im 20 and ive been eating my finger skin all my life.

Posted December 24th, 2008 by jacksmome08

i'm 20 and i'm happily married and i have a 6 1/2 month old and i'm pregnant again. but all my life, i mean...since i can remember. i have always bitten and eatin the skin off my fingers, i used to bite my nails too but i stopped that. and i eat the skin on my lips sometimes and even scabs when i get them, i used to cut myself just to get scabs so i could pick them. my husband helped me stop that. the biggest thing i do now is just bite my fingers. and i like doing it, its weird, and my fingers look horrible but it makes me feel better. but i'm afraid of future problems with the skin on my fingers, cuz i've been doing it for years. and i haven't found a way to stop. even strong will doesn't help.

On October 27th, 2011 daisydoodle said:

Oh My Goodness, i had no idea other people did this, it's really endearing to see this, i want to stop this vile habit i think i must have been doing it for about 10 years and i'm 16, i used to suck my forefinger and occassionally bite my nails, but i have found that since i started college and can where nail polish it stops me biting my nails. I can't kick this habit thought, i searched nail biting and how to stop and there are some techniques like... limiting yourself to one finger on each hand then stopping or telling friends and when you do they should give you grief. I don't know if that would work though... How do people stop??? I can't stand it when people see it and ask what's wrong i just lie and say i burnt it or something, but if they ask me if i bite the skin i don't deny it, there's only 3 people who know i do it and it is impossible to stop, any ideas???

On July 19th, 2012 caraboo21 said:

Hi, I went on this site about 6 months ago and was stunned to see how many people did the exact same thing as myself. I went to a psychologist to try and stop and she told me I'd probably never stop biting my fingers. I couldn't accept that and I didn't go back. I found a CURE!!!! It's been over 2 moths and I haven't biten. My fingers are healed and my compulsion dissolved within 2 days. Have you ever heard of energy medicine or energy psychology? Emotional Freedom Technique or E.F.T. is what dissolved my compulsion. All in all it took 15 minutes and I haven't had the urge to do it since. I read on this site a tip that some girl gave about using a nail file and filing the skin on your fingers in the direction it grows. I started doing that. It made it much easier but really it wasn't hard at all. I want everyone to try this. I also healed an old knee injury, have been losing weight AND have been treating my husbands fibromyalgia so he is free of pain. This is no joke. This works. I am now studying to become an Eden Energy Medicine Practitioner and hope to spread these techniques as far as I can. So, I can't explain it in writing but if you go to youtube and search EFT for compulsive behaviors you will find a wealth of information. The idea is that you tap on certain accupuncture points on the body while saying out loud phrases to reset your subconscious. The way I describe it is that my conscious brain and subconscious brain finally had the same intention and the electromagnetic pulse from the tapping is what made that connection. PLEASE go and help yourself. It will be the best thing you could ever do. I suffered from this disorder for 34 years and in two days it was GONE! POOF! I had so much guilt and shame attached to this compulsion and it rippled into the rest of my life. A weight has been lifted. I never thought I would see my hands like this. I am a new person. It seems very silly at first but keep an open mind and do it anyway. It's not the type of thing you have to believe in for it to work. If you do it it will work. Peace and Love Cara

On October 19th, 2011 skinner said:

