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admin , 30 Nov 2007

Cuticle picking problem

Hello I guess I'm the first one to post around here. I hope new folks will join soon... Anyhow I found this website by mistake while looking around the net for information about cuticle picking. I have been doing it since I'm a child, and never seized doing it. It's actually become a problem, since my fingers sometimes get to the point when it looks grotesque and ugly. I always thought that this problem I am having is just a bad habbit, but after I read stuff about it I begin to understand that it might be some inner turmoil inside me that has to do with it, and brings me to self distruciton will again and again. I notice that the picking picks in times of stress. Anyone has similar problem?
71 Answers
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Hannahsmom40
December 19, 2009
I have been picking at my cuticles since I was about 3. I used to twiddle my hair until there were bald patches, but my mom crocheted a pillow cover with strings around the border. I started twiddling these strings and spared my hair. Now, I twiddle a shoelace or the edge of my t-shirt hem. It helps keep the picking down to a minimum. Also, I try to keep my hands busy, like cross-stitching. I also pick at my face, arms, and neck. The key is to keep my hands busy as much of it is a boredom thing.
michells
January 14, 2010
I was just looking on line for some kind of cuticle cream that might make my dryness go away so I will stop picking. I couldn't believe it when I saw that other people have this problem too. I always thought it was from being nervous, bored, etc. I have stopped off and on picking my cuticles and when they heal, they look beautiful. After I got divorced I stopped picking for a long time. Then I started again. I am so embarrassed about it, i try to hide my hands. I always see women with beautiful hands and nails and I get so angry with myself. I have long nails but they look awful when I pick my skin around them. I also had acrylic nails put on a few years ago and it did stop me from picking. But then I let them grow out because I have beautiful nails without ruining them with acrylics. When I started picking again non stop, I decided to get acrylics again. This time, I was able to pick with them. Now I am in the process of letting them grow out. I find that when I get manicures every couple of weeks, I tend not to pick because my handls look so much better after the cuticles have been cut by a professional. I put solar oil on my cuticles and baby oil with aloe in it on my hands every morning and let it soak in. My hands are so dry. I work with a lot of paperwork and I think that makes them dry too. It's good to know there are others like me around. It's so embarrassing. My father also picked his cuticles and I thought I inherited this bad habit. Neosporin does help if you rub it into your cuticles before you go to bed, it helps the soreness from the picking. I just want some medicine to make it go away -- I don't want to go see a therapist about it. I know I can stop - I have before many times. Once I stop, I am good to go for a long time, but when I start up again, I can't stop.
Thumz
January 19, 2010
Man-O-Man - I thought I was the only "freak" who self-destructs their hands like this. Ever since I can remember, I have chewed my thumbnails and shredded the cuticles on the thumbs - I mean down to the nubs and blood. Like more than 20 years, okay? The other eight fingers fare well, except I keep the nails very short (with my teeth). Not TOO short, though. I'd love to find a way to stop this nonsense. My co-workers and friends are wigged out. Sigh.
psych client
January 19, 2010
I found this forum over the weekend and just joined. I didn't realize how many others go through this. Just tonight, I talked to my T more honestly about what I do. It didn't gross him out like I thought it would. Anyway, neosporin and bandaids are how I heal my fingers temporarily...what also helps is having solar nails because they are too thick to break skin but then I found my cuticle cutter. I should throw that away I guess.
kcooksey25
January 31, 2010
I also pick my cuticles until they bleed! I have never seen anyone else with fingers that look as bad mine, so I am glad that there are other people out there that have the same problem. I have noticed that my mother and grandmother also do the same thing (not to the extent that I do). I have tried everything (neosporin/bandaids, baby oil/lotion and gloves, etc.) and the only thing that has helped me is having acrylic nails put on. The nail is too thick to break the skin. It keeps my cuticles from being attacked. The first time I get them on, it hurts really bad, but it goes away by my next appointment. The downside is the minute they come off my nails, I start to pick at my cuticles again. I am willing to try anything that will help, if there are any other suggestions!
