I have a very embarrassing habit of chewing my skin around my finger nails. I sometimes do it even without realizing. How to get rid of this bad habit?
Aah! Nice question. Thanks for the A2A. Ever been fractured? If it cuts the skin and there is some bleeding, does the doctor just fix the bleeding with a band aid and send you back? No. He needs to fix the fracture first. Else the pain will keep coming up.When you say you have this habit, we can all start bombarding you with techniques to stop doing it, but they will fail. Why? Because the root is somewhere else. You behave this way because of a certain reason. And we need to uproot the entire problem.Probably you are a little anxious, or tend to be a little lost in your thoughts. You need to figure that out. But the clue to hacking this behavior would be to be in the present moment always. Stop thinking too much. About anything. The mind is there to serve you. You should not serve your mind. Next time you catch yourself doing this, observe what you are feeling at that moment. Come to the present. See how much of a difference it makes.P.S. I had this problem. I ended up realising that I do it when I start thinking and the engine of my mind is running continuously. Now I focus more on the present and on the task at hand. Voila! Its gone!
How do I stop biting my lips and peeling the skin of my fingers?
I am always biting my lips and I also pick the skin off when they're dry until they're bleeding and then I stop. I bite the inside of my lips, too until they bleed and then I stop. I also peel the skin off my fingers (when I see dry skin) and even though I want to stop so badly, I get in this trance where I can't stop peeling them until they bleed, too! My fingers are becoming so ugly that my husband has started to notice and is very concerned about this. Apart from peeling them, I also bite the sides of my fingers' skin! So I bite my lips. Peel my dried lips. Bite the skin inside my mouth. Bite the skin off the side of my fingers. I peel the skin off my fingers 'til they bleed. How do I stop this? Slapping it won't work, and chewing gum only goes so far. I can do this for 2 hours and can't stop. It's like I can't snap out of it. How do I stop biting my lips and peeling the skin of my fingers?
How to stop biting finger skin?
I have an addiction of biting the skin around my fingers. I used to bite my finger nails also but I stopped that 2 weeks ago. I wanted to stop biting the skin around my fingers too but I just can't help it. It's not like quitting cigarettes where you go out and buy a pack and smoke them, my fingers are attached to me and I usually start biting my skin without even realizing. I want to stop because it looks nasty and also it hurts really bad when you bite too much skin off. Please tell me how I can stop doing this.
Why is my 8 year old daughter chewing off the skin of her fingertips? Could this point towards an underlying psychological problem?
A lot of good answers- I would just addIf you intuition is that she is acting out or this is an issue then see a doctor that you can trust- get several opinions if necessaryWork with your daughter to stop this behavior before it becomes deeply rooted and creates an embarrassing issue down the road.I know we supposedly live in a more enlightened era now but the fact is we judge people and imagine your child after getting a great education is sitting in the lobby of a firm waiting for her chance to be interviewed. The COO walks around the corner and there is Jennifer whittling away at her fingers with her teeth. The CO could be truly enlightened and won’t care or she could be judgmental and think wow that gal has issues not hiring her.I interview young folks all the time for positions in engineering, product development, investigations, accounting, etc. and when you have a pool of people that enter the interview process and all of them are exceptional sometimes small things can harm the opportunity.
How to stop biting the skin off my lips & putting my fingers in my mouth?
I have the same problem for the lips....heres some info i got: 1. Wear Lotion on your Lips Instead of Lip Balm If you are a severe lip biter, consider switching your favorite lip balm with your favorite face lotion. Scraping the bad tasting lotion into your mouth is a perfect deterrent for biting. Try using a skin firming cream to tighten up some of that previous damage bitten into your lip while you are trying to quit. 2. Do not Lick you Lips Licking your lips makes them dry and causes the skin to peel which in turn causes you to bite. Stop licking your lips, and the habit of biting them should end as well. 3. Use Lemon as a Deterrent The citrus of lemon will burn your lips if they have sores and cuts on them from biting, but will actually disinfect, exfoliate and help repair the skin as well. Rub lemon slices on your lips a few times during the day to test how you have been doing and to heal and flake off the dead skin. 4. Apply Lip Balm to your Lips Each Time you Think about Biting Pay attention to the frequency of your lip biting habit, and treat the sore spot each time by applying lip balm to your lips instead of biting them. Although this tip may not work on its own to stop a seasoned veteran, it can be helpful in observing the problem and doing something constructive to fix it. If don`t like lip balm, use cocoa butter or olive oil instead. 5. Chew on Something Else Keep your mouth busy and chew on a piece of gum or sugar-free candy instead of your lips. Chewing your food more slowly and deliberately may also help you satisfy your urge to chew without mutilating your lip. 6. Make your Lips Extra Slick Change from your regular lip balm or lipstick to a super shiny gloss or lip color. The extra moisture will help make your teeth slip off of the lip when you try to chomp down, and perhaps the extra shine will help keep your mind off of biting. 7. Relax Lip biting can be linked to a larger problem of stress or anxiety. Try taking time out everyday to just breathe deeply and relax.
