Wanted to post a pic, because the confidence boost is real!

Having a layer of cemented down acrylics always helps me not bite and gives me at least 4 weeks to heal my nails and nail beds. This time, after I remove them, I will follow up by using the OPI Nail Envy Treatment to strenghten them.

I’ve heard of natural looking, colorless short acrylics for guys or really for anyone who doesn’t want the manicured look. Has anyone here tried those?

When I wear acrylics my hand fidgeting usually changes into something less destructive than biting. Like rubbing the acrylics against each other making it sound like an instrument, rubbing them against my lip, or scraping the inside of each finger one by one thoroughly with the acrylics. (The last one is actually a bit annoying.)

I have been an avid cuticle picker/peeler/biter for as long as I can remember. I tried every trick in the book to “keep my hands occupied,” and I always returned to lip or finger picking the first second I was anxious. It’s super embarrassing because I am a body worker, and destroying my hands that touch other people’s bodies is unacceptable. Something about this group made it click for my brain to start showing my body respect. It isn’t easy and I have to be super diligent about moisturizing and avoid rough edges that are so tempting to pick at. But I’m so happy about my progress. I didn’t know this was possible!

made a collage on Pinterest! The idea of “respecting my hands” has somewhat helped me as I try to kick this lifelong habit. I recently learned that picking is seen as self harm and I don’t want to hurt myself any longer!

Is it just me or does anyone also experience the same?

I have this addiction of pressing a sharpened fabric on the tip of my fingers till it is calloused. I wouldn't do it only for one finger though.

I'd sometimes do it with all my fingers to feel 'fair' but my usual victim is my ring finger.

It just feels ecstatic especially pressing it harder when it's already extremely painful and my finger nail base is already receding because of that repetitive behavior.

I know that it's just a loop of reward for my nervous system but I really wanna end it.

I've already tried many times to end it but my triggers is seeing a good piece of fabric that i could roll into a perfect sharp fabric to press it again and fantasizing how ecstatic that would feel.

I'm really guilty of this because it feels weird so i hide from people when i do it.

Comment down what your weird guilty addictions cause i wanna know if I'm alone in this.

I decided to clean my nails about a week ago and I had the bright idea to do that with this little screwdriver tool, and literally put it under my nails to get the dirt out. And now ever since my finger started hurting for a while I didn’t think too much about it, but now it feels so inflated, I can’t bend my finger all the way it just really hurts if I bump into anything

Can I drain this on my own?? I had an appointment over the phone n they prescribed me cephalexin and asked for pictures, but the first pic is the one I sent and the other 2 are how it looks now n it’s been like a day since I started taking the antibiotics, is it safe to drain on my own.?

I struggle greatly with picking my cuticles, ripping my nails all the way down to the bed, even going as far as biting them if they’re irritating enough. I’ve been trying press-ons but I still keep picking them off after a day or two.

I’ve seen a few posts about gloves or even bandaids? But I really want to press ons to work because they’re also pretty and because of how blunt and slippery they are, they prevent my other skin picking habits.

Is there a brand or a way you guys apply your press ons to keep them there? I have really wide thumbs too so it’s all weird.

Delete if this is inappropriate or if it doesn't belong.

These nails are from this past Thursday, 10/15. My nails didn't always look like this.

I have struggled with nail biting, hair pulling and skin picking since I was in the single digits year old. I am now in my 30s. I have been to this independent nail tech for 5 years and she has seen my nails in all sorts of shapes and conditions. She is sensitive towards me, my nails, their appearances and give me honest advice and work around it.

I give credit where it is due: I have come a long way but I still struggle with it. If you look closely, you can see my nails are not the same length. If you look closer at my thumbs, you'll see shredded skin.

I found this sub after going through other natural nail related subs. I am looking through posted photos and there are a lot of photos that are so relatable to me. Even the more graphic, blurred out photos, I have recognized on myself. I wish I found this sub earlier, or something like this, especially as a teen and in my early 20s. It felt isolating and embaressing to have layers of my fingers picked off, or a bald spot on the back of my head.

I keep oils near by to apply on after it happens. Its hard to stop once I start. But 'fixing' it afterwards helps me feel better. I changed my goals from stopping the behavior all together to coping with it and caring for myself with it afterwards.

Sorry for the really long post. Scrolling through this sub gave me a flood of emotions and memories and I wanted to share.

Tl;dr: I still struggle with nail picking but its not as bad as it used to be. Healing started with someone who didn't look at my hands with a gross expression.

Probably from nail biting

This Reddit motivated and inspired me so much that I humbled myself and went for a gel manicure. The nail technician was so kind, not judgmental, and took about an hour to remove all the calluses and dead skin around my nails. She did a gel manicure. I always feel French is a safe bet because it camouflages the shortness of the nail for now. At least that is how it feels for me. It’s not the best but it’s better than the beginning! I purchased cotton gloves to wear when I feel an urge. I already haven’t picked my nails. I made an appointment for two weeks and will make it a routine. I wasn’t spending money on myself but realize this is something I have to do for my health and confidence. Doing my best. One day at a time. She recommended Vaseline around the nails to keep the skin soft. Thank you again to this group!