I am 25 now and ever since I can remember, I have picked at and ate the skin off of my fingers. I cannot tell you how good it feels to finally talk about it. It is something that I have tried to hide for years. I have noticed that my mother will pick at her fingers when concentrating and my dad told me that her mother did it as well. It seems to be a learned habit passed down through the generations. I don't want my kids to pick up the bad habit so I am determined to stop. Here is my understanding of at least what is going on with me and I hope that it helps some of you. Psychologically: I thought I was just a sick minded freak for a while until I really started to study my own brain. I do it the most when I am nervous, concentrating, or just simply have nothing to do with my hand. I would say that it is due to nervous anxiety. I love to pick at things: skin, paint, you name it. I got in trouble my freshman year in college for picking all of the paint off of my door. Half of my hall got started on the habit and it all had to be repainted. Anyway, its a habit that has been reinforced hundreds of thousands of times...every time we pick. The habit is incredibly strong. When we perform this habit, we derive a certain amount of pleasure and satisfaction from it. This is the result of certain chemicals in our brains being released which reinforces it even further. We are not totally without hope though. Breaking the habit is not something that will happen overnight, but I am determined that it is possible. I think that this discussion is a great idea so that we can support each other on our way to having fabulous fingers. Haha. Biologically: Our bodies are constantly in a state of breaking down and building up again. Someone asked the question about if it was too taxing on your body to have to heal all of the time. Probably not. If you have a large area that has skin loss there can be complications such as risk of infection, loss of fluid, hypothermia, and others. With small areas such as the hands and feet being picked at, I would say that the largest threat to us is infection. Our hands and feet get dirty pretty fast. Even after washing with soap there are still quite a few bacteria that still stick around. Almost every year I go to Africa to work with people out in areas that have no running water or electricity. I don't get the chance to clean up out there a lot and my hands usually turn the color of the dirt pretty quickly. I have noticed that I don't pick at and eat my skin nearly as often as I do here in the US because I am so aware of the dirt and bacteria that are probably on my hands. Putting my fingers in my mouth could be a matter of life and death in that case. Solutions: Here are a few solutions that I have encountered. I haven't tried them long enough to actually break my habit, but they work long enough for my skin to heal back most of the way. White paper medical tape-when I notice that my fingers are starting to look bad or that I have decided to target specific fingers, I wrap them with the tape so that my teeth can't get to them. You might look goofy but I just tell people its from practicing my guitar and that it protects my fingers from the metal strings. Bandaids and neosporin- someone else posted this idea as well. At night put some neosporin on the areas that are raw and throw a bandaid over it. This will help fight off any infection and helps it heal faster than any other method I have tried. After you take the bandaids off in the morning, wash your hands and then put the white paper medical tape on them. That way they are constantly covered and you don't get the chance to pick. The longer they are covered the less the habit has control over you. Crochetting- I have taken up crochetting not necessarily so that I have make a pretty scarf, but so that I can keep my hands busy. It helps me channel my nervous energy into something useful and non-destructive. It occupies my hands so that I can't pick. Granted, this works only short amounts of times and I do get a pick in once in a while, but it is better than just sitting there and picking during those times where I am watching a movie or just relaxing. For those who pick at the whole hands and feet-I don't know if you have tried this but here is my suggestion. Put neosporin on the areas and bandage them up. Put socks or gloves on and leave them on. If you need to, tape the socks on so that in order to get them off its inconvenient and it really makes you have to think about what you are doing. REMEMBER: If it gets too bad and out of control, talk to a doctor and/or a therapist about your problem and REMEMBER: YOU have been created by a loving God who molded you and knew you while you were still in your mothers womb. He says, "for I know the plans that I have for you, plans to give you a future and a hope." Does he care about our strange little habits? Absolutely. It also says that I can do all things through Him who gives me strength. During my times of self loathing and disgust with myself for what I do to my own body, it helps me to just talk to Him about it and ask Him to help me to stop. This works until I decide that I want to pick and don't need His help any more. Its an ongoing battle that we all face and struggle with. After all...we are human. Remember, there is hope. Be slow and steady with it and don't give up the fight.

On November 2nd, 2011 netteb said:

Hello skinner, ur story or comment was very helpful. Thanku

On October 18th, 2011 georgiamednick said:

Im 24 years old and i have been biting my nails and picking the skin around the nails since i can remember. The past few years my anxiety has got alot worse but i am able to control it, but i am not able to control picking the skin. Every finger has small blood around it but i focus more on one finger, it has got so bad it looks like it will never look like a normal finger again. Its strange because i began to think i was the only one who did this but reading other comments i feel alot better. Please someone give tips on how to stop.

On February 22nd, 2012 Asborne284 said:

Like I said in A previous post having acrylic nails has really helped me stop the picking which I've done for almost 20 years. With long fake nails I'm not able to go the picking damage I could before.

On November 2nd, 2011 netteb said:

Hi, i use neosporin and bandaids or carmex and it helps, but when u wash ur hands u may need to keep bandaids on them. They will always heal it just takes a few days, if u use fingernail clippers to cut off the skin, not too deap but just to get that excess skin off u may not pik as much. Also with the bandaids i usually pik the bandaid so i wont pik my fingers. My thumbs are the worse and i knw its frustrating and hurts. Are you taking an anti depression med? That helps also... i hope this helps and u feel bettr. :)

On October 3rd, 2011 klynngirl said:

I'll be 50 in 2 months and I'm sad to tell you all that this problem does not go away. :-( I used to bite my nails and pick my skin. I don't bite my nails as much now, but the skin picking continues and is so embarrassing. Several of my family members suffer from this too. It is an anxiety release. It's terrible that any of us have to deal with this, especially as women. We love to have pretty nails and hands. I've even considered hypnosis, but am worried that I'll just develop some other weird means of processing that nervous energy. I do have a little trick to share though. If you use Neosporin cream (not the ointment) and Bandaids, it really helps to heal the skin overnight. I blob the cream on and put the Bandaid right on top without working the cream in. I wear a Bandaid on any given finger most every night. It's even better if you can soak your fingers in very warm water for a few minutes before placing the Bandaid on (dry your fingers first of course). I have gone so far as to apply concealer cream using a Qtip if I've really done a number on my fingers...especially if I have a date or something. You do have to reapply every time you wash your hands, but it's better than being so embarrassed. PS I'm on Paxil and although it GREATLY helped with my anxiety, it did nothing for the picking.

