Bleeding Finger Nails

[NotMyWorld]

Hey pinklady, I totallty understand the germ thing, it actually drives me nuts when I have even a little nail because of the thought of dirt and stuff under them.

I would consider the Cayenne if it weren't for the fact that I have a child in diapers and one who still wears them at night. I would hate to get it in there mounths or eyes. I wash my hands on a constant basis, I'm always changing diapers and cleaning up dirty little faces, runny noses etc... so I'm washing my hands constantly.

I'm just rying to grow them out enought o put the acrylics back on, but I totally mangled them over the weekend.

Sometimes the kids screaming, crying, fighting over toys, the husband (instead of helping) criticizing the way I handle them, it's a miracle I have fingers at all.

It was a rough weekend. My poor fingers got the brunt. The kids had fun though. Saturday we took them to the beach, Sunday my legs were so sore from digging a hole and builting that sand castle that I could barely move so we rented movies and built a fort in our living room for the kids.

 

[stormyweather]

I've torn at my fingernails/cuticles for years and years. A therapist did tell me that it is a form of self abuse. But it's less damaging than cutting, I suppose. My fingers do look pretty bad, but I figure that's the least of my worries.

 

[nimkekaa]

I too bite my nails. I think it is an anxiety thing for me. I also rip off my toe nails and will sometimes rip too close and they will bleed.

I don't know any solutions but I sympathize.

 

[rlucero]

I also have a problem and rather than use my teeth I use clippers & anything with a sharp edge to try to make my nails better. The problem though is that by focusing on them I find that I am cutting way to deep. I also cut my cuticles and use a razor blade to make it perfect (something you have to get good at). This has been going on for the last 6 months and as you can imagine has lead to me destroying my nails. I like the photo you provided because my nails are much shorter, red and deformed leading me to absolutely understand I have to stop. The only way for me to do that would be to prevent being able to access them. I think I may have to start wearing band aids. I also realize I have to work out to get this internal energy out of me. I think this type of behavior is associated with anxiety. For me I need to ensure I am doing something and engaged.

 

[Hashi]

@rlucero, I do the same thing. Wearing sticking plasters (what band aids are called here) really helps me. Especially if I rub lavender oil and a little moisturising lotion around my nails first first, let that dry then put the plasters on. Lavender's one of the few essential oils it's OK to use on broken skin, and I find it helps them heal much faster.

I pick with my fingers mostly and the plasters give me something else to pick at. I don't know if that would work if you're using clippers etc but I recommend finding a harmless alternative that involves a similar action - even if you're clipping pieces of paper. I say that because the action itself is soothing to me, so it's good to still be doing that but on something other than my fingers.