I have been biting my nails since I was 3 and I’m REALLY trying to quit for good this time… After not biting or picking my cuticles for the last 2 weeks I’m in that dry flaky phase so I thought painting my nails might make me less vulnerable to picking! How did I do? I’m right handed so I always like how my left hand looks more but any tips other than just practice?
I can't remember when I started my nail biting and cuticle picking habit, but I'd imagine it was around the time I accidentally slammed my thumb in the family van door when I was like 5 or 6. It formed one of those blood bubble things under the nail, and I recall starting to mess with that and just continuing to mess with my nails and cuticles onwards for decades. Especially when I'd be anxious, it was like a frantic chomping the nails off and biting the skin along the sides until they were too tender to touch anymore. They'd heal after a couple days and I'd be right back at it. They were super fragile to rip anytime I'd have any growth under a set of nail extensions that I would remove, and as soon as they came into contact with water from a shower, they'd be flimsy and just tear. I would be so embarrassed of how my thumb nails looked anytime I went to a salon to try to hide the problem, and you could even see the ridges through the acrylic/gel on the thumbs so I started getting glitter or an opaque color on the thumbs specifically to hide that. I would walk with a fist formed around my thumbs just to hide them when they weren't disguised with a full set or dark polish. I tried many times through the years to stop biting, and I'd get some length, but the picking the cuticles is what causes those ridges to appear. The cuticles are apparently responsible for the properly formed nail plate formation. I only learned this last year, and decided enough was enough. So I cold turkey stopped biting, picking, generally traumatizing my nails as a whole, and when I saw that the cuticles were healing over the thumbs, I also saw that the new growth wasn't coming out with ridges. After 27 years of "scarred" thumb nails (I thought they were permanently scarred from the van door situation and a batting cage incident where my other thumb waa smashed betweenthe ball and bat), I was able to fix the problem. So there is hope, no matter how long someone has been dealing with the seemingly un-fixable habit-tic deformity. You CAN do it, you CAN HAVE NORMAL NAILS AFTER THIS CONDITION!!!:)
I was too embarrassed to take pictures of my nails when they were at their worst, but came across a couple from before I decided to try to stop biting AND picking cold turkey.
I have a bad habit of peeling the skin off my fingers. Every time I try to stop, I go back to peeling again, and I always realize it hurts when I do simple things like washing my hands. I discovered that if I cut my nails regularly, before they grow long, I can't peel the skin, but after that, even if they aren't long, I can. I tried wrapping my fingers with gauze or tape, I don't know what it's called, but it's no use. As soon as I take it off, I go back to peeling. The issue bothers me, and I don't know what causes it, but it's a little painful sometimes. What's the solution?
I went through two spells of nail bitting, when I was 5-6 and later in my teens. Though I was never blessed with long nailbeds, of which I've had a fascination with since I was a kid, they used to be much longer than they are now.
I'm 30 years old now. I haven't bitten my nails since I was a teenager and yet my nailbeds never fully recovered. I hate how short and uneven they are, so I leave a bit of a white tip to make up for it. I don't even use nail clippers, I just file them every other day because if it grows past a certain lenght it just begins to look ugly and unhygienic. I also push back my cuticles with my nails and sometimes teeth to maximize what little real estate I have. Sometimes I hurt the skin above the nail doing that.
The thing is, sometimes the divide between the nailbed and the tip is soft, almost like a natural french fade. This creates the illusion my nailbeds are longer and more nicely shaped, and makes me feel a lot more comfortable and confident with my nails.
But sometimes even hours later, not even a full day, I'll look at my nails and the white tip is suddenly very white and even bleeds into the nailbed, making it look even shorter than it is.. It highlights how short and ugly they are and I absolutely hate when it happens. It happened earlier today after washing the dishes with cold water. It looks so ugly I had to trim them shorter than I'd like.
The only nails I've noticed any regrowth were my thumbs. But I keep messing with them, not with biting but with my other nails and I think I just made them shorter for good this time, they're not reattaching as fast as they used to. I also still pick at the skin around the nails of my thumbs, sometimes causing it to reveal the very bright and sensitive skin underneath. It's very painful and I'm trying to stop.
I'm so frustrated. I can clearly see the outline of where my nailbeds should end at. There were times over the years where it looked like some nailbeds were going to reattach, but they never did.
I’m trying to stop picking my nails once and for all because I’ve done this for like my whole life. My left thumb specifically is the worst one. I’m worried I may have ruined it for good lol it’s really bad. I’ve started putting bandaids on the fingers I pick at the most at night (mostly just index, middle and thumbs) to cover them
This picture is embarrassing and I hesitated on even posting. I’ve bitten my nails since I was a kid and through adulthood I began picking at my cuticles. It’s become worse as the years go on. When I get my nails done, it seems to help, but when I take my nails off, I’m right back where I started. I tried to keep cuticle oil on me at all times and I also try to trim my cuticles frequently. However, the cuticle trimmer that I use often seems to be doing more damage than good. That is because I’m basically using a cuticle trimmer instead of my hands and it still causes me to bleed. I was thinking about buying some liquid bandage, but I’m not too sure if that’s a good option. What tips do you have for kicking the habit? I’m getting married in about a year and I really wanted to heal my nails before then.
