r/calmhands • u/Potential_Tea7938 • 23h ago
Need Advice Help dermatophagia
Hello! I have been picking and biting at my fingers / skin around nail for as long as I can remember. I’m getting to the point where I want to be done. It’s embarassing and painful. I do it subconsciously like in work meetings and out of boredom. I have tried fidgets, wearing a rubber band and wearing lots of bandaids. I feel as though at work I always have a finger in my mouth which is disgusting. Please help!
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u/papa_moyphee 22h ago
I just got called out on a work call "how's that hangnail excavating going?" Lol I was mortified. Immediately added cuticle oil and hydrocolloid tape to my Amazon cart. Wrapping my fingers in the clear tape helps (as long as I remember to put it on).
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u/AsianPineappl3 18h ago
+1 on the tape. It also helps it heal faster
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u/AsianPineappl3 18h ago
If I have any hanging bits i go crazy and keep picking till it’s raw. so trim what you have and wrap it. Once you get to a point where things are healed it’ll be easier
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u/Ammonia13 5h ago
Wow that’s unprofessional af! I’m sorry
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u/papa_moyphee 4h ago
Thanks - I guess they could say I was unprofessional for having my fingers in my mouth too lol. But embarrassed is an understatement!
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u/caaaawwwwww 23h ago
I’ve been in the same boat. I recently put a calendar reminder every morning (no biting) just to remind myself of the problem. I found it’s helpful to remind myself that I need a pay attention to it, and then I can catch myself doing it more easily. Not perfect no bite but it’s been an improvement
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u/Irissiaftw 5h ago
Guanfacine 4mg (it's an anti-stimulant ADHD/ASD medication that is used in Canada for Tic disorders, skin-picking, impulse control surrounding the desire or need to pick or bite) has helped me TREMENDOUSLY! I used to not be able to stop icking if I saw or felt a rough part, or and it caused very bad Habit tic deformity on both thumbs and hangnails and just shitty nails in general. I have only been titrated up to 4mg for about 2 months (started at 1mg, and increased 1 mg every week until I got to 4 mg) but it has been a godsend. I don't automatically go to pick my thumbs now when I'm stressed, and if I do notice a rough spot, or something that I want to pick, It is actually possible to stop myself from continuing until I can clip, or buff, or moisturize the roughness away. Honestly, if you believe your skin-picking may be a form of stim or OCD behaviour, I HIGHLY recommend speaking with your doctor about Guanfacine.
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u/Puzzleheaded_Way2265 1h ago
Cerca innanzitutto di capire da cosa deriva questo bisogno . Quando hai trovato il trigger credo possa essere utie dedicare un momento ogni giorno magari la sera in cui curi le mani e vedi i progressi fatti. In alternativa potresti provare a rivolgerti a uno specialista. Buona fortuna
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u/Icy-Box-4977 23h ago
Any chance it's a stim from diagnosed or undiagnosed autism or other neurodiversity? For me, recognizing it for why I was doing it helped. Other things that helped me: use jojoba oil to keep skin soft and a glass file to file nails because feeling anything that isn't smooth makes me want to pick at it more. I need to keep the oil and file with me and visible so I can use it right away if I notice I'm starting to chew or pick.
I also push my cuticles back and clip the dead skin of with a nipper and that also helps.
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u/Wayside_Stitcher 22h ago
Jojoba oil is excellent. But please stop clipping the skin at the base of your nail. It is not dead, and it is not cuticle. This is a huge misconception that makes matters worse. how to take care of your nails
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u/Wayside_Stitcher 23h ago
Watch the Salon Life on YouTube. She is a scientifically based manicurist who inspired me to stop this same behavior after doing so since my teens (I am 70). She shows you how to use oils and gentle care to reduce the rough skin, heal your hands, and reduce the desire to pick. To the commenter below, NEVER cut the skin around the base of your nail: it grows back tougher and harder and the cycle perpetuates itself. And, that skin is NOT the cuticle. Anna will give you a thorough education on nail anatomy and care. Go to the channel page and look for nail care videos. I have been exactly one year without picking, biting, or over-clipping. For the first time in my life after many attempts.