stop chewing my cuticles

but hoping telling the world will help! This is so revolting, but so incredibly difficult to control – seems like such a silly little thing.

I did this. As a side effect I stopped biting my nails and for the first time in years, I actually had nails.

Because of this, I realized I dislike having nails, and frankly I enjoy biting them! So yep.

Thank you all for sharing your stories, it’s great to know that my biting can be stopped by some of the methods you have all offered. I did not even realize that I was doing it as a response to stress. This is the first step to hand recovery!

That so many people want to stop this horrible habit too. It is such a nervous habit for me. I have been under so much stress lately that my hands have never been this bad. I have my fingers so chewed up that it even hurts to put hand lotion on. Hand lotion! The thing that’s supposed to soothe and make your hands feel better. Makes mine hurt slightly more.

I can’t believe how well I’m doing with this! The first couple days were hard but now I am hardly tempted to chew my cuticles at all. I have been using a lot of lotion and that helps.

Wow I had no idea there would be 23 other people out there trying to stop doing this! It’s totally gross…which is why we need to quit!

ok so maybe not the only only one but everyone else seems to chew their nails! i do it whne im bored, nervous, or upset. the one thing that seems to help me was putting bandaids on my fingers on my days off, it was only for two days a week but it made me more aware that i was doing it. unfourtunatly ive been slipping lately and my thumbs and pointer finger are getting the bulk of my nerves. i guess everyone has their oral fixation and since i dont smoke this is mine?

I had no idea so many other people did this. I’m glad I’m not alone in this. lol. For me, I think it’s at it’s worst when I watch a scary movie, or just when I’m really nervous :/

Wow, I’m amazed I stumbled upon this discussion. I’ve been chewing the skin around my nails for many, many, years to the point in which the skin below my nails is perpetually red (even when I’m not chewing them). I hate it!

I’m sure it’s stressed-induced, but there doesn’t seem to be any pattern to when I do it. Man, I’d love to find a way to stop it! Is there such thing as finger cancer? :)

earlier in the year I stopped biting my nails but I don’t know how. However, I still chew on my skin right around my nails.
My question is lets say I have bit a nice skin off then I catch myself doing it. Do I stop and leave the chunk of skin hanging or do I rip it off? Sometimes it hurts to rip it off.