Sarah1509
February 09, 2010
im glad im not the only one. i constantly pick at my thumbs untill they're raw and start to bleed. even now as im writing this i have a bad urge to pick at them. i feel helpless i also have tried band aids, lotion, clipping off excess skin with a nail clipper, and the only thing that really helps me to not pick at my skin is too acrylic nails. i constantly look at other people's hands and i wish i had pretty hands like them. ugh i just want some way of cutting this out!!! the funny thing is whenever i do pick at my skin i know i need to stop but i just can't bring my self to stop!
lrg
February 13, 2010
wow! i was looking on the web for reasons why my nails (specifically my thumb nails) have ridges and look so disgusting...in my search i determined that trauma to the nail bed can cause this. when i was 13 i started getting acrylics put on my nails and once i stopped around age 15 i began "picking"! picking like crazy only my thumb nail cuticles. i too pick till they bleed... use tools to get to that hard to grab piece of cuticle and continue to pull and pick even when it hurts and i know it will bleed. i've often wondered if this is why my nails look the way they do. i dont pick any other cuticles and all my other nails look fine. i've tried to file down these terribly ugly ridges on my nails, use creams, and wear band aids to hide both my ugly nails and even uglier, red and puffy cuticles. i've never met anyone else who does the same thing. and i'm so embarrassed that i keep my thumbs tucked into my fists to keep people from noticing. what do i do? i need help! does anyone else have this weird nail issue as a result of picking? i'd like to know if the two are related.... HEEEELP!
wishididntpick
February 15, 2010
Hi everyone - Nice to know there are others out there that do this. I'm a sales-rep and find myself picking in the car, in meetings, at home, visiting with friends, etc. I've done this forever, and I hate it. There is nothing worse than a client grabbing your hand and saying, "Wow, what's wrong with you?" I do take an SSRI and have found no improvement in picking. I HAVE found that acrylic nails do wonders to stop the problem; however, I play the guitar and can't play with the acrylics. I have found one more thing that some of you may like to try: I found at a beauty supply store callus remover and artificial pumice, made by "Mr. Pumice." In the morning in the shower I put a small amount of callus remover on each finger and sore and cuticle and then scrub each like crazy with the pumice. It has the same satisfying feeling that the picking does, and leaves each finger extremely smooth. Then finish with a thick cream after drying hands. To those of you that can afford having nails put on, do it. Your problem will stop. Good luck everyone.
spiritbaby201
February 15, 2010
hi im 27 coming up for 28 soon and i have bein picking since i was a child far as i can remeber im soo over the moon i found this site skin pick i know now im not along n a freak . my mum used to always say to me that my fingers would fall off if i dident stop picking . still from this day forward i still do it but its mostly my arms i pick and time to time its my fingers if i have any scabs i find it really hard to stop it gets to the point now were i have to sit on my hands to stop me from picking but it dont always work .n i pick till i bleed then i stop then i just do it again . every soo often my partner catches me n tells me to stop it . and im like i cant its a bad happit i used to always think that . sum time i pick till i cant pick any more . sum times my arms look a mess n i need to wear long levess or wear a zipper soo i dont pick its when my arms are coverd that when i dont pick . and when my arms are uncoverd i dead to pick n find it really hard not to . can plx any one give me any advice . is their anything for it . i feel is if i get older it may get alot worse .
spursfan1972
April 29, 2010
I thought i was such a weirdo until i found this site. OMG I have been picking for about 15 years now i starrted by chewing thew inside of my cheeks since i was a kid but then i moved on to this... (i still chew my cheeks sometimes too.) I am on 3 antidepressants and still nothing. sometimes i pick until i bleed and then wear bandaids to hide it. i know my friends at work probably wonder why i have bandaids on all the time. i am hoping that just rewading some posts and being able to write about this will help me. i seem to be worse lately because i am not happy with my life and i have no friends outside of work and i am stressed and bored. right now i am trying really hard not to pick and i want to get a manicure to see if that helps. i just can't take it anymore!
new2az
April 30, 2010
I am going to get acrylic nails put on tomorrow, even though I hate what they do to my own nails, because it helps me stop picking. In my profession I cannot afford to have open sores on my fingers but they really don't want nurses to have fake nails either. So, I guess I'm going to get them anyway and just keep them short. I figure it's better to not have sores. We'll see, but I was glad to know I wasn't the only "weirdo" that does this.
