Does anyone pick at the bottom of their feet? My story

Up until a few months ago, I didn't know how many people picked their feet too. Then I found this web site and realized that there are more foot-pickers than I thought. I've been picking my feet for at least 15 or so years. My problem started out as just picking at the callous on on my heels. Then slowly, I'd pull at the skin instead of clipping it off. That eventually lead to the rest of my feet. I pick at my toenails. Both of my pinky toenails have been picked off many times. I've dealt with them bleeding so much. When I was going to a foot reflexologist for quite awhile, I pretty much stopped. Then after I stopped going to her, I slowly got back into picking my feet off & on. I share a house with my older sister. We always got fingernail clippers on the end table. I do plastic canvas needlepoint and I've got my clippers. Between the fingernail clippers or my craft clippers, I'd use them on my feet. It helps for me to have stuff in my hands to keep me busy but after awhile, I stop and I end up picking my feet. I even pick at my feet while at the computer desk. I use the big scissors to trim off the dead skin. I use a foot pumus and the pedi egg on my feet. Heck, I leave all sorts of dead skin & toenail clippings on the couch and on the floor. My bedroom/craftroom chair also has the stuff on it & the floor. My mom & sister has gotten mad at me many times. My mom's diabetic and knows how to take care of feet. I've been diabetic within the past 5 yrs. I've also got high cholesterol & b/p which I'm taking meds for all. I know that foot picking is bad for my health but it's hard to stop. My mom told me to tell my doctor about my problem by showing him my feet. Well, last month, I did tell him I've got a problem and lightly shrugged it off. I didn't say that at that time, I didn't tell him what my feet looked like...not too bad then. He just kinda gave me a strange look and that was it. LOL My mom keeps telling me to go see him about my problem so that I can get the right meds for my feet. I do not plan to see him about my problem 'cause I know he'd probably send me to a specialist. I don't have the money to see a specialist but I also don't want to ask my sister for help 'cause she already helps me with my medical bills anyway. She'll just tell me that she warned me about stopping many times. So, this problem is mine to take care of however way I can. Why I do it? It's because I was bored at first and there wasn't anything in my hands to keep them busy. Then slowly, the problem got out of hand at times. I have good days and bad days. Part of my problem is that whenever I walk bare-footed, I don't always pick up my feet and so, I scrape them. Then that causes the skin to scrape up and then I start picking at the dead skin that scraped up. My problem now has gotten worse and it's been that way for about the past 3 or so months now. If I don't keep socks & shoes on my feet, they start to harden and feel stiff. Then when I bend them, they start to hurt. I've got a few sores on my feet and I keep clipping at the loose skin. Both feet itch terribly on the bottom at least once or more a day and sometimes on the top of my feet. I take one shoe off and itch my foot on the sole of my other foot. Then when both shoes are off, I rub them on the floor or find other places to scratch them on. The more scratching I do, the more sore they become. Then I clip at skin around the sores. Lately, I've been putting Watkins Petro-Carbo on them at least once or more each day. I finally soaked them in baking soda water for awhile to help with the itch. I didn't put anything on my feet afterwards. I woke up with sore, hard feet.. OUCH! I've got more Petro-Carbo on them now. If I didn't have to make cookie dough today and bake some later and all day tomorrow, I'd sit more but that's not possible. I've been limping off & on lately with sore feet but I try not to limp around my sister. I've put maxi pads in my shoes for a little comfort since I don't have any other stuff to put in them. The pads have worn down and so, I've gotta put new ones in. I've wrapped my feet a few times and have used various meds & creams on them. I'm ready to sit for awhile after my oldest brother & his family comes & goes to my mom & dad's for a week over Christmas. My New Year's resolution is to get my feet well. Well, we'll see if that comes true. LOL Darlene