Guys listen, my palms are very dry and rough... I need some suggestions to soften my palms... I feel very insecure because of my rough hands... I need some suggestions to soften my palms...I feel very embarrassed because of my hands. Please girls, tell me some simple tips so that I can make my hands soft...😫
I keep picking underneath it and it eventually becomes super painful.
It feels like a callous under the nail.
I assume it’s just constant moisturizer and willpower.
Have you figured anything out?
Guys I am in desperate need of help since my boyfriend of 4 Years wants to propose but I just hate how old looking my hands look. I am disgusted but I want to change it. Remember that I live in Europe and don’t have much money..
Polish: Wade a Minute (Holo Taco)
First two photos were taken in November 2025, and the third photo is today in June 2026 ❤️
With the exception of one day, I haven't picked them at all for over three months solid now! I don't think I've ever gone this long without picking in my life 😅
I've always known that being anxious causes me to pick more, but interestingly, I've found that making a conscious effort not to pick has made me less anxious. It's almost like picking was feeding into the anxiety as well as being a response to it! I'm interested to know if anyone else has had this experience?
I am desperately seeking advice on what to do. I have bitten my nails since before I can remember (I am 32 now) it got worse when I was about 13/14 when I bit one nail all the way down to the cuticle and slowly did it to four other nails and since then it’s stayed this way. It’s a subconscious thing that I just do, I’ll do it when I’m sad, happy, anxious etc. I also do this weird thing where I rub them over the stitching of my clothes and the broken sticking out bits of nail catch on. I bite and pick until they bleed, I’ve had numerous excruciating infections and even then I can’t stop.
I have tried EVERYTHING. The gross nail polish, false nails (not really an option now), I’ve gone to the doctors and was put on bupropion (didn’t work). Literally anything and everything, I have tried. When I’m in situations where I can’t bite or pick, like around other people etc I replace it with splitting my split ends and biting the skin off my lips.
I was diagnosed AuDHD 8 months ago, I don’t know if it’s related. But it’s got to the point where I can’t see a way out of it and it’s hindering me in a lot of ways. I’m so embarrassed so please be kind to me. My therapist suggested those picking fidget toys which I am going to try, although I have a sneaking suspicion it won’t help. So I come here asking if anyone has any advice or suggestions.
TYIA
So I have been picking/biting my nails and surrounding skin for 4 or 5 years. During the past 2 years I starting to also chew and pick at the skin at the base of my thumb in my palm and whatever the opposite side of my upper knuckle is called where my finger joint is. Does anybody else do this?
I occasionally experience tenderness and sometimes throbbing pain at the *corner* of my nail folds. It’s only ever at the top corners or just a little down the nail fold. Never on the rounded bottom part near the cuticle. As you can see it looks slightly red on the corner of the nail that is painful. But only ever so slightly - you can hardly tell.
I have been trying to no avail to figure out what is the actual cause. Can’t tell if it’s using harsh soaps or washing my hands too much that’s causing it, or dry skin, or nail trauma, or hang nails? My nails do tend to rip or break pretty easily, and if that happens I have a tendency to pull off the rest of the nail if I don’t have nail clippers handy. I also get hard, stiff hang nails that sometimes stick up along the nail fold that I have to trim.
Any thoughts? Also any suggestions on what I can do to (A) prevent this and (B) help it heal? It really hurts and is super annoying!
I pick at my fingers a lot and usually I put band aids on it which is why it might look like that, but uhh is this bad or
My dandruff and hair pulling/skin picking has all been so bad that I just wanted a fresh start, so I'd had this appointment booked for weeks as a "goal". I had a good week of not picking, but eventually the habit won out and I had, like, two really bad episodes right before my appointment, which was supposed to be tomorrow. I sent pictures to my stylist because I was so embarrassed of being potentially turned away in person, and she very professionally and politely suggested I reschedule.
I'm kind of crushed. I think I've also been having some hair thinning issues (going to a derm soon to figure out if it's the picking/pulling, the dandruff/sebderm, or something else), so I really wanted a pro to help me style it. But at this point, I honestly think I might just lop off the bulk of it (I have locs) so that I can wash and take care of it easier, and then hopefully I can have her shape and style whatever is left once I get my scalp health and picking under better control.
Would love some good vibes because I feel so embarrassed and gross rn :(
Bottom photo is about one month of using gel polish (x1 time) and builder gel (x2 times). My nails were super short to begin with so I was ecstatic with the growth.
However, when getting my last set of builder gel done, the nail technician mentioned there was some yellowing that could be the start of an infection/fungus.
I have 2 babies at home and am constantly washing my hands so I believe moisture was getting trapped between the gel/nail bed. I proceeded to get my nails done but couldn’t stop thinking about it and paid to get them removed 1 week later (complete waste of $$).
The top picture is one day after I got the builder gel removed. I couldn’t stop messing with my nails and relapsed. Now I’m back to square one (actually worse so -1) after seeing a glimpse of light at the end of a tunnel. Just wanted to vent my frustration of this failed attempt to stop.