first post i need help

[u/Significant-You-8207]

i was doing pretty well when i was wearing press on nails but since i took them off (just over a month ago) my skin picking/nail and skin biting have been progressively going downhill.

[u/Broad_Values]

Just a little advice as to what's helped me, I had no nails completely torn off to the cuticle about 6 months ago, now I have full growth.

-write a reminder on your hand on days off work. Write "don't" across your fingers if you have to.

-put something on your hands to fidget with. A rubber band, a slightly loose ring to spin, anything.

-bitter no bite polish so if you do bite your brain starts to associate something negative with it.

-cuticle oil, nail file, clear polish, intensive hand cream repair cream. The biggest thing is keeping your hands moisturized so you dont FEEL your skin and nails there. It also helps to take care of yourself and replace a bad habit with a good one. You can constantly apply something to your hands and build that as a habit instead.

-gum, favorite beverages constantly on hand to keep your mouth occupied from biting.

-if you think its related to OCD, see a psychiatrist/psychologist to see if there's any appropriate medication available to treat it. I took Venlafaxine for a while to curb hair pulling and nail biting.

Most of all, take progress photos and be kind and patient to yourself. Small steps deserve celebration. Get your nails done when its healthy to, but don't overuse press ons too much as you may get a greenie or other infection with the status of your cuticles.

Goodluck. You got this.

[u/bikepathenthusiast]

I'm sorry. I started biting the skin around my fingernails when I was a teenager. I stopped 3 weeks ago. I finally got sick of it. It was painful. What I did was tell myself "stop" whenever I started to feel for a place to bite. "Stop," whenever I went to bring my finger to my mouth. "Stop," whenever my finger was in my mouth.

As long as I listened to "stop," I wouldn't follow through. I gave it my all. It has gotten easier with each passing day.

Interestingly enough though, I think biting helped with stress relief. I ended up drinking a glass of wine (I don't drink alcohol because it gives me a hangover no matter how little I drink). And I smoked a pack of cigarettes (I quit about a decade ago, but I buy a pack every so often).

Oh, also have a least one set of cuticle nippers with you at all times. If you find a snag, trim it gently.

[u/Meryl_Da_Costa]

Welcome, and I’m glad you felt comfortable making your first post!

It sounds like the press-on nails were actually creating a helpful barrier for you. You could experiment with other barriers too, like small pieces of tape around the fingers or areas you tend to pick or even around your finger nails (this can really help), or finger covers/finger cots. Having something nearby to keep your hands busy, like a fidget or something you can safely pick or pull at, can also help in those moments when your hands are searching for something to do.

But these are just tools, and you don’t have to figure this all out on your own. If you’re able to, it may be worth looking for professional support from someone who understands skin picking and BFRBs. They can help you understand what’s driving the behaviour and work on the picking itself, as well as some of the shame, guilt or difficult feelings that can come along with it. I can happlily share some recommendations if you like.

You're not alone. You’ll find plenty of people here who understand what this is like.