On November 2nd, 2011 netteb said:

Wow it is crzy how we do this!but i guess its better than releasing it anothr way i guess. My mom is 62 and still does it. I do the blob of neosporin cream also and bandaids and it helps but i noticed i do it mre at nt when im watching tv... its so frustrating. Well thx for ur comment, i hpe i can stop this but it looks like it will nver end :(

On October 1st, 2011 lil_love_fan said:

I just turned 20 and i have been doing it my whole life. but not only do i bite the skin on my nail bed and my nails, i ripe the skin off my feet and eat it, i tear of my big toe nails, like the whole thing and chew on it, but it doesn't stay just to my external skin i have eaten holes in my cheeks to the mussel, all of these things are extremely painful but i just cant stop, i don't know what to do, especially with biting my cheeks but i'm too scared and embarrassed to tell my doctor. I'm afraid it may be something i will do for the rest of my life.

On September 30th, 2011 Jp17048 said:

I'm 13 and I've done this since I was about 11 and I can't stop and when I go swimming or get my hands wet they look awful and people can see where I've done this it's an awful habit but I'm addicted

On September 28th, 2011 berrtani12 said:

What I am curious about is, if there are any negative health issues to ingesting skin and/or nails. and What does it cost to the body to have to replace the torn off skin and nails? Are our bodies suffering silently? I know that our mind and emotional health suffers because of the low confidence when people notice bitten and bloody/scabby fingers and hands, arms etc. I am worried that my body may be trying too hard to compensate for the loss of skin tissue and nail tissue. I'm also worried about whether or not there are any negative consequences to ingesting the skin/nails?? Does anyone have answers?

On September 18th, 2011 wc_1216 said:

I am almost 14 and i have been picking at my cuticles ever since i can remember. I could've swore i was the only one with this problem. I used to bite my nails but i stopped that and started picking at the skin on my fingers. Its embarassing! I absolutely hate when people draw attention to my fingers/hands. It has become an addiction, and i can't stop myself! Its especially when i try to tell myself not to pick at them, that i bring myself to pick. I've tried chewing gum but even that can't stop me! >:( It would be great if someone could give some suggestions(:

On September 15th, 2011 mecode said:

Hi, im 18 in college and have suffered the same problem as you all.. however, ive found a solution. Ive only made it a week so far but i havnt had the deep desire to do it anymore. Your all gonna think im crazy but what makes us do this is subconscious, we cant really control it. Well I performed a hypnosis on myself, nothing magical or mystical, but more of a deep relaxation type thing and basically got rid of the habit, though i do still hafto try too avoid it, it hasnt been as hard like all the other times i tried. for more info on the hypnosis technique just email me at mecode@yahoo.com or codyasmith@valdosta.edu. It really did work, i had trouble believing at first as well.

On August 30th, 2011 378100cmk said:

Hi. Im 11 years old and I have had this problem since I was 9. It all started when I seen my sister biting her nails out of habit. I always had long nails so I tried it and was addicted fast. When I nearly bit my nails down to the nub I took a bite out of my skin and loved it. My fingers were raw completely the next couple of days. I still have this problem. It's not only my fingers I eat the skin off of. It's also my feet. My heel is raw and I can't barley walk on it sometimes. I have tried so many different things to stop my addiction but nothing works. I need help.

On August 23rd, 2011 KaylaMami12 said:

Im 15 years old and ever since i burnt my hands at 5 years old, i always bit the skin off my palm, and parts of my finger... It is really addicting, even ointment on my hands will not stop me... Its a powerfull addiction and it really calms me down when im nervous... Idk how to stop this thought .. My hands look horrible and feel ROUGH .

On August 17th, 2011 swimmergirl23 said:

I used to have this problem too! Im 14, and it started in grade 5, i quit biting my nails and finger skin, i was going to graduate with ugly hands, and i wouldnt be able to do my nails like the rest of my friends, that scared me. To quit, i took a calender and each day i went without biting my nails/skin i checked it off, and for every week i went without biting my nails/skin, i would buy myself nail polish, go out for lunch, do something to reward myself, i am now totally out of the habit! I hope each and every one of you are able to stop this habit one day!!

