How to help ravaged hands

[MarshmallowPink]

I bite the skin around my nails, it's a habit I've had all my life and it gets worse when I'm anxious. I am sick of having raggedy, bleeding nails. I'm thinking of starting a hand and nail routine that I hope will prevent me from doing it (because I see progress). Just looking for tips on how to get them to a halfway decent state. Big standard hand cream doesn't seem to do much...

This stuff is excellent, I’m a HCP so wash my hands a lot. I occasionally get splits and cracks and a weekend slathering this on numerous times a day heals it. I regularly put it on at night as I get into bed, I should use it a couple of times in the day too but I forget. You can get it cheaper on Amazon & Superdrug sometimes has it on offer.

workinghands

Fantastic, thank you! I'll try it - hope it helps my terrible fingers. So embarrassing

You could have a manicure, now that salons are opening up again.

I did try that before but the sides of my nails still look awful. It's a very embarrassing problem, looks awful!

Try rubbing a little almond oil into your cuticles as well

I think the key thing is not particularly the brand of hand cream, but how often you use it. I have hand cream (all kinds of brands) all over the house, by my bed, bathroom, by the kitchen sink, in the hall, my bag, in the car, and every time I see a tube I use it. Not too much but give it a good massage in, you'll see a difference in a few days.

For a splurge I love the L'occitane Shea butter, or Clarins, but anything from the supermarket/ boots will do just as well IME.

I add a few drops of rose hip oil to a big dollop of aveeno just before bed.

I'm the same with my fingers and it's definitely worse if I'm stressed or anxious. My fingers look terrible and they get so sore! I've found the only way to get myself out of the habit is to have my nails done at a salon every two weeks. The difference it makes has been really noticeable during these lockdown and I can't want to get back to the salon next week.

Omg @youllneverknow - I've never met anybody else who does this!!!

I am a cuticle biter too, so is my Mum! Horrible unconscious habit and my fingers get so sore. I like Working Hands too, very soothing

I'm exactly the same as you OP. I have been since I was about 11. It gets better and worse during different parts of my life. It's been very bad for the past year because I don't go anywhere where it matters what my nails look like. No work meetings. No meetings with friends. I bit my nails and chew and peel the skin around them until they bleed and I go to bed with all my fingers throbbing. It's compulsive.

I find this can help. I file my nails into a rounded shape so they look nice if very short. I soak my nails, push back the cuticles and clip them so they look nicer and there is nothing to bite. I apply cuticle oil around the nail beds several times a day for the same reason. I paint with clear nail varnish. I find when they look more presentable I'm less inclined to ruin them.

Salon manicures don't work for me - even gel nails. They peel off easily and then they look crap so I bite and chew all the more.

I do the exact same thing, particularly around my thumbs. It becomes so much worse when I'm stressed or anxious and right now they look unsightly. Just as well none of my client meetings are face to face at the moment!

I've found that slathering my hands with O'Keefes working hands and flexitol nail and cuticle cream or cutex oil helps. I do this several times a day, especially after washing my hands and it obviously doesn't taste especially nice so I'm less inclined to bite them.

I find painting my nails helps massively too as I'm consciously making an effort to keep my nails looking nice and in turn, I don't bite or pick them.

I use Cetraben overnight on my hands most nights and that stops the cracking and bleeding. Mine is prescription but you can buy it too in Boots/Superdrug and use it to wash your hands with. It's brilliant. Too greasy to use as a regular moisturiser (I use the kids Child's Farm baby moisturiser in the day) but overnight it really helps.

For the chewing (I used to do it too, nails and cuticles) honestly the only thing that worked for me to stop is that foul tasting stuff that you paint on. It's grim for a week but it does work. Once you've broken the habit you can treat.

@MarshmallowPink I'm a skin picker too. I've done it for most of my life and make my fingers bleed. I was once in the audience of a tv chat show and rang all my family to tell them to look out for me - how did they know it was me? I'm ashamed to say I was the person picking their fingers!!

It find it helps if I only let myself pick certain fingers and cover the others up with plasters or tape, then gradually let myself pick fewer fingers, until I've only got one finger on each hand to pick.

I use a this hand cream www.purenuffstuff.co.uk/products/Unscented-hand-cream-UK?cat=62 or ones with shea butter

I have always done this too. I just can't stop and anxiety sends it into overdrive.

I do this too OP! It's worse when my nails are long so I keep them short.

Coconut oil rubbed in at night works. I've also treated myself to a nice thick hand cream from Lush.

My boyfriends hands are a mess, think it’s picking subconsciously and just not taking care of them. I bought him child’s farm hand cream and shea butter balm by locctaine for night time. I’m a nurse so look after my hands as they can become v painful with all the hand washing and alcohol gel etc. I also got him rubber gloves for doing the dishes, I’m all heart. Initially apply the cream, don’t rub it in hard but more smooth it over your hands mostly the driest bits and let them soak it in. Cuticle oil too it’ll take a while but your hands will look better in no time, it’s just the habit you need to break, hopefully his will be softer and less painful too.

I do this, I used to be a very bad nail biter too, but occasionally that’s manifests itself again, but I also bite and pull my skin around my nails.
Basically hand cream as often as you can, keep it in handbags, different rooms, by every sink!
Also don’t let the skin around your nails get too dry, don’t push cuticles back, as it’s tempting to start pulling at them, paint your nails to keep them looking nice. This helps me but sometimes I still do it, then beat myself up afterwards! Good luck!!

Thanks for all these suggestions, and to be honest I'm mainly blown away by the fact that I'm not alone in this habit! I honestly thought it was just me and actually it's been quite something to hear that it's not. Thank you!

Nope, not alone, I pick mine & they're always sore.

Fellow picker, and now my hands are also cracked from the current weather that can't make its mind up, temperature-wise.

Cetraben doesnt work for me but I'm going o give the o'Keefes and go. Having gel nails seems to put me off - I think it's the gel texture next to my lips when I go in for a nibble and strip.

I do this sometimes too. It's so easy to fall back into, especially if there is something to pick. I don't think I always start them but once they appear ...
Would you go to the extreme and wear gloves or plasters?

OP - apparently there's a name for it "dermatophagia". You are definitely not alone with this issue. My partner is always telling me to stop picking or biting and most of the time I don't even know I'm doing it.

Not a picker, but my hands fall to pieces every now and then, and have been particularly bad since I've been back in work - I think all the changes in temperature might be to blame, as well as extra hand washing.

I've been using Weleda Skinfood, which has helped the extra sore bits on my thumbs.

I bite the skin around my fingers, and often my nails too. My nails beds are very bumpy and nails are super weak, probably because I've been biting the skin for so many years. It's a horrible habit, but hard to stop. I need to make a conscious effort to stop and paint nails, etc, but I always go back to it