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

Im 14, Always had flakes of skin coming off above and next to my nails. Used to hurt when I was younger when Id be playing and flakes would pull off backwards and sting and sometimes bleed. Nothing major... A few months ago I started biting them off (down so it wouldn't hurt). But its going too far. My fingers look disgusting. Im embarassed, it seems to grow back more I bite them off. I get hardened skin where its gone too deep and I bite those parts off too. I can't help doing it. I thought I was the only one but I guess theres a few of us. Seems like it could be ocd for me me, and for some people stress. ...

Mine problem is minor as I have cut my nail with my teeth. I have tried a lot to stop this but unintentionally it happens again and again. Now I stop trying to give up this.

Reading everyones comments on here has made me feel less alone. I've been biting the skin off the sides of my fingernails for as long as I can remember and I never knew that this was something other people did too. I usually only bite my fingers when I am feeling uncomfortable, nervous, anxious, or scared. Which are all things I feel often during school. I wish I was able to stop because I've completely destroyed my hands, but at the same time I'm not sure if I want to stop because of the enjoyment I get while I am doing it. The only thing I've found that stops me from biting is to put bandages on my fingers. I currently have bandages on three of my fingers to keep from biting them any more. Sadly, they only help for a short amount of time because once my nails grow back to a normal length and the skin on the side heals, I will do it again.

I am 54 years old and in the past two years I have finally stopped picking my skin around my fingers and stopped bighting my nails. I did this by painting my nails with this stuff I bought on the internet . It tastes horrible and actually makes me feel quite sick. Unfortunately, my daughters, have inherited my bad habit. My youngest daughter, 14, has kicked the habit by using the stuff I used. My eldest daughter, 16, won't use the stuff and is mutilating her nails and the skin around her fingers. She is contantly picking and she doesn't even realize she is doing it. What do you recommend? What professional help works?? Thanks

I'm a 55 yr. old Professional guitarist. I've been biting and eating the skin on my fingers forever! I bite the callouses off my left hand fingers mostly, but attack the right hand also. I find that most of the times I bite are when I'm pre-occupied...when I'm driving, and watching T.V. I have cloth gloves on the coffee table for when I watch T.V., but it only works if I put them on! I would love to stop this nasty habit....has anyone tried Hypnosis???

I am 29 years old and I have been picking and biting the skin off my fingers as long as I can remember. Reader other comments, I too feel better. Not happy that I do it, but I swear I feel so alone and no one understands me. I have good days and bad days. Some days I do not even look at my hands and other I cannot stop biting and eating the skin off. Just before I found this website, I was biting my thumb. This has left my hands looking worse each year. I often wear bandages on the "bad" parts. I often say I burned myself while cooking, but I swear my friends and co workers must see there is something wrong. I tend to hold my hands in positions that will less expose them and when with my husband I often sit or lay on my hands to hide. He has never asked me but I know he knows something is wrong. I mean, wearing bandages 24/7 sometimes? crazy, I know. I do it alot when nervous, anxious, or even when I am bored. Sometime I do not even know I am doing it, and I always tend to rub my hands across my lips. This makes me feel the rough parts and I tend to bite more this way too. When getting down into the layers it hurts, but the pain feels good in a way. Sick i know it sounds crazy. Who wants raw hands? not me, I cannot help it. I was told by my grandmother my uncle did it too, maybe hereditary? I don't know the answer. But I do find that I stop more when I am calm. Doing yoga has helped. I would appreciate any advise. I do however feel better knowing I am not alone. Thanks for sharing your stories.

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?

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.

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....

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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?