On August 14th, 2011 leandra112011 said:

it's great to know that I am not the only one out there that has this horrible habit. I been picking at my skin for as long as I can remember. I have tried to stop but nothing seems to work. I hate it when I go in water and my hands become all pruny like and you can see where I bite. It is very embarrassing. I bite around my nails and i even bite the inside of my hand where my knuckles are out. I used to put band-aids on my fingers but that didn't work out well. When I bite my skin it feels relaxing but when it's over, my fingers are sore and my hands look disgusting. I guess I don't have much self-control. When I get married I don't want people looking at my pictures where you can see my hands and them thinking, "eww, look at her hands, they are so ugly". I just hope one day I can stop for good.

On August 12th, 2011 Jane doe said:

O wow!!! I can not believe these many people are dealing with this. This is just insane! I've been dealing with this issue for a while now. I started when I was like 12 and now at 21 I can't seem to stop. I've tried quitting as sad as that sounds countless times but it never lasts. My hands are always dry, rough and just not pleasing. It always hurts when people ask" What's wrong with your hands" and I have nothing to say because none of them would understand. The only thing that copes for me not biting on my fingers and hands is gum. But I can't have gum every second of the day. Usually if my mouth and hands are kept busy I do well. But again that won't always be the case. But as a group I think we all need to make efforts to stopping the embarrassment and the pain by sharing our methods to quitting. I think we can do it guys :)

On July 19th, 2012 caraboo21 said:

On August 3rd, 2011 jordm30 said:

Hi everyone. I am 21 years old and have had this horrible habit of biting my cuticles and the skin around my fingernails for as long as I can remember. It is very embarassing, for the fact that around my finger nails are all red and swollen all the time! It's even more embarassing when I go out with my friends to a beach or someone pool because once I go in for to long and become pruney you can see where I bit my nails. I dont know why I have had this problem, and my mother used to tell me when I was younger to stop or I would get an infection in my fingers and they would have to cut them off, but that didnt stop me either. Its also embarassing when I go to get my nails done or someone askes to see my nails, or when someone askes to see my rings. If your young and just started Im telling you to stop while you can. It becomes such an addiction that half the time I dont even realise Im doing it. I will do it all the time while driving, working, laying in bed, in the shower and everywhere. I would really like to find a cure to this and find out why I do it so I can stop and get my hands looking somewhat lady like again. My boyfriend hates when I do this, but I dont think he understands the fact from me doing it so much for so long its become an addiction and a habit. : / I'll be even more embarassed when I get married and we have to take pictures of our hands for the rings -_- . please someone help me!!! * i also have a 4 year old son, almost 5. and i do it so much that i got him into the habit of biting his nails. He sees mommy do it and he wants to. so someone please help me better myself and my son

On July 31st, 2011 NyanVictoria said:

I'm 15 and have been picking and eating the skin on my fingers, on the sides of my toes, and at the bottom of my heel for a while now. Im scared to wear flip flops because I'm afraid someone will see my feet because they look terrible. I dont know why i do it but i need to stop because I'm at the point where I have to hide my hands and feet so carefully that no one will see it and ask what happend and stuff. No one in my family even knows about my addiction.

On July 16th, 2011 ScarletBites said:

"OMG! i though i was the only one with this bad habit! im 14 years old from new york and i think ive started bittin my nail skin since i was about 10 or 12 years old. It was very interesting reading eveyones comments and i compared a lot to my habit. it made me feel better now that i know there are other people like me out there with the same habit and some even my age. Also, others older than me that had this for a real long time.. im surprised and i just found out theres people that pick there hair also! okay, let me tell you about my bad habit. i though it was a nervous problem but whenever i am nervous, stressed out or studying hard i start biting my nail skin. sometimes i dont even notice im biting it just happens and its ruining my fingers =[ when i think to much i bite and double bite real deep. sometimes i go in to deep that i start bleeding and my fingers hurt to blend or when i use hand sanitianzer it burns ! :o im scared that this bad habit won't go away. i remember how it started. i was going thur a lot that year then idk how but out of no where i started off with bitting off the skin of my nuckles. soon, it was became a bad habit, i bite too much that my knuckles were sometimes pink! i always tried to hide my hand away from everyone. it was an embrassment. well, happily that habit went away but my nuckles are somehow still alittle pink and it looks ugly for me ! while that habit went away i went to biting the side of my poining finger then my other finger in the left hand well, all fingers. (the sides and back of the finger). i hate this habit. i tried acholic, it burns but it just won't go away and ive even said i'll stop but somehow i just can't keep those words. im disappointed, i really need to stop. i feel werid to let anyone see my hands and i try but still i get caught sometimes. when i do, i make a lame excuse and walk away or say i got hurt. uhm, i also bite in between my pointing finger and my thumb for both hands. left and right. i have a bad habit and both my parents hate it. they try to help me but it doesnt work. their going to take me to a skin doctor to see if they can help and hopefully they could help me. Im just feeling so normal now that there are others like me and im happy i found this page, to let all ive been hiding out of me and sharing it with others.i also have a bad habit of picking my skin on my humerus. i hate these habits i have and good luck for everyone. God bless you and i'll pray. One day all our bad habits will go away." [= P.S. if there are any ways you know how to make yourself stop from biting please contact me or if you have any questions. Feel free to ask.