new2az
April 30, 2010
I was so excited to run across this site. I have been plagued by picking my cuticles since I was a child and am now 45 years old. I work in the medical field and cannot afford to have open sores on my fingers, but I cannot stop picking. Sometimes when I look at my fingers and they look great, I know it won't last long and the picking will begin again. I cannot see a piece of dry skin and not pick it off, as hard as I might try to stop myself. When I begin picking I have to pick until that piece is picked completely off, even if that means I have caused intense pain or bleeding. I realize this is so sick and am just realizing that this might be a type of OCD. I do take Prozac, which I just started about 6 months ago, but not because of this but because of some muscle aches and pains I was experiencing, and headaches. I believe it has helped to some extent. I also have no problems when I am wearing acrylic nails and I almost laughed out loud when I read that on other posts. There are others in my family that pick like me; my son, my brothers, my dad, and my nephew, so feel there is some genetic factor involved. Let me know what works for others to stop this awful habit. I have tried Burt's Bees, which helps if you continually put it on. I have grabbed the little jar and rubbed it on my fingers when I had the urge to pick, but it is greasy and not too practical when trying to study and turn pages in a book. One of my fingers is especially bad tonight and I just cannot leave it alone. Thanks for listening.
bobbielou
October 07, 2010
I also work in the medical field. I'm 65 and I have been fighting picking almost all my life. But within the last few months, I've been able to cut down long enough to have OK looking fingers and nails. I have been in therapy for 9 years. My therapist never said a word about how my hands looked or even mentioned she noticed that my cuticles were damaged and red from bleeding. I take medication for an anxiety disorder, an SSRI and an anti-anxiety med. I chew and pick my cuticles when my anxiety level is high. The medication reduces the anxiety so that I can stop for about 24 hours at a time. I have a few other ways to help myself: instead of allowing my cuticles to grow, I use a good cuticle scissors. Otherwise the roughness of a loose piece of cuticle will begin the picking. I use rubber gloves for long cleaning jobs. The loose soft skin from soaking can begin the picking. I chew gum. I eat something crunchy. I use zinc oxide (just like the baby ointment) to reduce the redness of my skin where I have drawn blood. It dramatically reduces the redness overnight. If I have to dress up or go out to a place where someone will notice my damaged fingers, I use flesh colored make up (Cover Girl is good) on my cuticles. It also aids healing them. I then feel more relaxed in public and less likely to attack my fingers in public. Picking is a symptom of a larger problem but in itself it is not life threatening. I do not get more colds, flu etc. from infection than other people. It is a habit I learned to reduce my anxiety when I was very young. It reminds me to wash my hands. It is not harmful like drugs, over- eating, or smoking. It is only embarrassing and reminds me to be mindful of my stress level, to slow down, take my meds, stay in therapy and be kinder to myself. Find a kind councillor and be kind to yourself.
baill
May 07, 2010
Yup, me too. I am 54 and have done this all my life. I've read it's a form of OCD - over-grooming. This is why some people will pick or pluck or scratch other areas of their bodies - always looking for "perfecting" that area. My dad used to say (he had it too - runs in the family) "I picked that cuticle piece all the way to my elbow." Other people in my family over groom other areas. Mine is the cuticle picking. Bit my nails when I was very young. Quit that a long time ago. I have beautiful long nails and ugly red cuticles!
dontfret2010
June 21, 2010
I am very glad I came across this site, and pretty encouraged that so many other people have this problem. I have had a cuticle picking problem for years, and it doesn't seem to satisfy me unless I bleed. I have really never known why I do this, and no matter how bloody and sore my fingers are, I just keep picking and peeling my skin off. As I am typing, I have bandages on 3 of my fingers with the blood showing through them. I always thought that this was a mindless habit, like nail biting or hair-twirling. It seems like more, though. My fiance hates it and thinks of it as a form of self-mulitation. I'm not sure what to think of it. Anyone else have a similar story?
