Cuticle Recovery Guide For Pickers And Biters
Posted by: Leonora Epstein
Filed in:
style
2:00PM, Wednesday October 28th 2009
Out of all the nervous habits you could have, picking at your nails and cuticles might be the only really physically ugly one. And as we get closer to winter, cold temperatures only make the condition worse by drying and cracking sensitive skin. All habits can be broken, so if you’re a biter or picker, why not start recovering now? After the jump, tips and tricks that will leave you looking very hand-some.
- People have probably encouraged you to just get manicures regularly. Aside from the cost, most cuticle biters dread getting their nails done because a manicurist will usually scold you or even seem distressed by the state of your fingers. Polish can also encourage picking. You might think it would help if have something harmless to hack away at, but when it’s gone, you may find yourself mindlessly clawing. You can, however, keep up a mini-manicure routine yourself. Start off with dry hands and file away any hangnails with an emery board. If you’ve damaged the skin below your cuticles, you can also use a file or buff to even things out, as well as wear down any dry ends you might find yourself pulling at. If you have some time, moisturize with some Neosporin, which disinfects and helps heal wounds. It’s oily, however, so you won’t want to touch things right after.
- During the day, resist temptation by coating your fingers with New Skin, a liquid “bandage” which forms a tough, protective cover over your skin. [$7.29, Walgreens]
- Moisturize your hands in the morning and at night. If you’re the type who washes her hands frequently, one trick is to pour some lotion into plastic gloves and let your hands sit in them before bedtime for about a half hour (some people wear moisturizing gloves to sleep, but it could feel weird to you). Surgeon-type gloves work, or you can pick some up at Sephora. [$8, Sephora]
- Be prepared—keep a portable product like Ellen Sirot’s Hand Perfection Nail And Cuticle Treatment in your purse. Every time you feel yourself biting or picking, make applying the product your response, which will hopefully catch on to replace your obsessive behavior.
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Perceptible
wrote on October 28 2009 @ 01:12 pm: [report]
This stuff is AWESOME! I use it for all kinds of small cuts on my hands or other areas where band-aids don’t really make sense. It smells pretty bad when you apply it, but it is completely awesome and should be in everyone’s medicine cabinet.
powplz
wrote on October 28 2009 @ 01:21 pm: [report]
@Perceptible - <3 newskin as well. I keep mine in a kitchen drawer since that’s where I’m much more likely to have nicked or cut myself.
cattgirl813
wrote on October 28 2009 @ 01:26 pm: [report]
Thank you for this article! I’m a notorious biter/picker who turned to fake nails to stop. It worked…until I got contacts for the first time and damn near scooped off my cornea trying to put them in and take them out with the acrylic tips on. These suggestions will be a big help - and cheaper than a full set or a fill in to boot!
rb_373
wrote on October 28 2009 @ 02:36 pm: [report]
I thought I was the only compulsive cuticle picker! Anybody else out there thought you were alone? Thanks for the tips. My nails will look lovely from now on.
Lilypie
wrote on October 28 2009 @ 05:47 pm: [report]
I’m a total cuticle biter/picker. My nails always look fine, but oy the cuticles. And when it’s really dry (like now) I end up chewing them raw. Bad, bad habit. Thanks for the tips!
b_brilliance
wrote on October 28 2009 @ 06:01 pm: [report]
i always thought i was the only one who did this, it’s been a bad habit since childhood, i’m 22 now. i’ve always avoided getting my nails done or showing my hands in any way because of this. it’s so bad that i often pick or bite at my cuticles ‘til they bleed and everyone and their mom have scolded me for this. i equate this habit to smoking, that’s how hard it is for me to stop. but hopefully i can by using these tips, so thanks for this article =)
simpleme
wrote on October 28 2009 @ 09:23 pm: [report]
I am a habitual picker and chewer… I use Solar Oil. A lot. I find it helps as much as the fact that I do my own manicures and have to make myself do it regularly or else yucky cuticles. I also have nippers in a couple of spots to clip the little hang nails. Why do some people have such issues with cuticles and yet some, like my guy the contractor, don’t?