On July 8th, 2011 ddruiam said:

Effecten van stoppen met roken De effecten van stoppen met roken zijn voor veel mensen vervelend: prikkelbaarheid, nervositeit, slapeloosheid en transpiratie. Gelukkig heeft Prostop Therapie een unieke methode ontwikkeld waarmee u zonder deze negatieve effecten kunt stoppen met roken. Het geheim? Een speciaal ontwikkelde lasertherapie zodat uw lichaam snel geen behoefte aan nicotine meer heeft.

On June 25th, 2011 Graven754 said:

I am 15, and I just recently started picking. I started about 3 months ago i believe. I have stress, but not a whole lot of it. I believe i have minor depression so every once in a while I will get really unhappy and it Souths me to bite the skin off my fingers. I usually just do it out of habit so i am biting them all day long. I find the feeling of chewing on the skin very unique in my mouth and enjoy it, but I know it's bad for me. Well I don't want to post this and not help somehow. I have found one thing that helps other then chewing gun. I play guitar a little bit, and calluses help. If the tip of your fingers becomes hard from playing the strings then you can't bite it, it becomes really smooth, and slides between your teeth unallowing you to bit, but I still haven't found a way to stop myself from biting the skin on the edges of my fingertips.

On June 24th, 2011 pathocha000 said:

I just realize there were a symptom of this, used to bite skins on my thumb + skin on my hand (part between the finger and thumb) out that it bleed so much for 5 hour without stopping + also on my mddle finger i bit on the bones that it was almost to the bone, until i found a medicine lotion call "Herudriod" that help me stop biting because if i do the medicine said "If eat, will die".

On June 19th, 2011 jackiemc said:

Am really surprised i even found this forum because i thought i was the only one with this problem. i used to bite my nails and bite the skin under my nails when i was younger. i recently enrolled in an accountancy course and i noticed that i started biting the skin on my thumb until it becomes sore. this happens when am studying or concentrating on something. the skin has become so rough and now i have no idea how to make it smooth again. i have tried putting lotion and band aids but so far it hasnt helped. its so embarrassing. am so relieved to know that there are others out there like me:(

On June 18th, 2011 allie10 said:

Can you stop? will your skin grow back?I have been doing my fingers the same way and I really want to stop before it gets so badI have been doing this since the 2nd grade though I need to stop before it gets worse but the bad part I've been hiding this from everybody so no one could help me

On June 18th, 2011 mydarlingjulez said:

I do the same thing and yes it always grows back within days. i've always said they were burns when people ask. I didn't even know it had a name until today

On June 6th, 2011 Emmab said:

Hi I too am a psychology graduate and have become aware that what I am doing and have done since I was a child ( I'm 32 now) is somehow psychological. Most obviously today I had an argument with my husband and have spent all day ripping the skin from my fingers to the point I now can't sleep as my fingers are so sore. It often occurs when I'm preparing for exams or other stressful situations and my husband has to physically move my hands apart when we watch thrillers or scary movies! I feel like a fool but it is comforting to find out that I'm not alone and there is a name and potential cures for it. I also realized recently that both my brother and my cousin have the habit and alarm bells began to ring when I noticed my son beginning to bite too. It makes me feel sick to think of him having this awful stressful condition too. My only light relief has been when I have had a manicure or acrylic nails applied. It is too expensive to keep up with permanently but I rarely did it then firstly because I think they looked good but also I think it helped that the skin around the nails were regularly filed as it feels there is almost too much skin around the nails and that feeling prompts me to pick. I feel as if I need to pull the nail away from the skin. Also when you have regular nail treatments you put moisturizer into the surrounding skin. Which helps to dull the need to pick/ bite and does not taste too good if you do. Its almost like a throbbing sensation. That is somehow temporarily eased once you get that bit of skin off - before the pain sets in that is. I also form reading these posts realized that I have always bitten my mouth and lips since I was a child too. Especially in times of anxiety. I know recognize my obsession for Vaseline. I cannot go a couple of hours without applying the lip treatment to my lips as they feel sore dry without and I cannot stop myself from biting. Thank you for providing me with a place to say all this out loud as it were! I feel better knowing I'm not alone. It is such a worrying and embarrassing thing to admit to so it is nice to know people understand. Xx

