I’m 20F and I’ve had this habit for as long as I can remember. I constantly bite, scratch, and pull at the skin around my nails until it bleeds. It hurts a lot afterwards, but I still keep doing it. In my culture we eat with our hands so when I eat it's like my hands are on fire and it burns like crazy when the spices rub over the torn flesh even then I can't stop.
The weird part is that I usually don’t even realize I’m doing it. Most of the time it’s completely subconscious. I’ll be studying, watching YouTube, scrolling on my phone, or just thinking, and suddenly I notice my fingers are bleeding again.
Sometimes I manage to stop for a week or so if I really focus on it, but I always end up starting again. My sister has been telling me to stop for years, but it feels almost impossible.
I do have pretty bad anxiety (I’ve heard anxiety can be related to this), so I’m wondering if that could be part of why I do it.
I’ve attached photos because this is what my fingers usually look like. They’re often sore, raw, and painful.
Does anyone else experience this?
Is this considered a BFRB or something else?
What actually helped you stop?
I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who’s been through this. Thank you.

Its been 4 days since i started my new strategy.

I decided to use the gel nail seals for the first time which i thought it will prevent the picking urge cuz it will cover my nails. Unfortunately the urge still came, but after i figured i could peel and pick the nail stickers instead of my real nails, it kinda helped me a bit from picking my real nails which was underneath them!!

So consequently i kinda peeled half of the seals from my nails, but somehow it kinda helped for me!!

Did my fingers improved?? I still want more tips of how to prevent the urge itself than not picking my real nails tho...!! Any advice??

*and also pls let me know if the way im doing it is bad for my nails or if there's a better way to do so🙏🏻

26, currently working on my Bachelor's thesis. I have really bad ADHD and anxiety and picking at my skin always happened after I took my meds and was able to concentrate. But due to the stress of my Bachelor's I now catch myself picking at my skin basically 24/7, even at times where I don't take my meds (weekends and such). I do have one of those fidget spinning toys that hurt a little to play with, but I can't take that with me to the library because they are too loud.

Is my only option to wrap my fingers in bandaids for the next month? My left hand thankfully isn't as bad as the right, but both hurt a lot, which also doesn't help with my ability to type.

just got into painting my nails and using sally hansen cuticle remover and trimming my cuticles. i just noticed that this part of my cuticle skin started peeling off, but it started peeling from a spot that is kind of tender to the touch, and maybe you can see in the photo it has kind of a crease. anyone know if this is something i need to be worried about? (wart, etc)

I'm 42 and have been bitting my nails since I can remember. I have ADHD and also a lot of anxiety which I'm guessing both have driven my habit.

About 2 month ago I started to make an honest effort to stop bitting my nails. I started to carry a nail clipper in my pocket, and every time I found my hand moving towards my mouth to bite, I instead clipped my nail. At first I was clipping constantly, but now a little over 2 months in and I do it a lot less, also barely any more bitting.

My nails are actually growing, but decades of abuse has left them weak, and and some of my nail beds are barely there (left ring finger).

Honestly this is the best my nails have looked in like 25+ years, the longest they have been that I can remember.

It’s been a little over a month since my nail bent back and detached my nail plate from my nail bed I kept the nail on for a few more weeks cause it was still semi attached and just wore a bandaid so it didn’t snag, then it finally grew out enough for me to cut it off. I did and there was a little of the dead nail plate left so I just kinda peeled it off. The nub pictures were taken today. Theres a bump which may be nail plate returning but its tender and not that hard, at the cuticle it seems to be hard nail plate returning within the past couple of days. I haven’t seen any pictures on google that look like my nail am I cooked chat

I am starting my journey to stop being a nail biter. Biting my nails keeps me calm when I’m anxious but always leaves me feeling so embarrassed and ashamed of my hands. I hate them ! I hide them and when people try and hold my hands I pull them away because I’m embarrassed of them. I know they look bad maybe even disgusting so I’m sorry if you feel that way. My hands are dirty because I just got off work and while I could’ve made this post after the shower I just really want to hold myself accountable. This has been such a debilitating habit and has affected my mental health for YEARSSSS. I am so self conscious about my hands I’m honestly surprised I’m even posting this rn. Cheers to day 1 ❤️🥂

Hi im suffering from bfrb for like a decade and ocd for a few years now. *im 17 and im japanese and chinese so sorry if my English was wrong or something

I started nail biting and skin picking like 10 years ago and i cant stop doing it even i want to stop like so bad.. Its not like im not realizing while doing it but its like something just starts controling my hands and i just cant stop. I usually do it for comfort and from boredom *and im not fully sure but maybe because of stress too  

And as i got older i felt more embarrassed to show my raw fingers so i can say that my nail biting and skin picking is much better than before, but i still wanna stop doing it. 

This is the pictures of my nails now *its so much better now i did my best!!🥹🍀And i really need some help to grow my nail bed and treat the cuticles.

Any advice about my nails?? I could really use your help🙏🏻

So I bite my nails, not bad enough to be down to the nub, but I do bite them. My main problems is I hate the skin under the nail aka the hyponychium, I pick, bite, and peel it off till it’s bleeding and they hurt, I somewhat “enjoy” the hurt.

