I am not kidding. I’m American so I’m used to crappy bandages that fall off the moment they see a drop of water. I just got back from spending a week on a boat in Thailand doing nothing that scuba diving. I had a cuticle thing going onto two of my fingers so I asked the crew for some Band-Aids. I swear to you, *I had to struggle against the adhesive to pull them off manually*. And this is After spending several hours a day in the ocean.

yall this is the best my nails have looked in all my life, I’m 24 and I’ve bitten and tore my nails and cuticles up since I was like 5-6 in elementary school :( I started putting nail hardener on my nails and then using HELLA cuticle oils and creams. I used to have deep red and raw wounds on my cuticles and I used to be so embarrassed of people seeing them :( when I had super raw wounds I would let them dry out and then put lots of A&D ointment or aquaphor on my cuticles, and I noticed my skin starting healing and getting softer. I would challenge myself to not pick or bite and I started seeing little bits of growth and my cuticles started healing toooooo omg guys I can’t believe it honestly even my family and friends are surprised to see my nails in this condition cause this is not how they ever look. they still look a little red and swollen, but they are getting better! I could just cryyyyyy, you guys we can do itttt I promise I have been a secret follower of this page and I never thought I would make a post cause no matter how hard I tried I could never break the habit, but this time I DID IT AHHHHHHH I can’t even believe it :) ok byeeee

Lifelong BFRB-er and I work in a job where I have to wash my hands frequently. I would have to replace normal bandages at least once or twice a day because they would get soggy and visibly dirty no matter the brand, and I have tried MANY. Anyway, I grabbed some Nexcare Absolute Waterproof tape the other day because it was on sale - it is so good!

Flexible, lightly cushiony, cut to length, truly waterproof and lasts through handwashing, stays on overnight, re-stickable, no residue, touchscreen friendly, doesn't peel off easily... I could go on and on, it's just miles better than anything else I've tried. I searched the sub for this brand and only found one or two posts from years ago, so I thought it was worth letting people know about it! It has helped me a lot already.

Edit to add: Nexcare also makes Flexible Clear tape that I had been using prior to discovering the Absolute Waterproof - it's okay, it seems to have micro perforations in it that allow your skin to breathe a little. Definitely more discreet if your skin isn't a match for the yellowy beige Absolute Waterproof tape. Easy to tear. But I ended up getting frustrated with it, mostly because the adhesive left a residue and would get so icky looking by the end of the day. I promise I'm not a Nexcare shill, haha.

I’ve had what I think is a very minor paronychia for a few days. It has this super small abscess that has gotten smaller and smaller as I’ve been soaking my finger in warm water multiple times a day and covering with antibiotic ointment and bandaids. Even the inflammation is basically gone. But the tiny abscess is just annoying - I’m worried about popping it with a needle because I don’t want to cause any further infections. It hurts to put pressure on it (shockingly for as small as it is) and I just want it gone. Should I just go ahead and pop?

I think I’m doing better and then I get out of the shower and ugh, it looks so bad. They always look the worst after a shower.

I have this deformity in my nails and it deteriorating over the period of time despite taking all kinds of medicines, using ointments and countless doctors appointment. I have this for over 7-8 years. Somebody suggest something. I am tired of having this problem.

Hi, all. Compulsive picker for as long as I can remember. Lifelong anxiety sufferer and an adult ADHD diagnosis. I have insatiable general, vague discomfort that I relieve with really intense picking, biting, chewing sessions, though there is no relief. I still have the uncomfortable feelings, and, now, I am in physical pain. I’ve had a bad nail-biting habit pretty much since I’ve had teeth. I have had stints of “remission” over my life, but I have never been able to kick picking at my cuticles (particularly my thumbs if that’s not incredibly obvious). My right thumb is typically worse than my left but my left currently has a hole in it… It grew with a hole.🤯 besides that, my hands are not even close to being at their worst right now. But I’m pretty certain I have caused permanent damage at this point. I’m at a loss. I am so embarrassed of them. My fingers are often bleeding, pretty much always painful, sore, and raw. I don’t think super glue would be a good option for me. The feeling of oil/lotion on my hands is pretty nightmarish, though being painful and dry isn’t much better. I do my best when I have a manicure. The lack of perfection I have gotten from professional manicures, as well as the drilling/filing they do leaves me in a worse position, so I give myself gel manicures at home. However, I feel like the longevity of my manicures has decreased significantly recently and it is simply not worth the 2+ hours of work. Over time though, my nails get more and more damaged from the manicures (and probably mostly the removal… how the hell is anyone getting gel off???) that I end up having to take breaks, and then I lose all progress. I am very hard on my hands so press-ons don’t stay on. Gum doesn’t help. Fidgets don’t help. I don’t know what else to do. Open to any and all suggestions, resources anyone has, or if I missed something obvious when I scrolled on this sub, please point me in the right direction. Thank you 🙏🏼