ashleydeanna
June 29, 2010
Has anyone been to a therapist about this cuticle picking problem? I have been a nail biter/cuticle picker since I was a little kid and have been through many phases where it's gotten better, but the habit always comes back. I'm at the point where I feel that I need professional help with my head, not just the physical habit. My main problem is that I pick my cuticles with my fingers when it's not a good time to have my fingers in my mouth, but anytime I'm able I use my teeth to bite the cuticle (and nails as well), trying to "fix" them. Any little thing that feels rough or ragged HAS TO come off. I have a little manicure kit and i do try to use the cuticle nipper sometimes, rather than biting, but usually I only do that when I've been gnawing and picking at my fingers all day and they're still not "fixed". Luckily I'm not one of those people that chews their nails down to the quick - I have long nail beds and they look gorgeous during the short periods I'm able to stop. Another thing that worries me is that since I do use my teeth to pick my fingers, I might make myself sick or get an infection in my hands. It hasn't happened yet, but it's still a concern. I recently got engaged and have this beautiful ring - and it's mortifying to have to show it off knowing that people are looking at the whole picture of my hand, not just the ring. I am desperate to stop this compulsion completely as soon as I can so that my hands will do my beautiful ring justice, and so that I can be rid of the shame and stress this is causing me in addition to the anxiety and stress caused by planning a wedding. If anyone has ever seen a psychologist about this problem, I'd love to hear your feedback. I'm not thrilled about the expense of going this route, but honestly I'll do anything at this point.
D
July 23, 2010
Okay Cuticle picking problem is far from my ONLY picking problem: - cuticles til the bleed and sore and look terrible even though my nails grow beautiful and long. - I picked a whole in my head in fifth grade - scabs are not a good thing for me to have. - I never had pimples as a kid but as an adult I do so guess what - pick them - I have scarred myself terrible. My whole thing is not necessarily feeling a sense of grooming but more about feeling. I can't stand lumps, scabby feeling stuff, white dead skin on nails etc. I pick until smooth and then I feel better. I wish I could STOP!!!!! I even say STOP IT- just this last one pick and no more - yeah right!
dawngieringer
July 30, 2010
Wow! I am glad I discovered this site and am reading all these comments. Yours, in particular, sounds very familiar. I do exactly what you do!! I think it is a need to "fix" all the ragged edges whicih, in the end, are never fixed!! I have such scar tissue now that I wonder if I will ever have normal skin. Thanks for your comments!!
missjane
September 09, 2010
Wow! I can't convey the relief I feel at finding this site. I have picked my cuticles since High School and thought it was just some weird habit of mine. I haven't seen a doctor about it yet, but have been considering it. What would you suggest first? A derm or a therapist? I pick them until they bleed and my husband is constantly telling me to stop chewing on my hands. I pick with my teeth and fingers. Has anyone tried the stuff you put on your nails to stop bitting them?
jmartor
September 17, 2010
As a child I was a bad nail biter. My parents put all kinds of ointments and creams on my nails to make me stop, but I would eventually get used to the gross taste and bite anyway. And then one day I stopped biting and started picking my cuticles. I do it, my Mom does it and both my sisters do it. We all have beautiful long nails, but with open sores around our nails from picking our cuticles - I laugh to myself when we are all in the same room together talking and I notice we are all doing it simultaneously without realizing it. In an effort to stop I put acrylic nails on for the past three years. Since I had no feeling, I couldn't pick my cuticles, so instead I started picking at the nails underneath the acrylics weakening them and making them pop off and ruining my bi-weekly manicures. The constant hand movement and loud clicking was driving my husband crazy and he recently said to me "You aren't ever going to stop picking at your f***ing nails are you?". I often don't realize I am doing it. So, I just removed my acrylic nails to stop the loud clicking sound and within days only three fingers have been spared of my incessant cuticle picking - the rest are a bloody mess with loose scraggly skin around them. I thought seeing my nice new cuticles would keep me from picking but not so - the urge and sensation to pick was too great. I keep putting cream on my hands to soften the cuticles but it doesn't last long. I started wearing cotton gloves at night while watching TV, but after a while they get tight and I lose circulation sometimes. I am picking right now as I type. I don't think I will ever stop.

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