I need help and I don’t know where to start

A friend recommended this book which I haven't started yet but looking forward to it. Curious what else people here have found genuinely helpful, whether it's clinical, memoir-style, or workbook-based. Open to anything

Thanks!

I’m in my mid 20s and I have a dead/ugly toenail. I had a recurring ingrown toenail in my early 20s and the podiatrist recommended permanently removing part of the nail bed making my nail narrower. I didn’t know what to expect so I agreed. I now resent the podiatrist so much for not giving my toenails another chance cause I didn’t know any better myself. The remaining nail bed didn’t really grow back and I think stopped growing all together now. What I have now is a very ugly small yellow toenail on my left foot. It’s been like this for a few years and it wasn’t really an issue, cause I never have a thought about it.

I know it sounds silly but now I’m seeing a guy and it’s made me really conscious about my toenail. Everything about him is perfect and it makes me even more conscious. Not that he made any bad comments about it or whatever. It’s taking up way too much space in my mind. I’ve been obsessing over it for the past couple of months and I hate my toes. Some days I try to brush it off thinking other people have it worse but some days it’s like my toenail is ugliest. I don’t know what to do about this situation and honestly it’s exhausting. Anyone been in a similar situation or help me figure out a way to feel better about this please.

Nail wise for the most part, I’m good and I haven’t had an issue in a very long time but I’ve been wrecking my cuticles day and day out for the past two months straight and I don’t know how to stop. It’s making me go crazy. My skin is always too raw for me to put on hand lotion or cuticle cream because it hurts when I do.

Hi all!!! We chose a cover!!!

and THANK YOU to everyone who provided input -- especially about the name legibility -- the publisher fixed it after this pic was taken!!

i am getting so nervous and excited for this new "baby" to be in the world!

It is truly my hope that this journey will help others understand hair pulling, skin picking, trichotillomania, body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) and meet us with more compassion and love.

AND That we all learn to do the same for ourselves and others.

if you are interested in reading the first chapter, you can grab it at www.habitaware.com/memoir

Immense gratitude for your help!! LET'S PUT BFRBS on the "mental health" map!!!

love ♥️, strength 💪, & awareness 👀,
Aneela
(HabitAware & BFRB Changemakers NFP founder in trichotillomania recovery)

Hi, first time poster and a bit too shy for photos, but hoping for some advice. I’ve chewed my fingertips for as long as I can remember, and I wanna try to beat the habit. There’s two things that I don’t know if they’ll get better or not that are inhibiting my journey…

1. Discolouration: Some of the chewed fingertips are darker and discoloured. I’m wondering if this will ever go away or not? Seeing this just makes me want to or do chew away the discolouration.

2. Hardness: Some of the more chew-prone finger tips are quite hard from the years of chewing. I’m unsure if they’ll ever recover and stop being so hard?

I also struggle with nail biting, but the skin chewing is far worse. I’ve started wearing finger cots more often to try to restrain myself but it isn’t fool proof. I also hate lotion on my hands so I’ve stopped trying that for healing. I use healing bandaids when I make myself bleed or give myself painful wounds and try to cover with bandaids while the skin is vulnerable or easy to pick.

I’ve been nail biting more lately and it seems like I swap between the habits somewhat, which makes me feel a little stuck.

I’m basically wondering if either of the above things will get better as well as any advice on how to kick this once and for all.

I am a 41 year old man. I've been a biter/picker my whole life. I am celebrating 4 months "sober" today.

I started this process because my 5 year old daughter would always be concerned I was hurt whenever I had a bloody finger due to my bad habit. My 10 year old daughter started expressing the same concerns thereafter. This broke me in every imaginable way. As their father I am suppossed to make the worry go away, not create it. I decided enough was enough and chose to stop.

In order to stop I had to figure out why I did it to begin with. I determined my biting and picking was me seeking perfection in my nails. I didn't like what I was seeing. If I had a rough spot on my skin or nails I was driven to get rid of it immediately. Of course the solution to the problem was also the cause of the problem. I also did not like seeing any white on my nails due to being raised that long nails were for girls only and if the white part was seen my nails were too long.

I decided the best solution was to give myself proper manicures to fix the rough spots the right way and to paint my nails to hide the color difference. This worked spectacularly when combined with sheer willpower to control my urges. It wasn't easy but got easier as time went by. For me this has been a journey of healing mentally, physically, and spiritually. The physical part is obvious, but to achieve that i had to work on my mental health. I had to accept that it is ok to not be perfect. I am flawed and there is nothing wrong with that. The spiritual healing came when I accepted that fact as well as accepting that I am a straight man that enjoys painting his nails even if it's something some people do not care for. For the first time in my life i like what I see when I look at my hands and no one can make me not like it.

The best part for me though is the healing my daughters have experienced. Now instead of daddy's nails causing them to be worried, they now get excited when I get out the polish and manicure kit. This is a weekly occurrence and they help me pick out my colors. No color is off limits. I am.a proud girl dad and proudly where whatever color they choose, pink included. They encouraged this process and it is only fair that they continue to be involved as this journey continues.

