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New to Site
I'm pretty excited to find this forum, as I've been picking and biting the skin on my hands for about 27 years. It's embarrassing to have people see my "nasty" chewed up finger.... and as I type this I have to take breaks to "groom" the skin. During the past 5 or 6 years, I find myself in a stale relationship with someone who could care less what my hands look like, but does care that it's getting worse. I'm bleeding more often and it hurts to bend my fingers because they are so sore. I recently took a trip to Australia where I knew that I would be in the water a lot. My hands look absolutely the worst when I spend any time in the water. I purchased a pumas scrubber from the Body Shop, and every morning I would scrub all the uneven skin off, until my fingertip were at the point of bleeding...
In the past couple months I've found a little success in using insitol powder, but can't seem to keep up the success.
Thanks for listening.
August 17, 2011
Hi Jayfro77,
I am new to this forum as well. This is my first attempt to make changes in skin picking. I wish you peace in your efforts and I am here for support if you need it.
August 18, 2011
Hi Jayfro77! I read your comment and I have been picking and clipping my skin off my thumbs and fingers for 20 long years!!! I can surely relate to you!! I want so bad to stop picking!!! Hopefully with talking to each other and others....we can stop this terrible thing! Mines bleed too and it gets so raw it hurts! Sometimes....I don't even see a thumbprint anymore! I put on A&D Ointment and alot of vaseline on my fingers and hands and put on gloves at night when I go to bed. That helps....at least while I'm asleep...but comes the next day....then it's picking and clipping my skin off with nail clippers! I know I need to keep "gloves" on my hands even during the day....but I don't always put them on. The urge to pick is soooo great that I don't even attempt to put on the gloves. Then when start to pick....there's no stopping until I feel and see that it's "smooth.".....until the next time. I pick everyday!! I want to stop so bad!!!!!
August 26, 2011
Hi, Jayfro. I'm also new here. I've been reading a lot of other posts to get ideas on how to stop picking and chewing at my fingers. I'm 39 and have been doing it for as long as I can remember. I think this site is helpful, in that it's offering us a chance to talk with others and exchange ideas about it. I know, when I first found this site, I was amazed to find other people like myself. What a relief! It's good to know we're not alone in this. It doesn't make it easier to stop, necessarily, but I find comfort in knowing all of us here are in this together and can completely relate.
One tip I found on here today that I am trying is that I bought a product called "New Skin." It's a liquid bandage. I put some on tonight, and haven't chewed or picked for the last 5 hours. That's amazing, considering how intense the chewing and picking has gotten lately (to where I also bleed, and it hurts to touch things with my fingers). Anyway, if you can find a liquid bandag product, it might help... I found it in the first aid aisle.