Up until a few months ago, I didn't know how many people picked their feet too. Then I found this web site and realized that there are more foot-pickers than I thought. I've been picking my feet for at least 15 or so years. My problem started out as just picking at the callous on on my heels. Then slowly, I'd pull at the skin instead of clipping it off. That eventually lead to the rest of my feet. I pick at my toenails. Both of my pinky toenails have been picked off many times. I've dealt with them bleeding so much. When I was going to a foot reflexologist for quite awhile, I pretty much stopped. Then after I stopped going to her, I slowly got back into picking my feet off & on. I share a house with my older sister. We always got fingernail clippers on the end table. I do plastic canvas needlepoint and I've got my clippers. Between the fingernail clippers or my craft clippers, I'd use them on my feet. It helps for me to have stuff in my hands to keep me busy but after awhile, I stop and I end up picking my feet. I even pick at my feet while at the computer desk. I use the big scissors to trim off the dead skin. I use a foot pumus and the pedi egg on my feet. Heck, I leave all sorts of dead skin & toenail clippings on the couch and on the floor. My bedroom/craftroom chair also has the stuff on it & the floor. My mom & sister has gotten mad at me many times. My mom's diabetic and knows how to take care of feet. I've been diabetic within the past 5 yrs. I've also got high cholesterol & b/p which I'm taking meds for all. I know that foot picking is bad for my health but it's hard to stop. My mom told me to tell my doctor about my problem by showing him my feet. Well, last month, I did tell him I've got a problem and lightly shrugged it off. I didn't say that at that time, I didn't tell him what my feet looked like...not too bad then. He just kinda gave me a strange look and that was it. LOL My mom keeps telling me to go see him about my problem so that I can get the right meds for my feet. I do not plan to see him about my problem 'cause I know he'd probably send me to a specialist. I don't have the money to see a specialist but I also don't want to ask my sister for help 'cause she already helps me with my medical bills anyway. She'll just tell me that she warned me about stopping many times. So, this problem is mine to take care of however way I can. Why I do it? It's because I was bored at first and there wasn't anything in my hands to keep them busy. Then slowly, the problem got out of hand at times. I have good days and bad days. Part of my problem is that whenever I walk bare-footed, I don't always pick up my feet and so, I scrape them. Then that causes the skin to scrape up and then I start picking at the dead skin that scraped up. My problem now has gotten worse and it's been that way for about the past 3 or so months now. If I don't keep socks & shoes on my feet, they start to harden and feel stiff. Then when I bend them, they start to hurt. I've got a few sores on my feet and I keep clipping at the loose skin. Both feet itch terribly on the bottom at least once or more a day and sometimes on the top of my feet. I take one shoe off and itch my foot on the sole of my other foot. Then when both shoes are off, I rub them on the floor or find other places to scratch them on. The more scratching I do, the more sore they become. Then I clip at skin around the sores. Lately, I've been putting Watkins Petro-Carbo on them at least once or more each day. I finally soaked them in baking soda water for awhile to help with the itch. I didn't put anything on my feet afterwards. I woke up with sore, hard feet.. OUCH! I've got more Petro-Carbo on them now. If I didn't have to make cookie dough today and bake some later and all day tomorrow, I'd sit more but that's not possible. I've been limping off & on lately with sore feet but I try not to limp around my sister. I've put maxi pads in my shoes for a little comfort since I don't have any other stuff to put in them. The pads have worn down and so, I've gotta put new ones in. I've wrapped my feet a few times and have used various meds & creams on them. I'm ready to sit for awhile after my oldest brother & his family comes & goes to my mom & dad's for a week over Christmas. My New Year's resolution is to get my feet well. Well, we'll see if that comes true. LOL Darlene

OMG I am so glad I asked jeeves. I have been picking and chewing as long as I can remember. I started with my nails, then progressed to the skin around my nail, and for the past I would say 14 years I have been picking the bottoms of my feet. I also hate to admit that I do eat the skin. I feel so sick and disgusted with my behavior. I am afraid to tell someone like a dr,I am afraid of what they will say about me and think about me. I am glad to see that I am not alone. I even take my shoes off (when weather permits me to wear shoes without socks) and pick at work. I am 42 now, and I have like I said been doing this most of my life. I am so use to having bleeding feet, sore feet. and they are always so raw and red. Even now, I also eat the skin around my nails. Well thank you for letting me get this off my chest.

