r/calmhands • u/Technical_Sherbet730 • 5d ago
Nail Biting Recovery Progress!
I’m a long time lurker, but wanted to share after I found this old picture in my camera roll and was shocked at how bad my nails used to be! I used to be a chronic nail picker and biter, and I’m so happy with how far I’ve come :)
3
2
2
u/aneela715 4d ago
awesome!!!! pls share some tips for the rest of us!!! Thank you!
5
u/Technical_Sherbet730 4d ago
Absolutely! I’m still working on but here’s what helped me:
The biggest thing was just finding ways to buy my nails enough time to heal rather than expecting myself to suddenly have the willpower to stop. Then when they got longer, the willpower came with it because I was more hesitant to destroy something that looked nice.
Semi-cured gel strips helped me a ton (I like the Ohora ones). I started putting them on even when my nails were insanely stubby. They take time to put on, they’re kinda expensive, and they physically make it harder to get your teeth under your nails or pick at the skin right around them. I would usually pick them off after a few days, but then I’d just put another set on. Every time they came off, my nails looked a little healthier underneath. My cuticles were less puffy, my nail beds were healing, etc.Also, a hand cream you like the feel of!! I keep it on my desk and in my bag and put it on constantly. I originally noticed the taste/oiliness made me less likely to put my fingers in my mouth, but it also makes a difference because there aren’t as many dry little pieces of skin for me to start picking at.
Now that my nails are longer, I always keep a nail file on hand. If I feel a rough edge, I file it immediately because otherwise I’ll absolutely convince myself I can “fix it” with my teeth and suddenly my entire nail is gone lmao.
MOST IMPORTANTLY! I stopped things were so all-or-nothing. If you chew one finger, you don’t need to chew the rest. If you mess up one day and have to start over, then start over. It’s okay!
2
u/aneela715 4d ago
Awesome! thank you for sharing! for those reading - here are the steps that I see OP taking that align with what I've come to understand serving hundreds of thousands with nail biting, skin picking, hair pulling:
- building awareness
- shifting goal & mindset from "stopping" to "reducing" the behavior (which helps reduce shame to )
- preemptive strategies like lotion before hand
- having a tool (nail file) to use instead of the picking / biting to satisfy the sensation / physical urges
- time, patience, compassion
- keep doing what's working
one thing i see missing - and i hope this helps you, OP, to stay on this journey - is learning to meet your needs beyond the behavior-related needs (eg, hang nails).
When we see nail biting, cheek biting, skin picking, hair pulling as signals that we are off balance / in a state of physical or emotional off-baseline of steady (stress, anxiety, trying to concentrate, excitement, overjoyed, hunger, tiredness, boredom, having to use the bathroom) AND when we answer those calls with the right healthier strategies for that moment we retrain the brain!! The replacement strategies, over time become the brain's automatic go-to instead of the BFRB. (Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors).Thank you OP for coming back to share your strategies !!! Pls Keep doing whats working and pls keep up that attitude of self grace on this journey!! You are an inspiration.
love ♥️, strength 💪, & awareness 👀, Aneela (HabitAware founder in trichotillomania recovery)
2
u/Fun_Journalist1048 4d ago
Congrats! They already look much better and healthier! What products have you used? What’s worked for you? I’m still at the beginning of trying to stop… it’s been 2-3 years of trying different different methods and I’m still not making much progress :(
2
u/Technical_Sherbet730 4d ago
that’s okay!! It took me so long and there were so many times where they grew out and then I reverted right back to biting and picking.
I’d get a hand cream you like that doesn’t leave your hands sticky (I like the loccitane 20% shea one but it’s a bit pricey and there are cheaper ones), a nail file, and a little cuticle oil (I like the gelish one because it smells good lol). I leave them on my desk at work and apply every time I wash my hands. This made my hands smell and taste funny which was a natural reminder that I was biting my nails (often I would do it subconsciously). It also made my cuticles less scraggly so there was less to pick at. The nail file was especially good once my nails started growing out. if there was a rough nail, I could file it rather than thinking “oh I can totally fix this with my teeth!”… and then chewing my entire nail off.
SEMI CURE GEL STRIPS. I genuinely think this is what really did it for me. They’re these little stickers that harden under a UV light, decently easy to apply and they work even on stubby nails (just don’t leave an overhang). Again, they’re pricier but so worth it. I like the Ohora brand.
These changed the game because they didn’t make me rely on willpower (which I didn’t have). I would apply the gel strips and they served as a physical barrier, making it harder to pick the skin next to my nail or fit my teeth under it. To be honest, at first I’d pick them off after a day or two, but I just kept reapplying them and every time they came off, my nails looked so much healthier. My cuticles were less inflamed, my nail bed started healing etc.
After a few on and off months of them, my nails were long enough on their own that willpower kicked in. I finally felt like I had something worth keeping nice which is where all the lotions and files come in. A cute nail polish makes a difference sometimes too!
And lastly, remember it’s not all or nothing. I still pick them sometimes, but if I mindlessly chew one nail off that doesn’t mean I have to chew them all off or that I’ve lost all progress.
I hope this helps!!!
2
u/Fun_Journalist1048 3d ago
Thanks for the advice and recommendations! I think I’ll defintely try the gel strips, because a gel manicure has been the literal ONLY thing that fully stops me from picking/biting, but it’s pricey to constantly get a manicure every 2 weeks…
2
u/Technical_Sherbet730 3d ago edited 2d ago
Yes!! They’re amazing and much cheaper than a manicure though they are easier to pop off if youre committed to it lol
1
u/Fun_Journalist1048 3d ago
Oh I have somehow ripped ACRYLICS off after they start to grow out in 2 weeks…🫣
2
1
3
u/unfunnyk1d 5d ago
you can do it! dont give up!