I need an accountability partner who is willing to send and receive pictures of hands/face everyday for direct 1:1 accountability when we need extra help. End of the day we take pics of our hands and send to each other. Im open to the format.

Ideally female. Anyone open?
Maybe a group of 3.

I tried so many things to quit and thought about trying to quit many times, I'm only on day 3 but i haven't had a single day of not biting my nails since i was 7 years old.

Maybe to early to say, but right now it feels like I'm ready to let go, which is crazy because I never thought I would be able to. It was really like a switch in my head, whenever I tried to reduce it, it never worked. I guess cold turkey is doing it for me. Of course I need more time until I can say for sure

How have you managed to stop picking or tearing at the skin on your fingers? I also have OCD and a fear of serious illnesses. I was in Crete, Greece, with my family from October 6th to 13th, and I’m a huge animal lover. As is well known, there are many stray cats on the island; one day, I used my fingers to move a metal food can—bought from a store—from which two stray cats had been eating less than a minute earlier. I’m terrified that some of their saliva got onto my fingers and that I might contract rabies—EVEN THOUGH Greece is officially a rabies-free country. The mother cat hissed and spat when I approached, but that was likely just because her kitten was nearby and she was protecting it. In any case, this habit of picking at my skin causes a lot of stress—even while traveling—and it is EXTREMELY difficult to stop. Any tips would be greatly appreciated! My thumb was probably not that bad looking when I were in Crete, now I have eaten it even more, maybe due to stress etc. For my own peace of mind, I left a callback request to my local healthcare emergency service regarding the risk of rabies, even though there should be none. Thanks for the help!!

After exams and lots of nervous picking and biting I once again made it to this point.
I find using fidgets, keeping a nail set with sharps nail/skin cutters and using hand/nail lotion at least 3-6 times per day helpful. But of course there are time where even that won’t work.
Been a biter for almost 30 years so believe me, I know the struggle is real, just a reminder that it can get better <3

Yesterday I applied transparent nail polish on my nails and I am not going to bite them from here on I've had ENOUGH.

I want pretty nails I want to do nail art , I want to have clean nails . I want to click mirror selfie without hiding my nails .

My nails make me underconfident and ashamed of my self but no more.

Since my trigger is anxiety and stress it's gonna be tough it's gonna be a long process ,but who cares now that I've put my mind to it I've gotta this ✌🏿

I'm 22 (F) and i've been doing my nails myself since i was like 13 years old. I've always been into them ever since I remember. Like as a child I would always notice other people's hand and want to have them. I loved the way they effortlessly moved and by people i mean only women. So of course when I got to an age where I was allowed to have nails I did. So now I have so many nail products that I never feel satisfied with my nails whenever I do it. I always want to change them as soon as I do a certain design. I'm also very hyper aware of how each of my fingernails look. I was also a nail biter too I guess that's why I try so hard to make them look perfect. But they never seem to be what I want. I look at other peoples nails and I get jealous sometimes because they have perfect nail beds and I know this may not seem like a big deal but it very much is for me, their perfect nail beds make me so jealous. I don't know why I'm like this or if it's related to some sort of OCD but it lowkey is damaging my nails and I haven't been able to go a few days without having product on my nails. I can never seem to give them a break, and when I do they're kinda brittle and hurt so i put on just regular nail polish to protect them. I do love doing my nails and I don't hate them per se, because I stated I wanted other peoples nails, they're my babies and they mean a lot to me. Which is also weird in the way I am towards them. I feel crazy about them and I feel crazy that i even wrote this. Main issue that needs to be solved is how to stop trying to redo my nails a few days after I do a design. How do i learn self control? if anyone is struggling with anything like this pls lmk. I hate being alone in things.

I am a lifelong nail picker. It’s been my hardest habit to kick thus far. About a month ago I went for a Russian manicure and the fact that that refused to do my nails really inspired me to stop. I haven’t picked for about a month now , and have been using Kerasal and Onyx Hard as Hoof everyday, as well as sensory pads. Finally went for a gentle (no e-file) manicure. Here’s my progress!

I’m 33, and I have a baby, I don’t want him seeing me chew my nails and learn the same habit. I want to break this cycle!! I’ve tried stopping and relapse everytime. It is just so hard to stop. Please help me stop biting!! Thumbs and the skin around it get bitten a lot, so do my nails. Any and all suggestions welcome! I want to have hands that I don’t feel like hiding, from my son, husband, friends, family, colleagues… happy nails and hands! I also don’t really like polish, and bitter polish has not been a deterrent to me! 😓 Thank you community, please keep me accountable!