On June 4th, 2011 stephanie123 said:

I hate this habit I've been biting my nails,skin off my fingers and feet since i was 3 years old and now im about to be 17. Two years ago i got braces and supposedly it would help stop the biting, but i learned to bite with them on which only made it worse because every time i would go to bite it would do a double bite and go really deep, but i just cant stop and with my feel i compulsively clip the skin off the side of my big toe and heels of my feet to the point where it hurts, i've tried acrylic nails and I ever bite those off, I'm thinking of going to the doctor soon i've also noticed that i have become extremely addicted to the clicking sound the skin or nails would make between my teeth helps my stress, i have no control over this problem at all im so glad im not the only one who suffers :)

On June 4th, 2011 zombifyd said:

I'm a 20 year old female who just realized that my skin picking tendencies are a problem. My fingers hurt from all the damage I do to them often after biting my nails too short and stripping my cuticles. I also eat my toe nails. Even though I understand how repulsive and damaging my skin eating is, I cannot stop. This tendency is embarrassing to admit because I am a psychology major, but self-reflection and criticism is incredibly important to personal growth. From reading articles on obsessive behaviors, they say it is important to consciously attack the problem. It is often when you are not thinking about it that one will bite their nails out of nervousness. In order to solve the problem one has to face the problem head on and correct the behavior when you catch yourself. I find myself skin picking when I am nervous or brainstorming. Luckily I don't do it in public and never speak with fingers in my mouth. I am going to try the conscious method and consider putting band-aids on my fingers to prevent myself from being able to bite them. If this doesn't work I will have to speak with my parents about receiving professional help for my disturbing habit. This website and everyones stories are a true comfort. I am glad to know that I am not the only one in this struggle for normalcy.

On June 1st, 2011 Kaddinx said:

I'm 17 years old and I pick the skin on my fingers and bite my lips and the skin inside my mouth. I am so overwhelmed right now because there are so many others with this problem! I don't even really remember when it started. I only know that I once, for about 1 or 2 years, didn't pick and then "found it again" and never stopped ever since. Yesterday I tried not to pick for the first time which was pretty difficult due to the fact that it's exam time and stuff. But I tried anyway and failed miserably. It just happens. I pick when I'm not aware of it. At those moments I cought myself yesterday in the strangest situations. Like when I'm waiting in a car or waiting for the computer to load something. Like right now I want to pick my fingers >.< But I'm very happy to know this webside now. It lets me know that I'm not alone and that there are loads of people out there with the same thing. And i hope for all of us pickers that we will stop one day.

On June 20th, 2011 Obsessive Culle... said:

OMG! I am exactly like you! I am 17 in 2 weeks but I pick the skin on my finger and bite the skin on my lips and cheeks! I am doing it right now as I type! I have done it ever since I can remember and I hate it! There was a period of about a year that I stopped doing it. That was when I was about 7 and a=to this day I still remember the moment that I remembered I used to do it and decided to carry it on again! But I have always done it. I only just found out recently that it was a disorder and now I know I am going to get help, Especialy as I am going to University in 2012 and will be making first time i9mpressions and don't want my ugly fingers to ruine that :) I am happy I have found some EXACTLY the same :) Lets break this together! x

On May 31st, 2011 abyrne said:

im 24 and i pick and eat my skin on my fingers and feet, and have done so all my life. my husband hates it and does not understand why i do it. its relaxing for me, i just hate having hangnails, scabs ect... i used to bit my nails too, but have stoped by using acrilic nails. my feet get realy bad, and sometimes it hurts to walk/stand on them. im not sure it this is some form of OCD, or just simply a bad habbit. nothing has worked, ive tried puting bandaids on all of me fingers, to applying no bite nail poplish to my skin, i just cant stop. any sudjestions? my son watches me do this and i dont want him to start doing it as well.

On May 29th, 2011 michiel923 said:

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On May 22nd, 2011 enlightened91 said:

I've bitten my nails and the skin around them since I was a little girl, and over the years it's gotten worse and worse. I now bite the inside of my mouth and cheeks too and have torn my feet so badly that it actually hurts to walk on them. Acrylic nails helped me with the nail biting but really it was a poor choice as I would still be unable to resist the compulsion to 'fix' the ragged skin around them and then when the nails got to long and i'd remove it it would often tear the nail further making the habit worse. nothing helps with my feet. nothing. i've tried wearing socks, ALL the time so i can't get to them to 'fix' it.. i apply moisturiser etc in an effort to make my feet heal so i don't feel the compulsion...but it never lasts. i seem to be prompted not only by a compulsion to make everything smooth but also as a way to calm myself when i get stressed out or anxious so even if there's nothing wrong with my finger doesn't mean i won't attack it when i get overly nervous. I never knew before tonight that this condition had a name, and I was so relieved to see that I wasn't alone in this. But now...realising that there isn't really any cure..there's no magic pill i can take that will fix the problem. Has anyone had any success in breaking the habit?

