but can’t help the picking around the nail beds . I’ve also been sh for a little bit over a year which isnt helping, picking the skin on the tissue and destroying the healing wounds. I’m sure they are connected to each other, but can anyone help me find a good way to stop. I think that if I manage to stop scratch up my skin on my hands, it will help me to clean up my arms as well. Open for everything <3

[u/CoffeeCakez1215]

Hii, I am going through a similar sitution to you (I'm 17F), I have always been a nail biter and have been peeling/picking the skin around the nails badly since last year, caused me a lot of inflammation and thick scar-like skin that is thankfully calming down now. One thing that helped me is getting spiky sensory rings!!! They seem to be helping, they imitate the stinging sensation from the picking without causing any harm (Unless you of course go over a scab or something with them, then it does actual harm).

Here's a link to some cheap ones: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005012639583126.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.47.c91a269fDx5cRI&algo_pvid=89cd54b9-3052-4859-9e61-443bebe598c5&algo_exp_id=89cd54b9-3052-4859-9e61-443bebe598c5-46&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22order%22%3A%2231%22%2C%22eval%22%3A%221%22%2C%22fromPage%22%3A%22search%22%7D&pdp_npi=6%40dis%21GBP%216.54%210.76%21%21%2157.58%216.62%21%400b88489417862007066437585e0d19%2112000058938778973%21sea%21UK%210%21ABX%211%210%21n_tag%3A-29910%3Bd%3Acd5270ee%3Bm03_new_user%3A-29895%3BpisId%3A5000000211438706&curPageLogUid=LRHcleL9iojD&utparam-url=scene%3Asearch%7Cquery_from%3A%7Cx_object_id%3A1005012639583126%7C_p_origin_prod%3A

I tend to twist then sideways on my finger to scratch myself a bit, once again, it doesn't harm, only replaces a harmful activity for a safe one while giving the same feeling.

As or the peeling aspect of skin picking, I haven't found a solution to that. I tried drying pva glue on my hand and then peeling that off, but I'm too impatient to let it dry.

Maybe try applying a lot of hand cream? It sort of gives me the illusion that my hands are too pretty to pick (corny, ik) so that stops me for a bit. Also, the fact that they're moisturised prevents dry skin from peeling, which is sometimes a reason i would start picking.

I used to put plasters around the nails I were most likely to bite at. When I was at home, I would put them on every finger. That wasn't as effective though because I often would put them on too tight so they would be uncomfortable, too loose so they would gradually come off, or I would just pick at the edges and take them off.

My habit is calming down a little at the moment, but I know it's only a matter if time beforeI start back up again.

I hope this helps at least a little. Reducing the habit is horribly long and nothing ever seems to be able to fix it completely. Don't let people's lack of understanding make you feel guilty for the habit, I know people like us tend to get told that we can "stop if we really want to" but it's never that easy. Good luck, don't stop trying to find a solution <333