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

I'm 14 and I've been biting my nails and when i get the chance or seen loose skin i always bite it i tried using this stuff to stopped biting my nails (It's really gross) but that didn't work. Over the school holidays i put band-aids on my fingers and it helped but once you take it off it looks like you've been in water for too long I've tried sitting on them but didn't help i'm not a very still person one of my thumbs recently started to heal and as soon as it was eatable i started chewing on it :/. I honestly want to stop eating my fingernails and the skin around them it makes my hands ugly and i'm getting more self conscious about them please help...

I am 35 and also doing this and other bad habits as described on these forums. The best fix I have found is a product (in Canada) called Polysporin. You should use cuticle scissors as has been mentioned, or just dedicated nail clippers works for me (I'm not very dexterous with tiny scissors, the clippers are way easier) and cut any protruding pieces of skin, avoid biting it off but if you REALLY GOTTA DO IT - well, this is the last time, ok! You can even push back your cuticles and remove them. Then, scrub your fingers and hands well and dry them and apply a very small amount of polysporin to every finger you bite. It will heal super fast and you won't want to put your fingers in your mouth with it on. Just apply it once or twice a day. It will actually start looking better the first day. Put on a polish that distracts from it too if you like (before putting on ointment). Pretty nails help me not want to bite as much, too. With all that said, I still will chew and find solace in it. It really makes me feel better when I get a good session in! But I feel terrible about the unhealthy aspects of it. The look... Also think it may have caused some jaw and teeth alignment problems. The polysporin is my magic fix for when I fall. No I don't work for them - lol, I just wanted to share something that really works for healing periods. *love to everyone here*

I can't believe I found this website... Okay. My name is Lily, I'm 15 and I've been biting my fingers 5-6 years now. I bite the skin off of my fingers, I used to bite to the point of bleeding, but that only happens rarley now. Both of my index fingers are bitten all the way down to the knuckle. It's ALL bitten around my finger. It started with around the cuticle, then down, then all around the finger. I only did this to my thumb when I started, then I eventually went on to all the other fingers. The problem is, I don't know when I bite because I bite when I think. I bite a ton when I'm on the computer, when I'm reading, when I'm taking a test, when I'm watching TV, pretty much everything that requires a brain. :/ I tried the liquid bandaid stuff, that didn't work. I have a full supply of this omega stuff that is made specifically for nail/finger biting, and that works sometimes. But sometimes, I bite so much that the omega stuff comes off and I go right back. To be truthful, sometimes I don't even care. I'll realize that I bite and I'll just keep going. It's embarrassing going swimming, because they prune up and look disgusting, some people thought I had a disease... I just can't convince myself to stop. I REALLY want to, but lots of times I really just don't care. I just don't know how to stop. I'm gonna continue using omega, because its the best thing for me now, but I really pray that it'll heal soon. Finally I get my story out to this website, and I see a bunch of people who are struggling with the same thing.

I am 17 and have been eating the skin around my fingers since i don't remember when. It started with me biting my nails and eating those too, but i stopped. i used to bite all the way down my thumbs and fingers but it has gotten a little better. now i just keep reopening wounds and biting at the hard callused parts. theres something about it. I don't find it gross at all now, im desensitized to it. i do it when im stressed, out in public, hungry (go figure) and so on. It is really embarrassing however, but i can't stop. I've noticed when i have acrylic nails on, i leave my fingers alone, because it starts with picking then me biting a piece of skin off. I hate lotion so my skin is dry, easy to pick at. the scars, puffiness, soreness and pain is something i am just used to, and i like the taste of blood with the skin. sometimes i do it without even noticed, sometimes i am just ravenously picking and eating at my fingers. the taste and smell of the skin.. i really cant shake it, ive been doing it for so long. My thumbs are the biggest problems. They are scarred terrible. my natural creases to my fingers are skewed because of the calluses. It is a sight. Even though i love doing it, its something im trying to stop. Its hard, really hard because i hate applying stuff to my fingers! but they look so ugly. Im happy that there are other people out here that understand i didnt think there were many people . I bite my lip and inside of my cheek too, but just mainly my fingers.... my poor fingers lol

Thank god theirs others like me. I cant remember a time when i dont have a cut on my fingers, im 13 and i have a bad habit of doing this, i started like 3 yrs ago but i want normal fingers, im sick of wearing bandaids at school to hide it from people, and sometimes it hurts so much i cant even write properly, once it gets a scab i just bite it off. Im doing this self consciously and i never notice until after it starts hurting and bleeding... Ive tried the nail polish foul tasting stuff but that didnt work because i would keep trying to bit until it came off, ive also tried getting some cotton gloves but i never remember to wear them, im a boy and im really worried if this will have any long term effect on my fingers, mostly thumbs. Its usually near the nuckle or on the side of my thumb :( help me!