On June 1st, 2011 hazeleyez said:

hi, I just started grabbing this ugly demon by the horn and bee somewhat successful in taking this over the counter medication called NAC- N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine. I was referred by a therepist who I found on the TLC-trichollamina learning center website. it is suppose to cave the urges and impulses. my picking has reduced drastically. I still rub, but not like I was. also I have been getting hypnosis, seeing therepist and talking to the little girl inside by jouraling. I ask her a question with right hand, close eyes and switch to left hand and answer in sribble and as if I was talking to a child. it also has been helping. especially since I was traumatized and violated when I was 7yrs. old.. also been rubbing vitamin e oil/bleaching cream on scars, wearing band-aids throughout the day. so far so good. see the scars fading. I know I have a long ways to go. I live moment by moment. im tired of isolating and carrying shame ,guilt,embarressment, and low self worth on my sleeve. I will not be defeated. My God didn't bring "us" this far to self inflict pain on ourselves. one day at a time, we can recover. hope something works. love ya!

On May 21st, 2011 Lottiemouse said:

Hi, I also bite my nails and my skin but before I bite my skin I take the harder skin off with nail clippers then pull the rest off with my teeth, it makes my hands look awful and really want to stop but don't know how. There is now particular time that I do this, it happens all day, if I put the nail clippers away I use anything that is sharp. Any ideas anyone?

On May 20th, 2011 LyzzieBug said:

I am 8 1/2 and my name is Elyzabeth. I have been biting my fingers for a year now and it makes me feel better. I get hungry on the playground and I end up biting my fingers. One time my dad said, "Your poor little fingers."

On May 19th, 2011 Taylor said:

Hi I'm a 14 year old girl and I find myself biting the skin inside my mouth and on my lips. I've done this since I was about 7. I've read about how dangerous it is, but I can't seem to stop. I also bite my nails and the skin on my fingers to a lesser extent. When I was little I had a problem with picking scabs (but I've pretty much stopped doing that) and the nail-biting was worse which is why my nails look so awful today. As I am typing this, I am eating the skin in my mouth. I can't stop! When I don't think about it, I'm usually okay but sometimes (especially when I'm stressed out) I'll catch myself doing it. I try not to think about it or to divert my attention away from it but I just get all jittery and I have to keep biting it to calm myself down. I have no idea how to stop this habit.

On May 9th, 2011 helpmestop4112 said:

I am overwhelmed by the posts I have read tonight. I have litterly torn the skin off of my fingers so badly this weekend that it hurts to run them under hot water or even to bend my fingers. You know, I have never been addicted to any sort of illegal substances, but this is so sickening to me that I can't seem to stop. I am 37 years old and have been biting and tearing the skin off of my fingers for as long as I can remember. I am just now coming to understand and target where my mind is at when I have these episodes. The part that is so frustrating is that by the time I realize I am doing it, my fingers are already raw. I am constantly hiding my hands so that others will not see and if anyone does, I make up some lame excuse as to why my fingers look they way they do. The only time I have ever been able to stop is when I have allowed myself the luxury of acrylic nails. I wish I could get them all of the time because my hands look so pretty when I am not destroying them. I know why I did it this weekend. I was completely emotional about Mother's Day and Saturday evening, I was picking while watching a movie. I truly did not even realize it until the movie was over and my hands began to hurt. I cried at that point because I always tell myself that I am gonna stop and I just can't help myself. I do understand where it comes from and I know I need to get some help and or open up to someone, but I just don't know how. You see, I was molested and physically abused by my mother as a child. I live with those memories almost everyday of my life. I used to be able to hide them in the back of my mind, but in the last few years, those memories have sort of taken over my daily life. Kills me that I managed to get through so many years without even thinking about it and now that my daughter will be graduating school in a year, I am consumed with images of my childhood. I just want to scream!!!!! Anyway, seeing what so many others have written has given me some hope tonight. Well.....at least I do not feel so alone anymore. Who knows, maybe I will meet someone on here that can help me to get through all of this. Evidently, I have alot more going on in my head than I have allowed myself time to face. I honestly have never wanted to face anything, but now I know I need to. Bless you all for taking this first step. I hope we all get something out of it.

On May 3rd, 2011 Bridget said:

Hi im 12 years old and have this same problem.I thought i was the only one. i dont know how to stop. i never heard of this as like,ocd. PLEASE HELP!!! I really dont want to have this for the rest of my life!! I only know 2 other people with this same problem. this only started for me last year.

