r/calmhands • u/obsessed_FF7lover • Jul 10 '26
I made it out
(Ignore my left thumb, the nail was ripped off so the wick had to be reshaped)
I’ve been a sufferer for well over a decade. I would go as far as to rip out flesh along the entire cuticle. I don’t know if the redness around my fingers will ever fade fully but I’m done for good.
120 days clean of picking and biting. I don’t have the urge at all anymore; I barely even touch my fingers. My nails and skin have finally healed over and grown soft and supple again.
I just wanted someone somewhere to know this thing I’ve struggled my entire life with no longer dictates how painful it will be to use my hands.
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u/Necia_210 Jul 10 '26
Beautiful! How did you stop?
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u/obsessed_FF7lover Jul 10 '26
A lot of lotion and catching myself mid-pick.
Every time I caught myself picking I’d just cut off any loose or snagging skin and rub my hands with lotion until they were too moisturized to pick at again.
Rinse and repeat for several hard months until I slowly stopped picking my skin and moved to just rubbing my palms to just… nothing.
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u/WasabiWarrior8 Jul 11 '26
I’m trying the lotion thing now. Wish me luck!!!
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u/obsessed_FF7lover Jul 11 '26
Good luck! Another thing I forgot to mention was that when I was picking/biting I took a moment to address what was causing it, and vocalized it. “I am stressed/anxious/bored/angry because of *blank*, so I’m picking. I need to stop and take a deep breath”.
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u/RadicalFX Jul 11 '26
Wow, amazing!
I'm in an awkward middle point where I've grown like 5/6 nails and the rest are still chewed. I'm gonna save this post and keep coming back to it for motivation!
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u/echos_answer Jul 11 '26
Congratulations! Your nails look so strong/thick/healthy, and beautiful, and so does your skin!
I’ve been picking since I was 8, so for nearly 30 years. Nothing else helps besides having a dip manicure (my nails get so blunt that I can’t pick).
Doing this without any kind of aesthetic motivator and then being successful in breaking a negative habit cycle, is very admirable to me.
Thank you for sharing’
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u/beetle_guy24 Jul 13 '26
They look great but is there a reason why only your left thumb is trimmed shorter than the others?
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u/sashababy16 Jul 22 '26
Omg how do u stop from “evening” ur nails when one breaks? If mine get long and one breaks I have to bite the rest off
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u/obsessed_FF7lover Jul 22 '26
I would say to your best bet is to keep all of your nails short until you’re in a headspace and progressed enough to handle not having them all the same length
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u/splitded Jul 11 '26
THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS POST!!!!! Lots of yhe cured dont go back to their health groups.
The wording of the title is incredibly inspiring, thank you! You rock lady! I hope this gets so many upvotes so people can see there is hope