Skin picking/ Nail biting

[SpaceRaiders]

Posting here for traffic, does anyone have any experience with body-focused repetitive behaviour?

DD9 is going through a particularly bad time with skin picking on her face and I noticed shes started on her leg too. She already has scars which won’t heal because the scabs don’t stay on for long before she finds them.

I’m looking for strategies to divert her attention away from the picking in particular as she’s getting distressed by how many scars she’s accumulating. Obviously I never draw attention to them but I do take her hands away from her face when I find her doing it. I don’t even know if I should be doing that tbh. But any words of advice?

Thanks for all the tips and sharing your experiences. I’ve bought her some new fidgets and some more weleda skin food but shes not overly keen on slimy/greasy textures on her skin.

She doesn’t pick her cuticles or skin around her fingers, it’s just her face that she does it. The nail biting I’m less concerned about even though it looks sore. I tried that nail polish that tastes awful on her and it worked but over time she got used to the awful taste so she’d just bite them anyway.

She doesn’t seem more stressed or anxious than usual but maybe the multiple late nights of school holidays isn’t doing her any good. I’ll bring it up when she has her diagnostic appointment in the autumn and see what the psych team say.

For my son, just the school holidays themselves cause massive anxiety - the lack of routine and missing out with his friends.

I still do the finger picking and quite enjoy it, what helps though us using lots of hand cream and using a crystal nail file to minimise peeling. I also like painting my nails and this keeps my hands busy and detracts from picking as they look so nice.

Hello Parents,

I hope this message finds you all well. My name is Haroon, and I'm a parent here seeking some advice and insights from the community. Recently, I've noticed that my child has developed a habit of biting their nails and skin around their fingers. It's something that concerns me, and I'm curious to know if any of you have experienced something similar with your children.

I'd appreciate any guidance or tips on how to help them break this habit. Here are a few questions I have:

1. Have any of your children struggled with nail or skin biting habits? If so, how did you approach this behavior?
2. What methods or strategies have you found effective in helping your child stop nail biting?
3. Are there any particular products or tools that you've used that helped discourage nail biting?
4. Did you notice any underlying causes or triggers for this behavior in your child?
5. How do you balance addressing the habit without making your child feel self-conscious or stressed about it?

Any advice or personal experiences you can share would be incredibly helpful. Thank you all in advance for your time and support!

Warm regards,
Haroon