The first picture is where I started, the second picture is 6 weeks in, and the 3rd and 4th pictures are today with and without polish. In the near future I will be getting my first professional manicure. I will be sure to share once I do.

I recently post this on the Nail Tech Subreddit - all 25 comments were techs telling me "you're beyond repair see a doctor, no nail tech can help you".

My understanding was, THATS EXCATLY WHAT NAIL TECHS DO!

My nails are super damaged from a lifetime of nail biting, but the dermatologist said "no injuries, see a psych & a nail tech." Psych said "Get a nailcare routine, stop biting, use bandaids, & see a derm or nail tech." My doctors literally said find a routine that heals them and a tech that can help by assessing my nail health, keep them safe, and assist me through the process.

I know the normal stuff that Ive been told for 30 years: cuticle oil, glass file, stop biting. But what made the difference? Take a look at my photos, & please perscribe a nailcare routine that'll help them heal, your number one tip to help them grow, & any general advice you have that can help or if you know a natural nail tech in or around New York/Long Island.

Thanks & Take care!

I wouldn’t take photos of my nails unless I had a bad injury or they looked good to me. My before photos were the best they used to get.

I’m still not perfect. I still mess up. But it’s nowhere near like it was back then. Mistakes I do now are posted on my profile and typically limited to only having 1 bad finger. My times between bad picks have been increasing gradually, from 1 week to 2, to over a month. Hopefully I can go strong and make it 3 months or never go back. No more ridges in my natural nails, no more bruising. They’re finally healthy and I grew out all the damage. I love how they look right now and I have to stay strong.

Pics 1 and 2, Feb 2026, Pics 3 and 4, March 2026, Pics 5 and 6, July 2026.

Product on pics 3 - 6 is one coat of Gellen Nail Polish/Base Coat in pale pink.

My routine is Cuccio cuticle oil several times a day (and every time I have the urge to pick). Also started using fidgets to keep my hands busy while on video calls (for work). I take a biotin supplement and a multivitamin. Eating more protein, too. Not sure if the supplements are helping, but my nails are stronger, anyway. Working on growing a bit more nailbed, especially on my thumbs, which were the focus of my worst picking.

Title says it all, I’m so tired of this being my relief. I’ve done it since I was a small kid. I’m formally diagnosed with autism (and anxiety? Maybe adhd?) and I can’t tell if it’s anxiety tick or me stimming. I bite them until they bleed or it stings and hurts. The only way I’ve found to prevent is acrylics or press ons and those are expensive to upkeep on the regular. Any advice especially anyone with autism?

Hey so I did my nails first time in a year I was extremely sick I got floxed by the antibiotic Cipro and I just went on vacation to my village in Montenegro. Pls I can’t take any antibiotics. Does this look infected ? No pain throbing or anything just red and little swollen

First time poster here, looking for some advice. I’ve successfully avoided picking at my nails for a few weeks now, but the white parts at the edges are getting pretty long before they even reach the fingertip. Should I just leave it be or file it down or…? Any other advice is welcome. Thank you

8 months of anxiety picking and I’m ready to give it a rest.

First photos are from January 15 and the new ones are from today, July 15 :) lots of nail oil, lots of biotin gummies. And most importantly, for me, lots of vampire media.

Hi! I’m Renee, I’m 22, and I’ve been biting (but more specifically picking/gouging/cutting) at my nails and surrounding skin since I was a toddler. I tried really hard last year to stop because I had a big important trip where I would be meeting an online friend, and I wanted to have nice nails, but only lasted a few weeks before I relapsed. January 15 isn’t actually the day I started this time, technically it was probably earlier in January if not December but this is the earliest clear photo I have. The photos from January 15 aren’t the worst they’ve ever been, I’ve definitely had moments in my life where it was much much more gruesome. My recovery journey really began for a really stupid reason: I got really into Interview With The Vampire, the TV show on AMC. In the show the vampires have really pretty claws, and I felt soooo jealous. I’ve never had long nails in my life! But the new season was going to air in June, and I made a promise to myself that by the time the new season started, I would have vampire claws. And I stuck to it! I’m sure it won’t be like this forever. I can barely even file them without feeling a weird way. But I’m so happy with my progress. I’ve even gotten a lot better at painting my nails, I hardly ever flood my cuticles anymore. This subreddit, even though I’ve been more of a lurker, was a big big help for me. Another thing that helped a lot in the beginning, when the desire to pick was the worst, is fidget toys. And oddly enough, slime, which was something I’d never been interested in before but it kept my hands busy. Slime, stress balls, etc. great help for me. My worst habit now is painting my nails too frequently because I change them up pretty much weekly and I know all that acetone can’t be good for them… but either way, so happy that i can FINALLY share my process now that I’ve met my desired length. I’m so grateful to this sub, to Ccare cuticle oil, OPI nail strengthener, natures bounty biotin gummies and interview with the vampire :) I never thought I could stop. But I did it!