Hello my name is christine and to be honest I was super scared of trying to talk to someone About the problem I have but ever since I could remember I've been biting and actually eating My fingerskin and all of my family say I need help when my hands get wet they swell up And have over a 1000 holes on my hand and I'm terribly embarrassed but I don't know how I can stop no matter what I do and its like every finger is severely bitten and my family Calls me a cannibal and I feel super bad I want to see a therapist but I'm afraid of what might Happen I don't know what to do I know I need help I mean I'm 23 I've been married 4 Years and my husband got into a very bad accident so he can barely do anything I would say I'm very depressed so much on my mind I hope somebody can help me.

Im 14 and ive been biting my skins around the nail for as long as I can remember..sometimes I bite until they bleed and i have to bandage them..its so embarrasing becauseA people always say eww your fingers..:( I wish I could stop.

I'm 13 and I've done all of those things for years. Strong will hasn't helped me with any of the places I pick. So..... a lot of lotion and chapstick. If they're smooth and soft, they're much harder to pick.

Also, I'm pretty sure I've chipped the corners of my front teeth from all the nail biting I did last year.

I'm jane and I'm 15 years old.I have always eaten my nails and the skin around my nails ,but normally my nails. Know my fingers are swallon and have little holes int then I get so embarassed around my friens they even gave them names e.g(underconder) becoz the hole are many in one big circle like eyes ...I wish I had nice beautiful nails like my friends so that I could also take nice pictures and stuff.any advice.please anyone who thinks this is crus.do I have to go 2 the hospital.I'm scared what if I got a disease....and again my finger nails are dark like I have blood stuck.I realy don't know what to to .ohw please anyone help .............wish I had normal nails,and beautiful nails

I stumbled across this website because I'm a finger biter too. I used to bite my nails, but I was able to overcome that minor habit... and replaced it with skin biting. I've been biting at my thumb knuckles or at least 20 years. I know what started my biting. When I was probably around 8 I contracted 2 warts (one on each thumb). My parents had taken me to a dermatologist for countless freezing treatments, electrical removal, and laser removal. All provided temporary relief, but eventually the warts would return. Around 10 years old, my parents gave up on treatments and I began to pick and bite at the warts. At first, my skin would become flat (but raw) and I was pleased. But eventually the wart would grow back. I would continue to pick and bite further down (sometimes using tools). Eventually, I built up large calluses. I stopped biting at them for maybe a while, but then winter would come and the skin would crack.. prompting more biting. As I got a little older, one of my index fingers got what I perceived as a "blemish", it was probably just a blister. But this index finger got added into the mix. After around my mid teens I found that (prescribed) stimulants provided temporary relief from the compulsion. Even just nicotine was enough to provide relief. Sometimes if I have a nail file on me, that can provide relief because the mail trigger is the roughness of the skin. Now at over 30.. I still bite (way more now that I don't smoke or take prescribed stimulants). I go to bed every night with gloves on and fill them with ointment or lotion (depending). I'm at my wits end >.< and the funny thing is, I only bite at the three fingers (two thumbs and one index finger). I feel for you all with this affliction. I'd like to add, my mother told me that my grandfather used to pick any scabs he ever got... Which I guess from reading is a similar disorder.

I'm 15 and have been eating on the skin around my nail since forever.The skin often irritates me and i always end up eating it off.I do so even when I'm nervous.I googled all my symptoms and found this disorder called Dermatophagia and the disease that occurs is Paronychia.I cut the skin till it hurts and bleeds...It gives me pleasure that i can't describe...Back then when I was 10,i had a terrible blister and some swelling & redness on my point-finger.I had to be taken to a doctor because i couldn't even hold a pencil.Now that I'm fifteen I still find it very hard to stop...It's really embarrassing to go out in public with such fingers.Once i had cuts on all my fingers and my friends were really shocked to see.Even i was disgusted seeing all bleeding,red,swollen fingers.As far as i remember i did that b4 sleeping.I really can't help myself.

I'm 14 and I've been bitting the skin around my nails since I was 7. I do it when I'm nervous, bored, ashamed or something like that. I'm also bitting my lips until they bleed. I sometimes bite the skin around my nails till blood too. It hurts me and I think its really gross but I cant stop or control myself