How to stop biting skin off around nails?
You poor dear ladies, that is just plain gross and you MUST STOP! A few suggestions: 1. Anywhere and anytime you can - WEAR GLOVES! Get a box of thin gloves like restaurant workers or nurses use and wear them every minute of the day when possible. If there's a way you can wear dress gloves on some occasions, do so. 2. Put a thick coat of vaseline around the edges of your fingernails. Not tasty and the feel of it is a quick reminder that you are NOT doing this anymore! 3. Put clear nail polish around and on your fingernails. Unpleasant taste and hard coating. 4. Iodine will hurt like the dickens when you spread it around your fingernails and it has an ugly, bitter taste. It is not something you want to ingest. 5. Jalopena pepper sauce, will make your fingers drop off, if there are any skin openings. Guaranteed to hu-u-r-r-t-t-t! And your tongue will curl up in your head, when you taste it, unless you're used to that spicy stuff. 6. If there are 1 or 2 fingers or your thumbs you ravage the most, put band-aids on them. You've really got to want to stop and be willing to put up with some unpleasantness if you want to overcome this "addiction"! Best of luck to all of you, but remember, it's a matter of hard work, constant vigilance and persistance that will make you free of this awful habit.
Is biting the skin around your nails or pulling the top layer of skin off your lips a sign of developing an anxiety disorder?
It is a sign that something is bothering you and you are doing something to distract yourself. It's akin to blade cutting but much more toned down in terms of the destruction caused to the body. You are doing something to produce a sensation in your body that "comforts" or "distracts" you from unplesant thoughts/feelings. That sensation enables your mind to be engaged on something else and not that thing that is bothering you. I think that is why anxious people are restless and distracted people. So yes, do look into your emotional health to find out what are you bothered by. And try to stop those behaviors. I used to wear plasters on my hands to stop myself from peeling the skins by the nails off. I love the rough texture and the pain produced by tugging at it. I also scrap my tongue against my teeth to feel the texture of the teeth and pain on the tongue. And I hurt my lips with my teeth as well. These are really bad habits that may cause other problems like jaw ache for me. So good that you're conscious of them. Need to stop doing them and also to address underlying cause of those actions. Choose other coping strategies that are more productive as well, for example, going for a walk or jog.
How do I get rid of skin tearing near finger nails?
If the skin is tearing because of some allergic reaction like nail polish, hands being soaked for long time in detergent solutions, or too much washing of hands using soap, then it is best to stay from these allergens for nearly a month.In the mean time, you can keep the skin around your nails moisturized using a thick non-perfume cream.If it is not because of allergens, and you do not have a habit of biting your cuticles and finger nails then it could be due to deficiency of calcium or vitamins.Try to take balanced diet with right amount of proteins, carbs, healthy fats, minerals and fibers. You could also take calcium or vitamin supplements for a week or so.Personally whenever I encounter this, I take vitamin b-complex capsules every alternate days for a week and the problem goes away.This skin peeling could also be caused by skin diseases like-Eczema: inflammation of skin.Psoriasis: formation of red patches and thick silvery scales on the affected part.Dyshidrosis: appearance of small fluid-filled blisters on the sides of fingers and palms.Skin Infection: caused by the moisture of yeast.For all the above causes, it is essential to consult a doctor who will diagnose the condition and put you on a proper medication course.Home Remedies:Honey: Take a small amount of pure honey and apply it on the affected area of the skin; keep it there for 10-20 minutes, then wash with lukewarm water.You can also apply a mixture of honey and olive oil on a daily basis to keep the skin soft. Or apply a mixture of sandalwood, rosewater and honey on the affected area for 20 minutes, then rinse with lukewarm water and soap.Cucumber: Gently rub thick slices of cucumber on the affected part to let the juice be absorbed by the skin. Wash with lukewarm water and repeat daily until the issue subsides.Aloe Vera: Drink a couple of tablespoons of aloe vera juice to keep the skin around fingernails healthy, or if you have access to aloe vera leaves then break a small part of the leaf and apply its juice over the affected part multiple times a day.Warm Water: Add lemon juice and honey to a bowl of warm water and soak your fingers into it for at least 10 minutes daily. It will make the skin supple and the dry skin will fall off. Once done, dry your hands and rub olive oil, or vitamin E oil or thick moisturizer on the affected part. This will maintain the level of moisture around the nails.Hope this helps. :-)Source: Skin Peeling Around Nails: Causes and Treatments
I pick at dead skin around my finger nails and my finger nails, similar to how someone would bite their nails. I seem to do it when I'm nervous or stressed. How can I end this habit?
You could try to deal with it directly, and Teresa Harrington gave you some great suggestions. You may have more success dealing with it indirectly, especially if you tend to pick unconsciously. Dealing with it indirectly means that you have to manage the stress in your life and learn how to reduce your anxiety. This post might help: Janet McKenzie's answer to I'm tired of being worried all the time. What should I do?