OH MY GOD!!! I just joined the site like literally this second and i pick at my hands and my knucles as well but whenever i get really bad i literally yes, pick at the bottoms of my feet. To the point where i'm peeling off literally like half centimetre thick pieces, and then i'm limping and to walk is really painful for a long time. Well, to be fair i've not been that bad in about a year. I've just been kind of inspired to join this site because i hadn't picked for almost a year and the other day i started again on my hands. Like i have a really messed up knuckle that i tell people is from a burn...but clearly it isn't it's because i continually pick at it. I cannever really 100% get away from slightly picking at my fingers even in the good times but whenever things get stressful i pick at my feat. Most of the time, as i'm sure most of you know, i know that it's motivated by stress, but i even really enjoy doing it and even look forward to it throughout the day like oooh i've got it down to literally the worst i can get it but i'll wait a few days and it will have healed a bit and then yay i'll be able to pick some more. All coupled with the embarassment, shame, and knowledge that i really have to stop. Which i have done, many times and even for years at a time. But yes, that's what's made me join this forum because however many times i stop and however long for it always comes back, always always. On my fingers, toes and yes, worst on the bottoms of my feet is where i pick and i'd love to get to know other people that do, and both give and recieve support :) Just glad to have found other people that do this too, it's the first time i ever have :)

hey finger picking people... I have a very bad habit of pickingmy fingers.. puling the skin off. I do it to the point, I ts very near bleeding. I also have to suffer several days of soft fingers that it hurts. I am convinced its a psych problem. I only do this when I am sad or upset. I have not ben to a doctor but i se the trend. I only do this when I am sad or depressed

here we go, okay so this is my first time ever talking about my skin picking/eating problems. ive never been told i have OCD or any other mental illness that in normally associated with skin picking mental illnesses. As far as i, and my family and friends know, i am mentally fine and "normal." but heres where the grossness comes in... since i was at least 3 years old i have always been a nail bitter. i used to bite my nails untill they bled, then hid them with bandades and cover up stories. this is where it gets gross so sqwemish ppl stop reading:). about two years ago i made am discovery. i began to take my nailclippers, which i normally used clip and eat my finger and toe nails, and started to clip the hard parts of my skin on the tips of my fingers and on the bottom of my feet. id eat every piece i clipped when i was nervous, mad, sad, bored, it began to become a part of my daily life. id also peel my finger nails on top of all of that (finger nails have 7 layers, id peel id say 2 or 3 which in reality means i created my own hang nails just to eat them... i know.. gross..) but its my addiction, its my stress relief, and i guess my drug. tons of people do it but i take it to the next level.. this is my self diagnosis. 1.) i obviously have OCD and need to feel that my hands and feet are "groomed?" 2.) i have stress problems, my brain has to many endorphin recepters or whatever they are. 3.) i have an addictive personality. is there help you may ask? i answer why change? i very rarely am ever affected by my addiction becuase i hide it so well. im also very laid back after practicing my addiction (similiar to the effects of drugs) sooooo why should i change..because others would think its gross if they knew? NO i dont care and if anyone else suffering from this "disease" wants to change good luck..... becuase if its not this itll be something worse, addictive personalities need an addiction.. comment me back, talk to me, id like to also honestly include that im not some wierd nerdy kid who doesnt go out, im 17 i have friends i sleep around and im not thought of as wierd as far as i know so if anyone has any comments questions concerns feel free

YES, I pick my feet. The bottoms. Yes, until they bleed. Much worse too.

