Nail biting/terrible cuticles/sore fingers

[hamsaladsandwichh]

So I'm getting acrylics with gel polish in a few days for going on holiday.

I am a terrible nail biter and always have been but I am trying to leave them alone.

I regularly file them, push and trim back cuticles etc and apply moisturiser to keep them neat but I'm worried they will still look a mess at the bottom of the nail with lovely acrylics. They are scabby and ragged looking.

Any tips to make them look a bit less shit?

Pot of Vaseline by the bed and the sink downstairs. Rub in at least 3x a day,it really helps.

Thank you will start doing that

Sudocrem before bed every night.

I would stop messing with them and allow them to heal before you get an infection. I've started using a cuticle remover (Amazon) which softens the cuticle to make it easier to push back maybe try that once they've healed up. I used to have awful nails up until 2 years ago they were a lot shorter than yours they were really disgusting but I'm at the point now where I'm very happy with them. I think you will have beautiful nails once they grow out but I know it's hard to break the habit

Tbh I agree, I wouldn't have nails done until your cuticles are completely sorted.

I've alternated between sudocrem and Vaseline today.

Tonight I've smothered them in intensive hand cream and put some nail varnish on to stop me biting them, I'm more likely to leave them alone if they are painted. Hopefully they will be less sore and red by the time my appointment comes around!

I would recommend Superdrug naturally radiant night cream it’s a face cream but it works wonders on my hands and nails! Cheap as chips too as it’s always on offer. Would also recommend taking a multivitamin if you don’t already, that always makes a difference for me. Also agree with PP leave them alone now except for moisturising and I would also go easy on your hands in general if you can so wear gloves for cleaning/washing up etc.

If you’re in the kitchen & no cream nearby, use Olive Oil. Massage into cuticles. Lovely stuff!

You need flexibility cuticle cream. It works wonders overnight on ragged skin

**flexitol

If my hands/cuticles are very dry and sore I use loads of hand cream/vaseline or similar just before going to bed and then wear a pair of white cotton gloves overnight, I got the gloves from a website that sells clothing for eczema/allergies.

Thanks for ideas I am going to completely leave them alone now other than creams etc

I was a chronic nail biter until well into adulthood. I broke the habit by using false nails. They damaged the surface of the nail but they stopped the biting. Then when I fell into bad habits again, I'd dig out the falsies. This post has made me realise that I don't have a problem anymore. Hooray! This is how they look now. I used to have half a nail at most! So glad I've been able to stop.

Blistex on them. Found out by accident but total game changer

Used to bite my nails horribly and always had bleeding fingers. Tried every hand cream, tried breaking the habit with small rewards for not biting or distracting my hands with knitting. Ultimately the only thing that truly helped was counselling to help cope with the anxiety that caused the nail biting in the first place. Once I learned some ways to combat the anxiety, my nail biting gradually improved.
Maybe this is not what you were looking for and maybe this is not at all the issue for you but perhaps it's a perspective you haven't considered.

Thank you

It's definitely something to consider, it does get worse during times of stress or worry and i do have a history of anxiety.

That's great!

I used to bite my cuticles. I just had to be more aware on stopping every time I began doing it. It doesn't take long to break the habit.

Can I just say, though, when they've grown, your nails are going to be lovely because they are a fantastic shape. As are @Newmum738 's. My middle fingernails are really wide. They look like shovels. I'm very jealous of yours.

Oh thank you! I'm sure yours are absolutely fine, have you tried doing a bit of a manicure yourself to try and reshape them?

I do file mine regularly and try to keep them neat even though I constantly hack away at them.

I'm determined it's got to stop it's so painful when I've had a bad day they bleed. It's like an itch that can't be scratched once I get going.

Nail biting can be a form of ocd so definitely worth getting some help with it if you can't seem to kick the habit.

I bit my nails for decades. From toddlerhood to my late 30s. I've stopped now but I sometimes still get that urge to nibble.

I've just managed to pretty
Ouch s

Sorry, fat (but unbitten!) fingers!

I've recently managed to stop buying my cuticles after 35 years of it by buying a fidget ring which I wear on my thumb. If I catch myself picking I move to messing with the ring instead. Been about 3 months now and my hands look and feel so much better.