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

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.

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!!

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 .

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.

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.

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(:

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?

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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???

my names Deborah i am now 17 years old ever since i was a kid have been biting my nails and this habit has progressed starting age 15 i started to bite my knuckles they are extremely discolored, they are very very dark compared to my natural skin color it is sometimes painful due to cracks and bleeding and irritations people think i bleach my skin due to their appearance i don't know how to treat them and make them better and healthier right now they look extremely abnormal what can i do

Wow i am so glad to be reading all of your comments. Im 33 and Ive been biting the skin around my fingers for awhile and my mom does it also. Ive noticed if i have fake nails i wnt bite, i guess because my nails look nice, but as soon as they r off, im bak to biting. I mostly do it when im watching tv and do it without realizing but i cant stop. I do the neosporina and bandaid thing but as soon as i wash dishes or take a shwer and take the bandaids off, i start doing it again, its so irritating. Right now im layed off and have been for almost a year and ive notice im doing it mre often since im bored all day. I have two kids and my son always tries to remind me to not bite lol so im hoping he wnt do it. Well thx for the suggestions and if u have any more pls leave them for me. :)