Picking, biting and chewing on skin and nails.

Post Reply New Topic

For you picking-dead-skin-off-the-fingertips people, one of my GFs had this thing, don't remember what it was called, cuticle something or other...anyway, I tried it once, and it works really really good for getting rid of hang-nails, dead skin, scabs, and the like. I should probably get one for myself, even if it is a bit girly ¬_¬ Can't remember what it was called, but the tip was like in a V shape, so you could just cut the skin right off without too much damage to the living tissues...at least I didn't cut myself, but it seems like you'd be able to if you weren't careful.

I still can't put that feeling into words...I just say it's gross.

Dear sweet jesus. Biting my lips all day today. Totally stressed out over sick, dying (now deceased) cat. Reading this thread is literally making me run around the room flapping my arms like a spastic chicken. AAAAARRRGGGHHHH!! !! !

I bite my lips and chew/pick at my fingers all the time. It was worse when I was young- I was literally raw on the corners of my nails and my lips had dents from where I'd bitten them.

Before I was diagnosed I remember being in my social worker's car for some reason. I started to pick at the skin on my thumb until it bled and the social worker was like 'urgh, my ex-husband used to do that- disgusting habit'. Oddly enough said ex-husband has aspergers syndrome... it was like forshadowing.

Kitty =(

We just lost a dog yesterday =/

I don't like self-cannibalism.

I think i started biting my nails at age 10. later i started biting skin around nails. And now i bite my lips too. I cant realize why i bite lips, skin, nails.. maybe because i am nervous/stressed. - Don't know. I bite myself everyday. I never skip a day. I can't stop it! it has been about seven years now.. can't even think about "NOT" biting my nails.. i am doing it and i won't stop!
- I am a self-cannibal

I used to bite my inner cheek a lot when I was younger. During my teens I noticed I liked to tap my foot constantly. Now I seem to have the issue with picking my thumbs constantly with my pointing finger on both hands, sometimes till it bleeds. Its bad enough that the skin their is all rough and leathery now. I"m a Frankenstein, I know.

It's sounding like gloves might be the solution. I just need to create a barrier between my fingers and my teeth/nails/implements long enough for all the skin to grow back. This means finding a pair of gloves that still allow me to do things with my hands and are comfortable enough to wear for long periods. There's also the issue of possibly looking insane with gloves on all the time, but if I can stop doing this it might be worth it.

I don't bite my nails at all, I just pick at them all the time and I wish I could stop. Worst is when I am watching tv or waiting for something.

I am ashamed because they look so bad, I really wish I could stop.

When I was a kid I used to constantly have bloody or scabby lips from biting, picking and peeling them. I also used to suck blood from my gums. I think the habit died down when I was about 8 and my dad told me I'd get cancer if I didn't stop. I was terrified for a while because I had a little lump on my lip (which is still there). I don't know if it's because of this old habit... and I still chew and play with my lips (that sounds so wrong!)...or because I've been smoking for 15 years, or a combination of the two, but my lips get so dried out now that if I don't have instant access to lip balm I get stressed out. My friends make fun of me for it.

I also love to pick and scratch at anything. When I was a spotty schoolkid, first thing I would do when I got home from school was stand in front of the mirrror and squeeze away. It's a great stress reliever. Except now if I do that, I get more depressed because I make a mess of my face.

Another cuticle chewer here too
I have mostly managed to shake the fingernail chewing though, although I still slip from time to time when I'm really stressed or nervous. I did it by deciding that the only way I was 'allowed' to trim or clean-up my nails was with a pair of fingernail clippers. If you try this buy yourself enough pairs of clippers that you can have one handy any time, it made it easier for me to not slip and chew on them if I didn't have to look for the clippers.
I've tried to do the same with the skin around the nails and it has made it so I bleed less often, but it's still not clean or neat enough for me to really be happy about it.

Totally obsessive about this one - nails, cuticles, knuckles, lips, etc. I also tend to scratch my scalp until it bleeds.

It's more an excuse for "processing time" than anything else, at least in my case. During daily decompression (loving the alliteration there), I basically scratch my forehead for flakes of skin, pimples, and whatnot until it goes red. I need to get a baclava (hats come off too easily) to deter the fingers between 2 and 5 pm.

So do I; until I bleed. But it's very nasty and I hate it

I do to bite my nails, mostly if I am bored or maybe it's just because my Mom had a nasty habit of it,

I do this too
I've been known to sit around for a hour or more just looking for the spots or roug skin and pick at them to see what I can get out or to pull the skin off.

I don't think by shoulders/back is as bad as it used ot be, but I'm still in the state where refuse to take my top off in public. I desperately wish to swimming but will not as I don't want people to see the state my back is in. Even if it's not full of scabs it'll be scared.


Alos, chewing my tongue is another thing. If I'm concentrating on something I just do sit there chewing on it. I've never made it beeld, but have made it sore a few times.