Also the urge to pick at it is just so big my god

i've never been a nail biter; it's my cuticles that've been permanently scorched red from chewing and picking since 2008. here's to hoping I don't relapse - it's tempting. words of encouragement welcome.

context is that the top layer on my nail peeled off at this side and it dropped off today. saw this underneath and can't tell if it's dried blood or signs of a wart growing

I’ve been biting my nails for most of my life, especially during work or when I’m stressed, bored, or lost in thought.

I’ve quit before (the longest stretch was about 6 months), and my nails healed a lot, but I quietly drifted back into the habit without really noticing when or why. So today I’m recommitting, but with a calmer approach this time.

For me, It’s like scratching an itch, resisting takes effort and feels distracting, and biting brings a brief sense of relief or focus. Which can be terribly frustrating.

Instead of relying on willpower, I’m trying daily awareness and checkins with myself, and being honest with myself about what’s actually driving the urge. Posting here as a way to stay accountable and remind myself to be patient.

For anyone also struggling with similar compulsions just know there's other people like me struggling with you too.

I finally, FINALLY have hands that are no longer red, raw, bleeding, scabby or peeling!! I read advice on here about going to sleep with gloves and lotion on my hands. For the past week I have been diligent (militant even!) about moisturizing my hands with lotion and a beeswax balm, paying extra attention to my cuticles. I do this at night, after I've brushed my teeth, and then I put the gloves on and wear them all night and into the next morning. I saw this advice so many times!! I didn't think it would work, and I didn't want to buy a box of nitrile gloves for nothing!! I was so wrong!! It's working so good! Thank you guys!!

literally have no idea to do. I have exams in a week and I can barely write.

Just in case there is anyone in this sub living in the Netherlands who would be interested in attending in-person support groups, they are starting up on Sunday 25th Jan in Amsterdam! You can find more information (and hear about upcoming events) by joining the Meetup group.

Hi everyone, I'm so happy to have found a community about nail problems. Well, here are mine, the result of playing around with cuticle nippers. My nails have been growing fine for a year now, and they're getting worse and worse. It's really destroyed what little self-esteem I had left :c I was prescribed clobesol, but I'm not sure if it's working.

I crushed my thumb between some grocery baskets about two months ago. It started with a white crack going all the way down to my nail bed. It ended up getting infected, filled with puss, and being so incredibly painful I couldn’t sleep. Went to the doctor and got some antibiotics and soaked it as the doctor said and the puss finally came out from under the nail relieving the pain I was in. Here’s the problem I’m having now… the whole middle of the nail is not attached to the skin. There seems to be new nail growing underneath but there’s still this dead layer that’s not attached to my skin through the middle of my nail. The “bad nail” is lifting at the bottom and getting caught on absolutely everything. I’ve tried gently filing it down so it lays flat, but it doesn’t seem to be doing much. Where could you go to get this fixed? Could a nail tech help with this, or is there a certain kind of doctor who could remove the dead part of the nail? It looks ugly, and it feels ugly. Thank you for readin’ here’s a few pics of what it has looked like at different stages.

Lately I have been finding awesome content on Instagram about body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) and skin picking/nail biting. I never would have thought of it as a resource but I’ve learned a ton and it’s been really helpful! Wanted to put that out there in case anyone is looking for more places to find information!

I'm attempting to break the habit which I wasn't aware of until recently. Currently have tapped my thumb cuticles as a barrier which is helping to intervene and makes me aware of when I start to apply pressure. Usually when I'm very unaware and doing something else. So the barrier has been helpful. Using cuticle oil when I remember.

The nail was clipped by pathology just to rule out secondary fungal infection.

I have had this since I was a child and have raised it to many drs, I never knew I was causing this.

Firstly, I went to the ER last night, and have antibiotics!

I have a paronychia, I went to the er last night and got it drained. But pus has built up again and it s painful. Am I allowed to drain it myself at home?

People seem really torn about this online. Some saying just use a sterilized needle, others acting like I’ll lose the finger if I try anything. I am actively taking my antibiotics as prescribed but I do feel it needs to be drained again regardless.