On May 2nd, 2011 tashijanee said:

I'm 18 years old, and I have been biting my nails and the skin around my fingers for as long as I can remember. My dad does it as well, which I think is where I picked up the habit. I recently went to see a doctor for it, because it's reached the point where I don't realise I'm doing it until I bite too far and start bleeding. The doctor believes it is in fact an OCD behaviour, because it is a repetitive behaviour that is obsessive in the way that we feel like we HAVE to do it. I was prescribed with anti-depressants, which affect chemical imbalances in the brain, to try to reduce the nail/finger biting behaviour. I can't yet tell you how well they're working, because I'm only on my third day of the anti-depressants. But I recommend to all fellow nail/finger biters to see a doctor and get their opinion on what will help prevent this behaviour. It's great to know there are many other people out there like me, who have this horrible habit. Good luck with it, guys.

On April 14th, 2011 Bizzer said:

Hey im 14 yr old boy from england and ever since i remember i bite my skin like crazy till its turns red raw and hurts and its grown to be a habbit and i realy annoys me and when i get my hands wet they weird like they have all been chewed to bits, but ive kind of found a hobbie and ive been recently lifting weights and it attracts the attention away from my finger biting habits, but if any of you have any cures or other ways to help me id be so so grateful and i dont like people going ewww what happend to ur thumb it f*cks me off

On April 7th, 2011 REGALADO said:

Him 14 and ever since i could remember, Ive been biting the skin off my fingers. I always thought it was a habit from being nervous . With problems in family. Im in a group home and i do it now and then when i get nervous. I have never talked to anyone about it and it feels good to know im not the only one with this bad habit. Ive tried all sorts of things and when i get tired of my fingers i go to the nuckles. i was always ashamed . My nuckles were pink and when a boyfriend would ask id just turn my cheek and walk away. Im glad i know im not the only one. And it is hard to stop....

On April 14th, 2011 Bizzer said:

Hey im a 14 year old boy i think u shuld do sommin yu realy like and do it and aventully yu wont bite them :)

On April 9th, 2011 Bubblez said:

Yea..it is hard to stop..but we have to give it our best shot..just pray to God and he will help us get trought this...

On April 4th, 2011 fingertip said:

Tears run down my cheeks discovering that others have the same bad habit as me. I didn't even know, that it had a "name" - I just thought that I had no backbone in quitting this habit. I'm 38 and have been biting my sides of my fingers (one finger all the way to the first "knuckle"!) since I was a teenager. It is a shamefull thing and I try to hide it, but at times it is hard when I have sores. Wooow - I'm still amazed to see that so many others have this problem. I had a short period last year, where I didn't pick/bite my fingers (well helped by the thought that I had my tooth was cracked due to many years of biting - luckily it wasn't), but now I have started again. Good to get off my chest. I have never really talked to anybody about it. When my family or husband mentions it - I normally leave the room and avoid talking about it.

On April 4th, 2011 aerospace said:

I am 23 years old and started biting the skin off my hands, fingers and thumbs when I was about 10 years old. I guess it started when biting my nails or an irritating skin tag - over the years it has progressed to eating the hard skin off several parts of my hands; finger tips and around the nail area, hand pads (protruding hard pads at the base of each finger) and all around my thumbs. It’s very hard to shake hands with people without feeling a sense or embarrassment and touching a lover in intimate places becomes challenging. I sometimes hide my thumbs inside my fist - so not to be seen. I used to tell people that it was an accident involving hydraulic fluid whilst at work. My hands look very scared and scabby and in some places very red and raw. Sometimes I bite off too much, a little sting and blood and then it’s back to biting. I get a sense of satisfaction when grasping a piece of skin with my teeth and tearing it off my hand, and then eating it. It happens randomly, some days I may not bite much at all and other days I bite a lot. I have been told by very close people that it could be nervs, I don’t think I'm a nervy person - I'm a director of an internet company and yes the job is stressful but I didn’t have this job when I was 9 years old when I took my first bite! I have been to the doctors twice about this. The first time I was given some hydrocortisone to help heal the hands. The treatment lasted about two or three days and then I packed it in in favour for biting my hands again. The second time I went to the doc's I was given a more hardcore cream/drug but again, I needed to bite so sacked off the treatment. I’m starting to wonder whether there is a deeper physiological reason for this? What is the correct treatment? Is it like smoking, where all you need is a little will power? I’m getting sick of the whole thing now, I’m not a nervy person (occasional anxiety but so has everyone!). What’s the answer?

For information on the skin picking disorder (Dermatillomania), symptoms, causes and treatment methods, get the Complete Guide to Skin Picking Disorders.