I have almost the SAME EXACT thing!! I have to take pain meds for my shoulder, and they make me a little itchy. i tore of a long strp that was way too thick (oddly satisfying), so I am currently tip-toeing around. Anyone ever told you about mathods to stop? I also do the same with body hair, and (not often) scalp hair Let m e know if you have any luck! Justin

Most of the time, as i'm sure most of you know, i know that it's motivated by stress, but i even really enjoy doing it and even look forward to it throughout the day like oooh i've got it down to literally the worst i can get it but i'll wait a few days and it will have healed a bit and then yay i'll be able to pick some more.

this is the craziest thing ever.. I didn't realize that other people do this. The first time I remember picking at my feet I was around 8 or 9..I would peel the skin on the ball of my foot..In the 18 years I've been doing this Ive never picked at my left foot..I've always considered it to be my "good foot"and I have no idea why, maybe it's really only because Im right handed and so it;s easier to pick my right foot. I only picked at the ball of my foot for a year before I realized that my heel was better to pick.. There's nothing more satisfying than peeling the most perfectly even strip that follows the natural "grain" of the skin,especially if you can repeat this for an entire section. Typing this out makes it seem weirder to me than it feel when I'm doing it. Sometimes I'll peel it too deep, or too far into non-dry skin, and it will crack or bleed. I've gotten it to the point where Ive had to wrap it with gauze and polysporin.. people at school would notice I was walking with a limp and now sometimes co workers will. It only gets that bad if Im super stressed out. I don't even know what to think of all this, its the first time I've heard of anyone else doing it.

Your not alone i do the same thing, and ya it hurts to walk my bf had been trying to help me, but i mean hes only around a couple hours out of the day cuz he works, honestly i dont really have any advice seeing as i just recently found out about this sight i just want you to know you are not alone i do the exact same thing.. and myabe a little worse i actually eat the skin which makes me feel so dirty but there is nothing i can do about it. i hope your feet get better.

As I sit here reading these posts, I am picking at my feet and my hand. I can't explain how RELIEVED and SAD I am feeling at the same time. I have been picking off the skin on my hands and feet for so long, I can't even actually remember when I started. At first, it was just the cuticles around my nails. Then it was the dry skin on the heels of my feet. That led to the dry skin on the inside part of my thumbs/palms and now I do all 3 simultaneously. Just like many of you, I would pick and peel the skin off so bad there would be raw spots and sometimes bleeding. If I see or feel a slight crack/'flake', I immediately start peeling at the skin and almost every time don't or won't stop until my hands or feet are red and throbbing with pain. All this time, I justified what I was doing by telling myself I'm just getting rid of the dry skin so my hands and feet can be all even and smooth. Well as we all know, once you start picking at that first piece, there's another 'uneven' piece that you now have to pick at too and so on and so on. Though I am the biggest baby when it comes to enduring pain, I always seem to manage to go on as normal when it comes to the injuries I have caused myself due to this horrible 'habit'. Tonight was the night I finally googled this issue I've been carrying around with me forever and I am SO glad I found this site. What I also found online was we are definitely not alone in what is considered an IMPULSE CONTROL DISORDER which tends to run in families. My older sister was the only other person I know of with this behavior and could relate to exactly what I meant and felt when I say I hope no one notices my hands at work tonight. It feels so good to have finally let this out and I can't wait to tell my sister about this site and finally able to not feel like we're alone in this and also maybe there's a 'cure' some where out there for us :)

I feel your pain (literally & figuratively). I pick the skin around my fingers AND I pick the bottom of my feet. However, I only pick when my nails are not done. My solution is kinda simple. I usually have acrylic/tips on my nails. When they are coated with the acrylic the nail is just thick enough to prevent the picking altogether. Unfortunately, a new nail person recommended that I take the acrylic off so she could introduce me to a new product. The new product did not work or look good and my fingers are now picked and picked and picked. And so are the bottom of my feet. Because the skin on my fingers are raw, the fumes and chemicals will cause my fingers to burn so I have not had my nails done. Everyday I tell myself that I am going to stop. Every night I put lotion or Vitamin E around my fingers. All for naught. My fingers and feet are still raw. Oh well. But getting your nails done at a salon with acrylic and tips does work and your hands look good. Once you stop picking your feet get your feet done too. Good luck!!

I know what it feels like. I however use nail clippers and just clip the bottoms of my feet till there raw and in pain. Then the next time I shower or am bored I do it again. The worst part is I will chew on the skin I clip off. I don't know why, but I do..whoa,, that feels great to talk about finally